The New Jersey Student Advocate
A publication of A Parents’ Initiative
for Every Child’s Education (APIECE)
Fall 2005, “The First Issue” Volume 1, Issue Number 1
“Standing up for the rights
of all students including those facing adversity due to disability, racial
disparity and economic inequity”
Visit today: http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org
http://APIECENJ.org / 908-881-5275 /
908-874-5094 Advocate@StudentAdvocate-NJ.org / APIECE, PO Box 1214, Belle Mead,
NJ 08502
Paid for by members and supporters of and donators to A Parents’ Initiative for
Every Child’s Education
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Promote
Don't Just Complain . . .
Organize!
On the need to build
independent student, parent and community organizations
In APIECE, we believe the solution to
most every ill in public education is to organize students, parents, advocates,
communities and supporters of public education around the issues that are most
concerning. It is through such high level of community organization that parents
and communities can become empowered and gain influence and indeed control over
the decisions that affect their lives and most importantly the lives and full
potential of their children. A community or organization that acts cohesively
and makes decisions through collective discussion to address the issues before
it can be an invincible force capable of moving mountains and overcoming any and
all obstacles.
It is not enough to simply trust that those empowered to decide for the future
of our children will have their interests and ours as their priority. A perfect
example to the contrary is the SCC mess where billions of dollars were drained
leaving half baked projects in limbo across the state of New Jersey. Another
perfect example is how we are now in the predicament where we are struggling to
protect the rights of our children with learning and other disabilities and our
own rights as their top advocates.
In Washington DC, politicians in both houses and both major parties were
lobbied by consultants for membership organizations like school board
associations, professional associations, teachers associations, etc. These
organizations collect dues and are not financed with government money nor are
they defined as 501C3 non-profit organizations. These are the kinds of
organizations that mobilize their members to vote one way or the other and that
make large campaign contributions to candidacies they believe will best
represent their interests. When they talk, the politicians listen.
There are many important and valuable advocacy agencies and 501C3 non-profit
organizations that provide a wealth of services, play an important educational
role, go to bat for us in Trenton and in Washington DC, publish important
reports and statements and otherwise do a tremendous job on our behalf with very
little resources. These agencies and organizations are important and deserving
of our support.
However, organizations such as these are limited in some ways due to their
funding source or due to their legal definition. For example, an organization
that receives state or federal funding to advocate can analyze the issues and
state opinions on how state or federal officials should define policy. Such
agencies can not suggest to you how to vote, back or withhold support from
candidates or get very political at all in how they address the issues.
Additionally, such organizations have to worry about not going too far out on a
limb to possibly jeopardize their funding source - should they be too critical
of a government policy.
Similar limitations hold true for the non-profit definition of 501C3. Such a
definition is absolutely essential to receive grants from many funding providers
and to offer tax exemption for donations. It provides much more flexibility
funding wise. However, such a definition legally prevents an organization and
its officers on behalf of such an organization from taking a political position
of support or opposition to candidates or political ballot questions.
So while those who would limit our rights and the rights of our children are
unfettered politically since they are represented by dues paying organizations,
our primary sources of support are government funded agencies and 501C3 groups.
There is also a model for local parent groups that are organizationally linked
to local school districts. Again such groups can provide important educational
services and the ties to the district allow for collaborative funding and access
to school sites for meetings and events.
Such groups are limited however in their ability to critique openly the policies
of the school districts or in how to campaign for changes to those policies. If
the district has veto power in the decision making capacity of your
organization, your group will be limited in its ability to address local
district issues, as well as statewide issues like how IDEIA 2004 will be
implemented in NJ. Such district tied organizations serve a purpose and do
important work but such work is limited by the ties that bind.
The model for educational advocacy that we in APIECE promote is one that is
independent of government and districts, is funded by membership dues and
donations and is free politically to speak quite clearly to power, to oppose and
support candidates, to endorse or oppose ballot questions and to vie directly
with similar organizations whose interests can sometimes be in opposition to
those of our children. We promote a working coalition between independent
organizations, government funded agencies, 501C3 and district based groups but
we believe the independent groups are a missing component in the equation. It is
partially because of this missing component that we find ourselves on the short
end of the stick, be it an issue like IDEIA 2004 or SCC.
We urge a dialogue among all parents around these questions and strongly urge
that parents, students, community members, advocates and other supporters launch
independent organizations in their neighborhoods. If you like what our
organization is doing and you want to consider a chapter in your town, let us
know and we will work with you. If you want a homegrown organization that
addresses the unique community issues in your town and district - do contact us
as well - we will help you get started if we can. To us the important thing is
that parents, students, communities, advocates and supporters get themselves
organized, regardless of the umbrella.
We are eternally optimistic about what we can accomplish when we empower
ourselves through unity, organization, dialogue and action on behalf of our
children to create better public education for all of our children. As we say in
APIECE, We Can! We Will! Together! If you want to discuss with us how to
organize in your town, contact us at 908-874-5094, 908-881-5275,
apiece@apiecenj.org or
Advocate@StudentAdvocate-NJ.org
.
Ask the Advocate
NJ Complaint Form (MS Word)
(PDF)
On Line Public Hearing on IDEIA 2004
Survey on NJ OSEP Complaint
Process
Past Activities
IEP Wkshp
Rec. Programs for
those w/ Disabilities
An Evening of Educational Advocacy
September 8, 2005 Edison, NJ
What The Student Advocate Has Done for Our Children
Lately . . .
NJ IDEIA 2004 Organizing Committee
Minutes of IDEIA 2004 meeting on Thu., May
26
Student Rights Radio
Discussion, October 31
Effort to
Reach Gubernatorial Hopefuls and Acting Governor / Candidates
IDEA: An Update
Dec. 5, 2005
Middletown
January 18,
2006: Hold a Candle Light for Our Children's Rights
50 Strong For Our
Children
No. Jersey Radio Interview Aired, 1/22
Petitioning for Rights Children: Legal in Princeton
Interview on NJ IDEIA Rights
- Racial Disparities in Sp-Ed
Call
is Heard in Montgomery Twp: Inclusive Recreation
NJSAU Minutes 2/18/2006
Playing and Singing for
Our Rights, 4/1/6
Better IDEA Laws for Special Education
Students?
Better IEPs? Anything is Possible!
April
1 Report: Student Advocacy Union - Fundraising Concert
Mobilization for Rights
of Our Children, May 17, 2006, Trenton
Nationwide Internet Radio Rally for Sp-Ed Parent Rights
9pm EST, Sat. May 20
Parents’ Rally @ Statehouse in Trenton Thursday, June 8, 2006
Piscataway Parents Mtg, June 19, 2006