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
Back to Index
Promote
Emergency Action Needed to Address Racial Disparities in NJ Special Education
As we are in the trenches defending the
rights of our children and our own rights in the special education process in
NJ, no action is under way by the NJ Department of Education that we are aware
of to address the very serious and devastating racial disparities in special
education. The following is the letter on the topic sent to the Department of
Education by APIECE Founder Jerome Carr. More information on the huge
disparities is available in a report coordinated by the NJ Council on
Developmental Disabilities that is printable or readable from this link:
http://www.njddc.org/sep-uneq.htm
.
As Jerome Carr points out in the letter below, the harmful changes that could
soon be implemented in NJ will hit the hardest the Black and Latino students. We
need to demand immediate emergency action to address these harmful discrepancies
- one step of which would be to honor the points on the IDEIA 2004 petition.
Anyone who would like to work with us around these concerns, do contact us at
908-874-5094 or APIECE@APIECENJ.org .
Dear Barbara Gantwerk,
I feel the recent changes to IDEA under IDEIA 2004 will disproportionately
affect children of color and particularly African American and Latino Children.
According to Diana Autin, Executive Co-Director of SPAN (
http://SPANNJ.org ) who analyzed the NJ
DOE website:
“Attached please find some disturbing information that highlights the ways
in which minority students in NJ are disproportionately affected by over
segregation and by discipline. Students of color in NJ are more likely to be
classified; more likely to be classified as having cognitive disabilities (3
times the white rate), emotional disturbance (almost twice the white rate), and
multiple disabilities (the disabilities most likely to end in out of district
placements), and less likely to be classified as having speech disabilities (the
disability most likely to be fully included) (12% of classified African American
students compared to 24% of classified white students). When students of color
are sent out of district, they are most likely to attend public out of district
placements, while white students are most likely to attend private placement.
10% of white preschoolers with disabilities are sent out of district compared to
16% of African-American preschoolers. 50% of white classified students in NJ
spend 80% or more of the school day in the general education classroom, compared
to 26% of classified African AMerican students and 37% of classified Latino
students. 8% of white classified students are sent out of district compared to
13% of classified African-American students (in NJ). The drop out rate for white
classified students in NJ is 22% compared to 42% for classified African American
students and 40% of classified Latino students. 76% of classified white NJ
students get a diploma compared to 57% of classified African American students
and 59% of classified Latino students. Classified African-American students get
suspended at 2 times the rate of classified white students.”
Clearly, our parents of color in NJ need more rights under special education law
to fight for our children – not to have our rights taken away, to lose short
term objectives, to lose stay put, to have manifest determination changed to
make it easier to push our behaviorally challenged students of color into the
juvenile justice system which for many is a stepping stone to an early grave. As
a founder of APIECE, the organization leading the petition drive to offset the
harmful changes to our children, I hereby call upon you to respect the petition
at http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org
– every word of it. Sincerely, Jerome Carr,
JeromeCarr@APIECENJ.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