This poetic indulgence is
in response to:
PETITION DRIVE IN
TRENTON TIMES / GANTWERK EXPRESSES DISDAIN FOR OUR INPUT!
Overwhelmed . . .
by Bob Witanek, copyright, May 17, 2005
Barbara Gantwerk Says Special Education Parents Are Overwhelmed . . .
That’s why she needs to take our rights away . . . because we’re overwhelmed
I’ll tell you what overwhelms me!
I am overwhelmed by the school district
Trying to change what was agreed to at our IEP meeting
Unilaterally . .. . after the meeting.
I am overwhelmed by having to advocate for
the same thing over and over
I even came up with a name for that: Re-advocating
I am overwhelmed . . . no . . .. stonewalled
when the directors and case managers and superintendent ignore my letters . . .
my phone calls
I am overwhelmed by the district when it tries to take advantage of me
If I don’t know what my rights are and the rights of my child are
I am overwhelmed when the district tries to pack the room with high priced administrators . . .. discussing the future of my child like they are the professionals and we know nothing
I am overwhelmed when another parent asks me
to join her at a meeting to advocate for her child . . . and the administrators
have an armed guard . . . a police officer on standby right outside the door of
our meeting.
That is definitely overwhelming
Speaking of police . . .I am overwhelmed by reading in the newspapers and watching on television as police officers drag 5 year old and 7 year old students with behavioral disabilities in handcuffs out of their schools. So much for "stay put."
I am overwhelmed when the state Sp-Ed boss sends a letter to all the districts asking for their input as to how to implement Sp-Ed law changes and then when I try to give my input she says in the paper . . . sorry . . . too late. You should have hired some thousand dollar a day lobbyists to go bribe your representatives in DC a year ago.
Mmm Mmm Mmm . . . That is overwhelming as all . . .. you know what!
These are things overwhelming me . . .Now tell me what’s overwhelming you!
Are you overwhelmed because the district actually has to plan out how to meet an annual goal through short term objectives and provide mid-year progress reports on those objectives? Or would you rather wait until another year goes by to figure out that your child was not receiving her FAPE?
Are you overwhelmed that Gantwerk wants to give stay put the boot so that the districts can place your child any place they please and there ain’t a thing you can do about it?
Are you overwhelmed to learn that it will soon be much easier to boot your child out of the public schools and into the juvenile criminal system? Now there’s a ticket to an early grave!
Are you overwhelmed to learn that should Gantwerk have her way . . . your child can be booted into a so-called alternative learning environment . . . otherwise known as your home . . . for 9 weeks instead of 6 weeks?
Let me hear what is overwhelming you? Is it IEP objectives that you just can’t take any more of or is it something else?
And think about it .. .
If we can be overwhelmed . . . maybe we can do some overwhelming. Wouldn’t that be a blast!
There’s an awful lot of us special education parents here in this state of NJ. Imagine if we all were to work together. What a sight that would be. Something like 400,000 of us . . . with the living grandparents and our brothers and sisters who know what we’re going through in tow.
We can be an overwhelming force now couldn’t we?
You see Barbara Gantwerk is a little confused. She knows we’re overwhelmed and I will grant her . .. she’s right about that.
She is confused what we’re overwhelmed by. Or maybe she is not confused. Maybe she wants to overwhelm us some more by putting her overwhelming nonsense in the newspaper.
So let’s do some overwhelming of our own. Let’s overwhelm Barbara Gantwerk’s fax machine . . . (609)984-8422. You can overwhelm her phone line . . .that’s at (609)292-0147.
Overwhelm her e-box: barbara.gantwerk@doe.state.nj.us
Tell her what is overwhelming you! Help her to feel our overwhelming pain.
And while we are at it, let us overwhelm Acting Governor. Let him at least act like he cares about our children by walking across the street to have a talk with Barbara Gantwerk. Let’s overwhelm our assembly and senate reps. http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L
And if you are too overwhelmed and you don’t have time for all of that . . . at least sign the dag petition!
http://studentadvocate-nj.org/IDEIA2004_Petition.htm
Now imagine 400,000 special education parents from all over New Jersey clogging the streets of Trenton demanding respect and dignity for ourselves and our children.
That would be overwhelming!
Overwhelmed . . . to be printed off and mailed to Barbara Gantwerk:
Office of
Special Education Programs
Department of Education
PO Box 500
Trenton, NJ 08625-0500
Write your own note on the other side of the paper!
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