APIECE
A Parents' Initiative For Every Child's
Education
http://APIECENJ.org * PO Box 1214, Belle Mead, NJ 08502 *
APIECE@APIECENJ.org * 908-874-5094
"We Can! We Will! Together!"
May 21, 2005
Hon. Regena L. Thomas
NJ Secretary of State
PO Box 300
Trenton, NJ 08625
Dear Secretary Thomas,
Our organization A Parents’ Initiative for Every Child’s Education (APIECE) wants to thank you for taking the time from your important schedule to join our community event in Plainfield in support of greater implementation of the Amistad Act as well as more general topics around the issue of education advocacy.
Our organization has been playing a leading advocacy role both in our local community of Montgomery Township and throughout the State of NJ, promoting awareness of the Amistad Act and the need to better address topics of African American history in our public schools.
We invite you to continue to work with us in the future and hope that you can let Acting Governor Richard Codey know about our activities. Hopefully, your office and the Governor’s Office will consider an effort to promote greater awareness around the Amistad Act and to promote greater compliance among districts throughout the state.
Our organization does not limit our advocacy to the Amistad Act. We are also playing a leading role throughout New Jersey in advocating for parental and student rights in the special education process in light of the federal passage of IDEIA 2004 revisions. We drafted and are administering a petition that is circulating throughout the state calling upon the New Jersey Department of Education to keep New Jersey’s special education law stronger where federal law now allows weakening around 11 specific points.
We were disheartened to read in the Trenton Times this past Tuesday the comments of Barbara Gantwerk who stated:
‘ “There was a great debate at the federal level already about what changes should be in effect," said Gantwerk, confident that parent groups such as Witanek's already had a chance to weigh in. ‘
It appears from these comments that Ms. Gantwerk is ready to allow NJ special education law sink to the minimal standards allowable by federal law. New Jersey is very different than many of the states in the US that gave rise to the many offensive changes to special education law. It is disheartening that Ms. Gantwerk gives the appearance of being disinterested in parental opinion and that she intends to implement the most offensive aspects of IDEIA 2004.
We invite you and Acting Governor Codey to visit http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org which is administered by our organization APIECE to find out what parents are saying about the law changes. Hopefully by taking a strong stand in favor of our children, the current administration can send a strong message in this important year, of support to the million or so voters around New Jersey who are either parents of special education students or close relatives of same.
Sincerely,
Jerome Carr
Renee Carr
Karen Gaffney
Byron Jasper
Robert S. Witanek
Steering Committee of A Parents’ Initiative for Every Child’s Education
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