Please forward

Please forward!

Off the Presses: NJ Student Advocate - A Tool For Parental Empowerment

http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org Advocate@studentadvocate-nj.org 908-881-5275

We printed 8000 new issues of The NJ Student Advocate Newspaper.

You can see the newspaper in PDF format (will print small – use magnifying glass in PDF reader to read on your screen) at this link:

http://www.studentadvocate-nj.org/NJSTUADV001_002.pdf

We have stacks of 500 or 1000 at repositories around the state for those who want to get some to get into the hands of our special education parents. We will likely have some in the Somerset County, Cherry Hill Area, Upper Freehold, Woodbridge, and possibly other areas. Folks can arrange with us to pick up bulk copies to take to there communities.

How to get your copies - click the following e-mail links:

Upper Freehold
Cherry Hill
Woodbridge
Montgomery Township

We can mail you bulk issues for donations of $5 plus ten cents a copy. ($10 for 50 or $15 for 100).

Why should you distribute this paper?

The articles contained in the paper are a tool to organize parents in your community, particularly special education parents, into a more powerful force. We aim to harness the energy among parents that has been unleashed and has been partially successful in the effort to improve the implementation of IDEIA 2004 in NJ – salvaging short term objectives and the 45 day calendar limit on alternative interim placement (homebound) instead of making it 45 school days – toward continuing on at the local level. Distributing the newspaper in your district will provide parents with the tools they need to begin to organize for greater local district accountability to special education parents. We have suggestions in the paper about running special education candidates for school board, surveying parents to identify local issues, taking issues to the local school board, filing investigation requests and complaints with the state, the need for state legislation to restore burden of proof on the districts, bloated administration costs, investigating the amount of special education dollars spent on litigating against parents, responding to scapegoating and backlash against children with disabilities, building the NJ Student Advocacy Union and other important potential initiatives. We also have a call for continued pressure on the state around 2 demands of the petition drive that the state has not budged on: stay put and manifest determination protections.

Where should the paper be distributed?

At meetings of special education parents, conferences, information meetings, adapted recreation and sports events, to friends, special education attorneys or advocacy offices, service provider offices and wherever special education parents and supporters might be.

We appreciate any donations, large or small, that will help us with postage costs to mail the newspaper to petition signers. Call 908-881-5275 or write Advocate@StudentAdvocate-NJ.org for details.

We also appreciate donations of postage stamps which can be sent to us at PO Box 1214, Belle Mead, NJ 08502.

If you would like us to send you a sample paper, please mail us about $.60 postage which is about what it will cost per piece with the recent hike in costs.

If you would like some copies to mail to your organizational membership, let us know. If you want us to mail you 50 or more copies, the suggested donation is $5 plus $.10 per copy. Call 908-881-5275 or write Advocate@StudentAdvocate-NJ.org for details.

We also would appreciate any service provider, attorney, advocate or any other provider who would like to donate toward our mailing of the papers. We will include an ad in the cover letter as appreciation for your support. Call 908-881-5275 or write Advocate@StudentAdvocate-NJ.org for details.

The production of this second issue of the NJ Student Advocate should send a clear message on behalf of our children that we are only getting warmed up in our struggle for our children. Parents are willing to do what it takes to try to tip the balance back in our favor after the setbacks of IDEIA 2004, Schaffer Supreme Court decision and budget cutbacks.

For more information and to help out with distribution, call 908-881-5275 or write Advocate@studentadvocate-nj.org .

Let’s get busy!

For Our Children,

NJ Student Advocacy Union

http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org Advocate@studentadvocate-nj.org 908-881-5275