Upper Freehold Regional School District Scapegoats Children w/ Disabilities for Districts Shortcomings
To read the resolution this opinion piece responds to, go to http://www.ufrsd.net and click on the March 15 minutes.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16691498&BRD=1091&PAG=461&dept_id=425690&rfi=6
published March 25, 2006
District short-changing
special ed students
To the editor:
I read with disgust the recent policy position of the Upper Freehold
Regional school board regarding special education.
It is unsurprising that the Upper Freehold Regional school board would
promote an anti-child position. This district has been found in violation of
IDEA regulations by the NJ Office of Special Education this year for not
providing specified speech services to dozens of special education students.
Yet, I am most concerned about the sentiment being promoted in the following
language from the March 15 resolution of UFRSD: "WHEREAS, the resulting rise in
local property taxes causes tax payer resistance to pay for increasing costs;"
WHEREAS, the effect of some or all of the preceding factors is a shift in
patterns of school expenditures away from the regular population and to the
disabled population;"
UFRSD is trying to touch a chord with the anti-tax, anti-education element
and focus anger on our special education children. It is attempting to divide
the parent and families of regular education students from special education
students and turn parents of typical children from those of special education
children. They are scapegoating special education children for the problems of
higher taxes and shortcomings of local public education.
Special education families and supporters have waged a yearlong campaign and
have won some victories at the state level to maintain short-term objectives and
other protections in state code. School boards are upset by this achievement and
are pushing back.
The NJ Student Advocacy Union continues to organize locally and statewide to
protect the rights of children with disabilities and respond to incidents of
scapegoating of our children, be it by a local school board, administrator,
newspaper columnist or other pundit. On May 17, we rallied over 100 strong for
the rights of our children in front of the Department of Education for a better
implementation of IDEIA 2004 in New Jersey.
While together with others we have successfully improved the implementation
of IDEIA 2004 in New Jersey, we continue to struggle to assure that "stay put"
protections are not lost and for better protection of children with disabilities
from unwarranted suspension and expulsion given the loosening of discipline
protections being proposed by Trenton.
For more information about our efforts, visit: http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org
or call (908) 881-5275.
Bob Witanek
NJ Student Advocacy Union
Montgomery
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