IDEIA 2004 Gubernatorial Candidate Survey The following candidate survey has been sent to the following candidates

IDEIA 2004 Gubernatorial Candidate Survey

The following candidate survey has been sent to the following candidates: Jon Corzine, Todd Caliguire, Paul DiGaetano ,
Doug Forrester , Steve Lonegan , John Murphy , Robert Schroeder, Bret Schundler and, Tino Rozzo. We will send to others as they declare or become known.

We will provide any feedback we receive at this site as well as a list of the non-respondents. This information is provided not as endorsement of any candidate but as an educational service to those of us who need to know where Trenton hopefuls stand.

See responses.

Dear NJ Gubernatorial Hopeful,

I am writing to you to seek your views on pending changes to special education law given the passage of IDEIA 2004. We are ending this letter to all candidates from all parties, major and minor.

Our organization, A Parents’ Initiative for Every Childs’ Education http://APIECENJ.org has launched a petition drive calling upon NJ to maintain stronger special education law where federal law will allow weakening. Federal law provides that state’s can indeed keep stronger law where federal law allows weakening.

Already there are 600 signers on the petition from all over NJ. We are just getting started and expect to organize thousands of signers by this fall. Most signers are also signing up and indicating willingness to take additional steps to defend the rights of special education children and their parents.

There are about 225,000 special education students in NJ. That number translates to between 300 and 400 thousand voter eligible parents and guardians. Add in our sisters, brothers, living parents and colleagues, we represent about a million voters. We are asking you where you stand.

We would appreciate it if you can answer the following questions:

The petition is at this link: http://studentadvocate-nj.org/IDEIA2004_Petition.htm .

Have you read the petition?

Can you endorse the petition statement? If so, go here and add your name: http://studentadvocate-nj.org/IDEIA2004_Petition.htm .

Are you willing to urge members of your party to support the issues raised in this petition and to also sign on?

Would you send a letter to the Department of Education and Acting Governor Codey calling upon them to maintain the strongest possible special education law and specifically to hold the line on the 11 points raised by the petition?

What are your views specifically about the IDEIA 2004 changes? We are not looking for a general statement on special education, disabilities, etc. We want to know if you fully grasp what is at stake for our children and we want to know if you are willing to strongly advocate on our behalf.

We will make results known at The Student Advocate Website http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org including indicating who responded and who did not.

Thank you for your time and best of luck with your endeavors.

Sincerely.

Bob Witanek

Advocate@StudentAdvocate-NJ.org

http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org

http://APIECENJ.org

908-881-5275