Petition Tag - special education

Currently children who are in special education are still presented to the student body and public in a separate category labeled "Special areas" or the like.

A child who is at a certain grade level but needs one on one instruction and is included in the special education program will be referred to as "special" in many awards programs and sometimes even yearbooks. This way of categorizing children is a very outdated notion, for we as a society are trying to stop the bullying and teach our children acceptance of the differences of their peers. This is teaching all the children that there is something different and perhaps less about the children in special education.

This makes these children more of a target for bullying and stereotypes and also will attach a social stigma to that person that will last throughout their lives. Mostly the schools have done a good job with inclusion as far as academics and socially, but there is still some work to do. As a parent of 2 children with autism and a former student at the schools they attend, I have been on both sides of the situation.

I remember how cruel children would be to other children only because they were labeled as special needs and they wouldn't be socially included. To this day when I see these people out and about the first thing I remember about them is the fact that they were in special education and how they were categorized. Also, it could have undesirable effects on the self esteem of the children in special education, as they could feel ostracized.

This is really unnecessary and can easily be altered to preserve the dignity of our children who will be productive adults in our community one day. Thank you for your time.

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Parents of children with special needs desire to have not only a voice that is heard, but a participatory role in the decision making process of how our children are educated especially involving the allocation of funds and staff.

Central Texas school districts are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a school year on attorney fees that do nothing short of denying parents their due process rights. While the attorney firms are getting richer, the services for our children are decreasing and almost non-existent or dismal in quality.

We the parents and especially military parents plan to bridge the gap and be the support that our school systems need to bring about change that is qualitative as well as quantitative that results in measurable academic results for our children including better services all around.

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Truancy Courts Violate the Law, Threaten Parents and Children

Last fall, a 14-year-old student receiving special educational services at the local High School took the courageous step of integrating into mainstream classes. The student struggled with the assigned work, and his mother, spent countless hours in meetings with school officials working to revise the student's education plan to provide him with the support and services he needed.

According to the latest findings of the National American Civil Liberties Union in Washington DC, it is a fact that all across America there are hundreds of thousands of unconstitutional and extremely troubling practices taking place in our country's truancy courts.

Ostensibly created to support struggling students and help them stay in school, the truancy courts have instead been used to punish students who may have difficulty paying attention in class or doing their schoolwork because of special educational needs, are unable to attend school because of medical or emotional difficulties, or who have family caretaking obligations that cause them to arrive at school late.

Also troubling is the fact that the truancy courts operate under a shroud of secrecy. Truancy court hearings are conducted without any stenographic or audio recording of the proceedings, and frequently there are no formal written court orders or directives, creating the untenable situation of a parent or child's word against that of a judge. The files of the students who appear in truancy court are kept under lock and key, inaccessible even to attorneys retained to represent these youths.

This petition seeks to have it become mandatory to provide YOUTH and FAMILIES the right to appointed counsel and proper court recording.

Look at the disturbing and horrendous facts that are taking place every day in our justice system.

*Youth involved in truancy court are generally ill equipped to understand the nature of the proceedings and the charges against them. A child’s interest in receiving an appropriate education, including special education, or in being protected from discrimination at school, coupled with a child’s inability to present complex legal or factual matters to the court, may
mean that a fair result cannot be reached without appointment of counsel.
*Under federal due process, the right to counsel generally attaches only where physical liberty is at stake. In truancy cases, where youth are called on to represent themselves against the power of the state, and in some cases against their parents as well, there are factors that must require a different result. The U.S.
Supreme Court has acknowledged that whenever a person is required to resolve questions of right and obligation in a court of law – as are youth in truancy court – the court must ensure the person’s right to due process in those proceedings.

An increase to the problem arises when school districts who initiate truancy filings are not following proper policies and procedures and are employing Attendance Officers who are not abiding by the law.
In this petition we are seeking an Order to Disqualify School Representatives for Unauthorized Practice of Law.

Here are some examples of why this petition is crucial in protecting our youth and their families who are often times, wrongfully subjected to truancy filings by their school districts.
* The school representative filed an insufficient petition without regard to its pre-filing obligations and refuses to dismiss, stay or amend the petition;
*The school representative’s failure to comply with notice requirements resulted in an improper default order or issuance of a bench warrant;
*The school representative pursues contempt sanctions in spite of evidence that violations of your client’s rights under state or federal laws, such as the right to special education, bilingual education, or protection from anti-discrimination, are causing your client’s absences; or
*Other complicated legal or factual issues arise.

This petition is designed to get the attention and action by National Leaders and the President to resolve this ongoing problem.

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THE ILLINOIS DEPART OF HUMAN SERVICES(DHS) HAS BEEN FORCED TO CUT FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES WHICH WILL HAVE A DRASTIC IMPACT ON SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.

THIS WOULD EFFECT MANY CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES THAT NEED THE SPECIALIZED CARE.

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On February 9th at the 2007 Annual General Meeting of the
Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia a resolution was
passed that recommended reform to Nova Scotia's Tuition Support
Program.

The Equal Education Association of Nova Scotia is encouraged by this
and we are seeking public support.
This valuable program allows children with learning disabilities to
attend a Special Designated Private School by transferring their funding
unit to these schools. This program is not a burden on the tax
payer. EEANS believes this program even saves money.

Please support this program by signing this petition and by sending it
to anyone you think may be interested in supporting this resolution.

Thank You
Brian Hickling
Vice Chair
Equal Education Association of Nova Scotia
www.eeans.ca

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August 31, 2005

Currently in Alabama Special Education students are required to take and pass four years of English, history, science, and math based on their Individual Education Plan(IEP).

Therefore they deserve to receive upon graduation a diploma based on their IEP not a certificate of attendance which means I attended school for 12 years. With the NO Child Left Behind these children were pulled out of their self-contained classes and put in regular classes like algebra, biology, american history etc. and was expected to pass them.

There are many colleges that have programs for Special Needs Children as long as they have some type of diploma not a certificate. When they apply at colleges with a certificate will be instructed to take and pass the GED which is harder than regular school so they need their own diploma.

Many states give these students IEP Diplomas.

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Special education students are assigned assistants who are unqualified to support their needs.

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