IDEA (special education law) being gutted right now (3 PM EST)

[KamaAina]

Wanna watch?

http://edworkforce.house.gov/committee/webcast.htm

Repukes are about to make it perfectly okay to suspend a kid from school for having a disability ("discipline") and to let schools shirk their responsibility to plan for special needs students ("paperwork reduction").

Of note is that this conference is being held in the House committee and chaired by the House chairman, John Boehner (R-Dieboldland). In the old days the (less loony) Senate was usually in charge of conferences.

edit: added time

[LisaLynne]

1. Nice.

These people are evil.

[DELUSIONAL]

2. This was the next step in the No child's behind left

A child with a learning disability under the law is cut no slack -- and if a school has too any children with special needs -- a whole school could lose funding. (According to some reports I've read).

This is so eugenics -- warehouse any child that is different -- and eliminate them from the population. At the same time women will be forced to carry to term a fetus known to have disabilities -- but yet there will be NO funding to help raise that child that was so respected as a fetus.

[doni_georgia]

7. Yep a child with an IQ of 65 is expected to perform same as a kid with

average IQ. And here in Ga, as in many states, if the kids don't pass the test at certain grades (3rd and 5th here) they don't move on to the next grade. Every middle school in my district was on the failing list last year because of special ed. scores. It's insane! Of couse, they say it's because they care about these kids and they deserve the best teaching too. Well, yes they do, but what part of learning disability or mentally challenged do these people not understand? I have a kid in my class who has an emotional behavior disorder and an IQ of 70. He reads on a preprimer level (he's 10). He can't add 2+2 using his fingers, yet he is expected to pass the state test! It's insane.

[pop goes the weasel]

3. for those of us on dial-up

would you please let us know exactly what is being said and what the amendments in question are?

[KamaAina]

4. There has been precious little debate so far

mostly reps and Senators congratulating one another on what a fine job they've done throwing us under the (short) bus.

Sessions of AL has offered an amendment relating to teacher qualification. Kennedy is speaking against it. This is the first debate of substance in about an hour. I'm worried that most of the bill was already done behind the scenes.

[KamaAina]

5. They rammed it through. Only Jeffords voted No

as far as I could tell. Sessions amendment shot down by the House side.

Remember, Jeffords co-authored IDEA back when he was in the House (and when there were still repukes who walked upright). The lack of full funding of IDEA was one of the major issues that caused him to finally escape from the repuke gulag.

Criminetly, even Lynn Woolsey punked out on this one! What is this world coming to?

[doni_georgia]

6. As it is they have already practically neutralized IDEA by not funding it

I am a teacher, and I have two children with Asperger's syndrome. At my school we don't even have paraprofessionals in all the special education classes. I sent my own special needs children to another school, because the PTO there came up with funding for an extra parapro for the Asperger's class. How's that for ridiculous! Meanwhile, I teach in a low-income school and these kids are getting zip in services.

[Maestro]

8. I am also a teacher and administrator

and I can tell you that what they have done with NCLB is highly unreasonable and way out of line. A school is judged, in part, on how well the kids score on standardized state achievement tests and the percentages of students involved. In other words, a school must have a high percentage of takers and those takers better do well. Sounds good until you realize that no child is given any sort of reasonable exemption. Spec Ed kids are expected to take on-level tests or the school will be penalized. What? The reason they are in special ed is because of below level work and a learning disability. Kids learning English are given one year to learn English as well as native speakers or else. It is insane! I hate this admin with a passion.