Advocacy Camp is open to any adult in Washington who wants to create change in their community, improve the lives of children and families, and sharpen or learn new advocacy skills. Scholarships are available. Depending on available resources, child care and transportation assistance will also be available. Applications are due September 20th, but acceptances will be made on a rolling basis. Don’t delay, apply today.

TRICK or TREAT?

You decide.

Jerry Lewis holds a Telethon and gets money for a group of children with disabilities. He does raise money, but is that how we activists in special education believe money should be raised today? Michael J. Fox is accused of “acting” or not taking his medications correctly in order to get pity and to devalue his opinion of stem cell research. Oh, please, give me a break! People, including children, with disabilities do not want pity.

Some school districts who call themselves “the Alliance” tell reporters that “the state’s chronic lack of financing for special education is deteriorating the quality of education for all children, ” according to Tara Manthey, of the News Tribune. Is that how the serious subject of appropriate funding for ALL should be addressed? No wonder some parents are fighting amongst themselves over whose kids are taking money away from whom?

Special Education students are blamed for draining local school budgets. The special education lawsuit, filed against the state by the group of school districts who call themselves “the Alliance” began proceedings yesterday in Judge McPhee’s courtroom. Not surprisingly, the press was there to get quick quotes and soundbites, but did not stay long enough to even begin to understand the issues. Today, and for the rest of the trial, WSSEC will be there. As you know, WSSEC highly objects to this lawsuit and finds it highly offensive to blame students with disabilities for education shortfalls that are really basic ed shortfalls. Would any other group be blamed so blatantly for so-called short-falls? Special Education is being blamed because, as we were told many months ago by some members of this group, “it is easier to pick off one education area at a time and special ed is highly emotional.”

So far, none of the testimony or charts and graphs provided by the Alliance has been able to account for the basic education revenue that EACH AND EVERY STUDENT, INCLUDING SP ED STUDENTS, GENERATES.

Remember, special education excess cost revenue is less than half of the total that the local district receives. Remember, all those so-called short-falls you hear quoted, do not include the basic education revenue. Districts seem to feel that it is OK to just say that that money goes to the basic education program – no details and no line item accounting for it.

WSSEC agrees completely that schools need more money. There is nothing wrong with the current special ed formula, though, aside from some small adjustments, which we have already supported. Special Education funding is a collection of revenues, the largest being the Basic Ed Allocation + .9309 times the BEA. Increase basic ed, and special ed will also increase.

Feel free to contact us with questions please do review our information on the website.

You are seeing newspaper articles and television news stories regarding these proceedings and the position of the plaintiffs during the next two weeks. We will all need to be alert to their spin on these stories, and take the time to call and write letters in an effort to inform the press and the public regarding the issue of funding.

Please, take some time from your busy schedule to get the word out. Schools need more money, but our kids, and special education in general, is not to blame. Basic education needs to be increased for ALL!

……..oh, and let us know how it goes! Thanks for all you are doing!!

Christie Perkins
WSSEC Public Policy Chair
(sent to WSSEC Listserve on October 31, 2006)

September 24, 2006

To Governor Gregoire & WA Learns Members

• We support the Picus & Odden report. In order for the system to be accountable to the students, and follow our constitutional duty, we must fully fund basic education for all. Currently, basic education is severely underfunded.
• We support the current special education funding formula and the safety net.
• All groups are now competing against each other for one small pot of BEA money, and students in special ed are being blamed for what in reality is a basic ed funding shortage.
• Making matters worse, our students on average are only benefiting from about 10% of the BEA they generate compared to 45% they used to get a few years ago when OSPI “backed it out”.
• We need a fully transparent reporting of ALL revenues and expenditures, so that all citizens can easily understand where ALL the money goes.
• Any manipulation of the BEA formula to benefit special education only would be inappropriate and unfair to others. Increase basic education funds FOR EVERYONE and all areas will benefit.
• We support taking the 3 & 4 year olds out of the 12.7%, funding them at 115% (same as Birth to 3) and increasing the index back up to 13%. (We have previously recommended this to the legislature).
• We ask members and policy makers not to forget the need for incentives for school psychologists, nurses, OT’s, PT’s, SLP’s & counselors.
• We highly support the committee’s report on creativity, as well as career & tech ed. There are numerous ways to help kids sometimes BEFORE they need special education services.

Please visit our website for more background and our previous letter sent to WA Learns, in addition to our Issues page under Funding & Finance. The Washington State Special Education Coalition again, wants to express its appreciation for the work of members of Washington Learns. We know that everyone has worked very hard to come up with useful recommendations that will benefit all our children.

Sincerely,

Mary E. McKnew, JD (President)
Christie Perkins (Public Policy Chair)
7602 Jade Dr. SW, Lakewood, WA 98498
edadvocate@mac.com

We appreciate the work of the Caring for Individuals with Autism Task Force and its members. We applaud their willingness to devote time and effort, to provide meaningful recommendations to the legislature and the people of Washington state. These WSSEC comments focus on public education, and include initiatives to improve system accountability and provision of resources.

WSSEC Ideas/Suggestions

Create a Core team of educators with expertise across the Autism spectrum served in Birth to Three and K-12 public education through the state needs projects (Projects funded out of federal discretionary monies that benefit the state as a whole or would not otherwise be available in a given region.).

Use video streaming to provide all educators (gen ed & sp ed) with real time feedback and coaching that provides practical classroom strategies.

Include Positive Behavior Intervention (for all students) coursework to post graduate students (gen ed & sp ed teachers & principals).

Expand and support WAC training to districts provided by the state’s existing resources (state needs project).

Increase Basic Education Allocation

We support the training activities referred to in TT-1 and TT-7, and suggest that these be coordinated with school personnel. Professional development activities for educators that include WAC training, will improve consistency for process and services in the areas of referral, evaluation, early intervention, family involvement, individual education plans and secondary transition, where there is lack of system accountability represented by inappropriate, ineffective, or incomplete implementation of current special ed statute.

We agree with the draft recommendations statement on funding (F-6) and concur with the JLARC report which points out the confusing elusive aspects of our current statewide education funding system. Special ed funding in Washington lies within the top tier of all states, but our basic ed funding ranks 42nd in the nation. Making matters worse, only about ten percent of the BEA (Basic Ed Allocation) is spent on students receiving special education services. We need to address the area of shortfall (BEA) and demand transparent accounting methods, that reflect clear revenues and expenditures that can be understood by ordinary citizens.

Finally, the WSSEC suggests adding educators in the field of special ed to the recommendations of F-7.

As always, the WSSEC stands ready to assist members of the Caring for Individuals with Autism Taskforce individually or as a whole, to discuss or answer questions about our comments.

We thank you for this opportunity to comment and commend you for your hard work.

Contact Person:
Donna Obermeyer, donnao25@aol.com
WSSEC Parent Community Coordinator

For   Immediate    Release:
Contact:    Governors Communications Office
Phone:      360-902-4136

Governor Chris Gregoire today announced that she has  appointed Adie Simmons as Director of the Office of Education  Ombudsman. The Office of the Education Ombudsman will serve as a  neutral and independent resource to provide parents and community members with information on parental involvement related to state  education standards and programs. The appointment is effective

September 18, 2006.

Ms. Simmons background helping parents and the community get involved in their local school district will be an asset to families across Washington, said Governor Gregoire. At my town hall in Everett, a mother shared with me her concerns regarding her son’s education and I promised her that this new office would be able to work with her to find answers.

Ms. Simmons most recently managed the Office of Family and Community Partnerships for Seattle Public Schools where she advised district administrators on overcoming obstacles to diverse family and community involvement. She directed the Readiness to Learn Program for the Shoreline School District and the Elementary <span class=”caps”>S.A.V.E. </span>program for Mothers Against Violence in America. She has received four <span class=”caps”>PTA</span> Golden Acorn awards for child advocacy, a Washington Excellence in Education award and a National Partnership District Award from Johns Hopkins University.

I am excited to work with parents and communities to help them participate in our education system to ensure that all children achieve,said Adie Simmons. This is a great opportunity to create a comprehensive information and support system for parents in our state so they can become effective partners in education.

The 2006 Legislature authorized the creation of the Office of Education Ombudsman within the Office of the Governor to assist parents and community members with issues related to public K-12 education.

Kristin Jacobsen
Deputy Press Secretary
Office of Governor Chris Gregoire

Kristin.Jacobsen@gov.wa.gov | www.governor.wa.gov | 360-902-4122 | “Moving Washington Forward”

July 31, 2006

To Governor Gregoire & WA Learns Members

Subject: Response to WA Learns meetings of July 2006

Washington Learns contracted with Odden & Picus to perform an analysis of the funding system in Washington State. Their report recommends keeping the special education funding system as it currently exists, and increasing the Basic Education Allocation for all, in order to drive more money into the system which would increase funding for both basic education and special education.

In June, a sub-group met to discuss Special Education funding. That group was apparently an informal group that consisted of OSPI staff and some members of the WA Learns committee. Because other stakeholders were not invited or allowed to attend the meeting, they were unable to provide input. Therefore, we do not have a clear understanding of all that was discussed within that meeting, nor do we understand the reasoning behind the recommendations that were then presented to WA Learns on June 28. Those recommendations included:

1. Keep special education as a derivative of basic ed allocation

2. Enhance the basic education amount by adding in other programs, i.e. LAP, career and tech ed for special ed funding calculation purposes only which might reduce the need for safety net

3. Study the index of 12.7% to see if it is necessary

4. Remove the 18-21 year olds from the 12.7% index

The Washington State Special Education Coalition position on these funding recommendations for special education is as follows:

1. The Coalition supports the Odden & Picus Report recommendation to keep the special education funding system as it currently exists, including maintaining special education funding as a derivative of the Basic Education Allocation.
2. The Coalition supports an increase to the Basic Education Allocation for all which will have the effect of providing much needed additional funds to basic education while increasing funding to special education as well.
3. The Coalition supports the removal of students under ages 3-4 from the 12.7%. This was previously before the legislature and failed to pass. It makes sense to remove these students (approximately 8000 FTE) from the 12.7% while increasing their funding to the same calculation as the birth to 3 year olds at 1.15 X the BEA. If the state were to proceed in this manner, it would:
   • eliminate more students from the 12.7%,
   • drive more money into special education and
   • reduce the need for safety net.

   Students from birth through 4 are not covered in the Basic Education Act, while those aged 18-21 are included under the act. The Coalition believes that the removal of 18-21 (approximately 2000 FTE) year olds from the 12.7% would be an act of discrimination as schools are currently serving non-special education students within that age group.

4. The Coalition opposes the special education funding scheme of an enhancement of the Basic Education Allocation for funding calculations, just for special ed. or any sub group even on a temporary basis for the following reasons:
   1. The inclusion of other program areas in the Basic

      Education Allocation will confuse the policy makers and the public.

      It will create the false impression that the Basic Education Allocation has actually been raised when in fact other program amounts have been shifted for calculation purposes.

   2. There already exists confusion on the part of many districts in regard to the required use of basic education funds prior to the expenditure of special education (excess cost) dollars. If other program allocations are used to enhance the basic education allocation, it will create additional confusion regarding the expenditure of basic education dollars first for special education students. At this time the basic education allocation is clearly the amount generated per student FTE. The programs used to enhance the basic education allocation are not generated for all students but rather specific students, i.e. career and technical education funds are not provided for non-high school students.

      At this time excess cost accounting should incorporate the basic education allocation plus .9309 X the BEA for a total of 1.9309. Adding other funds to enhance the basic education allocation will make it virtually impossible for districts or the community to know how much of the BEA should be included in the calculation for each special education student to create the 1.9309. Once funds for a programs, such as career and tech ed, are included into the basic ed calculation, it will muddy the waters and cause a lack of clarity regarding the amount of money that should be spent out of basic education prior to expenditure of excess cost funds.

   3. Any increase in special education funds without a similar increase in other categorical programs (LAP, ELL, etc) has historically had the unintended consequence of increasing the referrals to special education. This creates potential issues of dis-proportionality and discriminatory acts.
   4. The direction of the U.S. Department of Education and the US Congress is to create a system where research-based interventions occur in general education prior to referral of students for special education. There is a tremendous need for Basic Education to have a real increase in funding in order to accomplish those interventions. Interventions that are done well will increase the number of students who are able to pass state assessments, reduce the achievement gap, decrease the drop out rate and decrease the number of students referred for special education services.
5. The Coalition supports the use of a full cost accounting model to create transparency in the accounting system. The community should be able to clearly see the amount of basic education as well as the excess cost dollars spent on each special education student.

The Washington State Special Education Coalition wants to express its appreciation for the work of members of Washington Learns. Our Board representatives would be pleased to meet with members of the Washington Learns committee to discuss funding of special education. In addition, we request that all future meetings be posted with sufficient advance notice indicating the time and location so that the public has the opportunity to attend.

Sincerely,

Mary E. McKnew, JD

President

Chrisite Perkins

Public Policy Chair

7602 Jade Dr. SW, Lakewood, WA 98498

edadvocate@mac.com

Our mission – To bring parent/professional organizations together in a spirit of cooperation to share information, explore issues and effectively advocate for quality education for all children, particularly those with special needs in Washington State.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to the voices of those in the communities of our state.

My name is Diana Stadden and I am the Parent Coordinator for the Pierce County Coalition for Developmental Disabilities (PC2) as well as the Vice President for the Autism Society of WA. I represent family members and individuals with various developmental disabilities. I am also deeply involved in stakeholder workgroups and the Autism Task Force where I continually try to help people who otherwise would be overlooked to have their voice heard. I hope you will give careful consideration to the Autism Task Force recommendations you will receive in December, as we have received a lot of input from individuals, families and professionals and the task force is working hard to provide you with clear concise information and recommendations.

Our state has made a good start ensuring that those with disabilities can live, work and play in their own communities. For the most part, institutionalization is not encouraged for families anymore.
Unfortunately, we don’t really have the needed supports in the community that it takes for these individuals, and some do end up being institutionalized.

One of the priorities I believe our state government should have is knowing how many people in this state with developmental disabilities need assistance so that action can be taken to help them. Currently we have over 10,000 people on waiting lists for state services, yet these numbers are not considered reliable and so are not included in our state’s caseload forecasting. This needs to change.

Family Supports can provide a minimal amount of assistance to families to help them avoid having to place their child out of home, yet sadly, this program is greatly under funded. For those needing more assistance to keep their child at home, we have waivers, yet those also are under funded. As we work on combining the three various Family Support programs, the hope is that the state will see how vital this program is in keeping families together and provide the funding needed for families throughout this state.

Children with disabilities spend their first 21 years or so in the education system. Lately those in special education have taken the scorn of the community as it has been singled out as the money drain to
the education system. This simply is not true. Our children are regular education students first, special ed funds and safety net funds help with the extra. Regular education is very under funded, which is the
root of the problem. The Learning Assistance Program (LAP) is also very under funded. If more money were provided for LAP, many children would not need to continue in special education. We’ve taken a great first step for young children by providing birth to 3 services throughout our state, school districts would benefit even more if the birth to 3 funding category was expanded to include 3 and 4 year old preschoolers and not have them in the 12.7% index used for special education funding. The JLARC report on Special Education Excess Costs also needs to be carefully considered as we look for ways for school districts to be accountable for their funds and assist them in having the financial resources to provide an appropriate education for all children. We want school districts and families to partner together, not pit them against each other because of financial constraints.

Again, I appreciate your time. Feel free to contact me for further information or clarification.

Diana J. Stadden
Parent Coordinator

Pierce County Coalition for Developmental Disabilities (PC2)
633 North Mildred, Suite C – Tacoma, WA 98406
Phone: (253) 564-0707
Fax: (253) 564-0702
Email: pc2diana@harbornet.com
PC2 Website

“Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” – Chief Seattle – 1854

Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) is a non-profit law firm based in Berkeley,CA, and is currently investigating the impact of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, or WASL, on high school students with disabilities in Washington. If you are a parent of a high school student with an IEP or 504 Plan, and are concerned about the WASL’s impact on your special education student, please complete a Parent Survey to assist DRA with its current investigation.

Unless the WASL is shown to be a fair and valid test as applied to students in special education, it should not be used to deny these students their right to a diploma.

Feel free to forward this information, or to post the link to our Survey, for anyone you think may be interested in our investigation.

Contact DRA directly by email Nathan Tribble or call (510) 665-8644.

Most Recent JLARC (Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee) Report on Special Ed Excess Cost Accounting and Reporting Requirements.

Read More → (www1.leg.wa.gov/reports/06-3.pdf)

Grade Level Expectations and Individual Education Plans

Memo to Special Ed Directors

All District Special Education Directors;

It has come to our attention that there may be some confusion in districts regarding the Grade Level Expectations (GLE’s) and their application to special education.

There is NO requirement that GLE’s be included on IEP’s.

The GLE’s are intended to establish instructional indicators of what would generally be expected of all students depending upon their grade assignment. GLE’s can be very useful to special educators in focusing instruction and assisting in the establishment of instructional targets, given a special education student’s present level of academic performance. *However, GLE’s do not substitute in their present form for measurable annual goals.* Measurable annual goals are a requirement of a properly formulated Individualized Education Program (IEP). The program monitoring standard for special education remains measurable annual goals, based on a current evaluation/re-evaluation or progress reporting as delivered in a current IEP.

It is hoped that this email will clear up any miscommunication that may have occurred. If you have further questions or concerns, please let us know.

Bob Harmon
Assistant Superintendent for Special Programs
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

A community partnership between The Walla Walla Latino American Forum and Whitman College. The Whitman report now available online was carried out by students.

Read More → (whitman.edu/politics/state_of_the_state/index.cfm)