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Post by withapea on Mar 29, 2017 22:40:10 GMT
Along these lines I'm going to recommend Resistbot. I have representatives that love to avoid their constituents and regularly have full voicemail boxes etc. This app lets you send messages to your representatives by text message that are then turned into faxes. It takes just a couple of minutes and they will send you a preview of the fax and verify that it's been sent. SaveSavemy understanding is that facebook just did something to allow you to contact your reps through fb easier I think that's great too. I don't use my full name on facebook and don't like to comment on politics there. I think the more avenues for contact the better. SaveSave |
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Post by darkchami on Mar 29, 2017 23:55:33 GMT
Call your Representatives. It works! Along these lines I'm going to recommend Resistbot. I have representatives that love to avoid their constituents and regularly have full voicemail boxes etc. This app lets you send messages to your representatives by text message that are then turned into faxes. It takes just a couple of minutes and they will send you a preview of the fax and verify that it's been sent. SaveSaveThank you. My representative will not meet with constituents or clean out his voicemail. He has told the media that people need to stop calling. Obviously he's forgotten he works for us. |
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 30, 2017 0:01:21 GMT
Along these lines I'm going to recommend Resistbot. I have representatives that love to avoid their constituents and regularly have full voicemail boxes etc. This app lets you send messages to your representatives by text message that are then turned into faxes. It takes just a couple of minutes and they will send you a preview of the fax and verify that it's been sent. SaveSaveThank you. My representative will not meet with constituents or clean out his voicemail. He has told the media that people need to stop jerkcalling. Obviously he's forgotten he works for us. jerk |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 21, 2024 0:46:32 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2017 4:01:20 GMT
Along these lines I'm going to recommend Resistbot. I have representatives that love to avoid their constituents and regularly have full voicemail boxes etc. This app lets you send messages to your representatives by text message that are then turned into faxes. It takes just a couple of minutes and they will send you a preview of the fax and verify that it's been sent. SaveSaveThank you. My representative will not meet with constituents or clean out his voicemail. He has told the media that people need to stop calling. Obviously he's forgotten he works for us. Unfreaking believable. Not cleaning out voicemail!>!>!>!>>!>! That should be against the law for a legislator. Then they wonder why we need a law for every F#($*#($#(*ing situation. |
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Mar 30, 2017 9:55:03 GMT
Thank you. My representative will not meet with constituents or clean out his voicemail. He has told the media that people need to stop calling. Obviously he's forgotten he works for us. Unfreaking believable. Not cleaning out voicemail!>!>!>!>>!>! That should be against the law for a legislator. Then they wonder why we need a law for every F#($*#($#(*ing situation. The only people with "entitlement issues" are those sitting in Congress. They have primo healthcare. They forgot that they are hired by the people. They treat the people like shit. |
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Post by peasapie on Mar 30, 2017 13:00:22 GMT
The school voucher system proposed by Education secretary Betsy DeVos does not mean you can choose any school you want your kid to go to. It means the public education program will be dismantled. If your child has an IEP (individual education plan for students with special needs), kiss it goodbye. If you have a job in special-education, if you're a special education teacher, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, a para, a teacher's aid, or an ESL (English as a second language) teacher, you'll go first. House Bill 610 makes some large changes. Inform yourselves. This bill will effectively start the school voucher system to be used by children ages 5-17 and starts the defunding process of public schools. The bill will eliminate the Elementary and Education Act of 1965, which is the nation's educational law that provides equal opportunity in education. ESSA is a big comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, advanced and gifted kids in AP classes, ESL classes, classes for minorities such as Native Americans, Rural Education, Education for the Homeless, School Safety (Gun-Free schools), Monitoring and Compliance, and Federal Accountability Programs. The Bill also abolishes the Nutritional Act of 2012 (No Hungry Kids Act) which provides nutritional standards in school breakfast and lunch. The bill has no wording whatsoever protecting Special Needs kids, no mention of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), and FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education). Some things ESSA does for Children with Disabilities: -Ensures access to the general education curriculum. -Ensures access to accommodations on assessments. -Ensures concepts of Universal Design for Learning. -Includes provisions that require local education agencies to provide evidence-based interventions in schools with consistently underperforming subgroups. -Requires states in Title I plans to address how they will improve conditions for learning including reducing incidents of bullying and harassment in schools, overuse of discipline practices and reduce the use of aversive behavioral interventions (such as restraints and seclusion). Please call your representative and ask him/her to vote NO on House Bill 610 (HR 610) introduced by three Republican reps.
These are the specifics on what is see for HR610 bill:There is one summary for H.R.610. Bill summaries are authored by CRS.
Shown Here:
Introduced in House (01/23/2017)
Choices in Education Act of 2017
This bill repeals the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and limits the authority of the Department of Education (ED) such that ED is authorized only to award block grants to qualified states.
The bill establishes an education voucher program, through which each state shall distribute block grant funds among local educational agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible children within each LEA's geographical area. From these amounts, each LEA shall: (1) distribute a portion of funds to parents who elect to enroll their child in a private school or to home-school their child, and (2) do so in a manner that ensures that such payments will be used for appropriate educational expenses.
To be eligible to receive a block grant, a state must: (1) comply with education voucher program requirements, and (2) make it lawful for parents of an eligible child to elect to enroll their child in any public or private elementary or secondary school in the state or to home-school their child.
No Hungry Kids Act
The bill repeals a specified rule that established certain nutrition standards for the national school lunch and breakfast programs. (In general, the rule requires schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat in school meals; and meet children's nutritional needs within their caloric requirements.)
I don't see anything here about 1973 IDEA being repealed, which is the major basis for IEPs, etc. Mainly what I am reading is that it would repeal nutrition standards for the No Kids Hungry Act and allows grants (i.e. vouchers) to supplement attendance at school of choice. Your post contains many other warnings which, if true, are very serious. Where are these additional items you listed coming from? (Just want to be clear on the facts.) |
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Post by Merge on Mar 30, 2017 13:22:20 GMT
The school voucher system proposed by Education secretary Betsy DeVos does not mean you can choose any school you want your kid to go to. It means the public education program will be dismantled. If your child has an IEP (individual education plan for students with special needs), kiss it goodbye. If you have a job in special-education, if you're a special education teacher, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, a para, a teacher's aid, or an ESL (English as a second language) teacher, you'll go first. House Bill 610 makes some large changes. Inform yourselves. This bill will effectively start the school voucher system to be used by children ages 5-17 and starts the defunding process of public schools. The bill will eliminate the Elementary and Education Act of 1965, which is the nation's educational law that provides equal opportunity in education. ESSA is a big comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, advanced and gifted kids in AP classes, ESL classes, classes for minorities such as Native Americans, Rural Education, Education for the Homeless, School Safety (Gun-Free schools), Monitoring and Compliance, and Federal Accountability Programs. The Bill also abolishes the Nutritional Act of 2012 (No Hungry Kids Act) which provides nutritional standards in school breakfast and lunch. The bill has no wording whatsoever protecting Special Needs kids, no mention of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), and FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education). Some things ESSA does for Children with Disabilities: -Ensures access to the general education curriculum. -Ensures access to accommodations on assessments. -Ensures concepts of Universal Design for Learning. -Includes provisions that require local education agencies to provide evidence-based interventions in schools with consistently underperforming subgroups. -Requires states in Title I plans to address how they will improve conditions for learning including reducing incidents of bullying and harassment in schools, overuse of discipline practices and reduce the use of aversive behavioral interventions (such as restraints and seclusion). Please call your representative and ask him/her to vote NO on House Bill 610 (HR 610) introduced by three Republican reps.
These are the specifics on what is see for HR610 bill:There is one summary for H.R.610. Bill summaries are authored by CRS.
Shown Here:
Introduced in House (01/23/2017)
Choices in Education Act of 2017
This bill repeals the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and limits the authority of the Department of Education (ED) such that ED is authorized only to award block grants to qualified states.
The bill establishes an education voucher program, through which each state shall distribute block grant funds among local educational agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible children within each LEA's geographical area. From these amounts, each LEA shall: (1) distribute a portion of funds to parents who elect to enroll their child in a private school or to home-school their child, and (2) do so in a manner that ensures that such payments will be used for appropriate educational expenses.
To be eligible to receive a block grant, a state must: (1) comply with education voucher program requirements, and (2) make it lawful for parents of an eligible child to elect to enroll their child in any public or private elementary or secondary school in the state or to home-school their child.
No Hungry Kids Act
The bill repeals a specified rule that established certain nutrition standards for the national school lunch and breakfast programs. (In general, the rule requires schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat in school meals; and meet children's nutritional needs within their caloric requirements.)
I don't see anything here about 1973 IDEA being repealed, which is the major basis for IEPs, etc. Mainly what I am reading is that it would repeal nutrition standards for the No Kids Hungry Act and allows grants (i.e. vouchers) to supplement attendance at school of choice. Your post contains many other warnings which, if true, are very serious. Where are these additional items you listed coming from? (Just want to be clear on the facts.)As I understand it, ESSA/ESEA is what requires schools to admit and educate kids who need IDEA in the first place. IDEA is only in effect if a child is enrolled in a public school and identified as having a disability. With no federal law saying otherwise, schools are free to disenroll students who need special services because they have the "choice" to take their money allotment elsewhere, or refuse to acknowledge/identify the disability. But many students have no real choice about where they attend school, and so may end up forfeiting their right to an IEP or LRE because the school refuses to identify the disability to save money. If you don't think this could happen, please come and visit Texas, where an arbitrary cap of 8% has been placed on SpEd identification for some years to keep costs down. |
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moodyblue
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,246 
Location: Western Illinois
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
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Post by moodyblue on Mar 30, 2017 13:40:33 GMT
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), of which ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) is the newest version (NCLB - No Child Left Behind was the previous version), is what funds the Title I Program in public schools across the country. It's the federal money that pays for the Title I teachers, often reading specialists, who work with struggling readers. It gives money to improve the whole school if you have a Schoolwide program (requirement is at least 40% poverty level). This should concern everyone who cares about educating ALL students.
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Post by ntsf on Mar 30, 2017 15:37:35 GMT
then as you skim off students to private and charter schools.. the students whose parents are well off or involved or whatever.. there is less funding and support for the public schools. and these voucher schools will not take kids with special needs.. or challenges.. back to haves and havenots.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Mar 30, 2017 16:15:11 GMT
It amazes me that any logical person can say that those cuts are a good idea with a straight face.
Devos disgusts me.
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Post by Restless Spirit on Mar 30, 2017 16:16:04 GMT
And it was just in my local (Indiana) newspaper this morning that Indiana lawmakers have no evidence that school vouchers are improving education.
House Bill 1384 eliminates another safeguard on public spending, allowing unaccredited schools to collect voucher dollars in their first year of operation. The legislation would allow anyone to open a private school in Indiana and immediately collect voucher payments.
The intent of the original voucher bill was to give students an alternative to a failing public school.
Source: Fort Wayne Journal Gazette March 30, 2017
The voucher program is morphing farther and farther away from its original intent. It's truly horrifying.
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Post by epeanymous on Mar 30, 2017 17:32:52 GMT
And it was just in my local (Indiana) newspaper this morning that Indiana lawmakers have no evidence that school vouchers are improving education. The point is not to improve education. The point is to get public money into private hands. |
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Post by mollycoddle on Mar 30, 2017 17:53:17 GMT
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 30, 2017 18:22:53 GMT
Was this the case that Gorsuch ruled against the parents/student and that was overturned by the Supreme Court with a unanimous decision that was in the news when his hearings were going on? |
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Post by mollycoddle on Mar 30, 2017 19:16:40 GMT
Was this the case that Gorsuch ruled against the parents/student and that was overturned by the Supreme Court with a unanimous decision that was in the news when his hearings were going on? Yes. He said that he was bound by precedent. |
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Mar 30, 2017 19:33:06 GMT
that doesn't bode well for his future actions when / if gets to the Supreme Court, then, does it? <sarcasm>
How could he even try to defend a decision that was unanimously overturned? (which they hardly EVER have, right?) Sound like he'll fit right in! (NOT!)
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Post by peasapie on Mar 30, 2017 20:13:18 GMT
I don't see anything here about 1973 IDEA being repealed, which is the major basis for IEPs, etc. Mainly what I am reading is that it would repeal nutrition standards for the No Kids Hungry Act and allows grants (i.e. vouchers) to supplement attendance at school of choice. Your post contains many other warnings which, if true, are very serious. Where are these additional items you listed coming from? (Just want to be clear on the facts.)As I understand it, ESSA/ESEA is what requires schools to admit and educate kids who need IDEA in the first place. IDEA is only in effect if a child is enrolled in a public school and identified as having a disability. With no federal law saying otherwise, schools are free to disenroll students who need special services because they have the "choice" to take their money allotment elsewhere, or refuse to acknowledge/identify the disability. But many students have no real choice about where they attend school, and so may end up forfeiting their right to an IEP or LRE because the school refuses to identify the disability to save money. If you don't think this could happen, please come and visit Texas, where an arbitrary cap of 8% has been placed on SpEd identification for some years to keep costs down. Are you saying that public schools can arbitrarily decide not to enroll students into their schools based on learning disabilities? I don't see anything at all that says that anywhere. Can you tell me where your information is from? I know of schools in some states who cap the number of kids who can be classified in a given year. But that is not the same thing as saying a public school can refuse to take a child because of learning disabilities. I am trying to get the bottom of clear facts and law here, so if you can tell me where you got your information I'd appreciate it. |
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Post by Merge on Mar 30, 2017 23:45:43 GMT
As I understand it, ESSA/ESEA is what requires schools to admit and educate kids who need IDEA in the first place. IDEA is only in effect if a child is enrolled in a public school and identified as having a disability. With no federal law saying otherwise, schools are free to disenroll students who need special services because they have the "choice" to take their money allotment elsewhere, or refuse to acknowledge/identify the disability. But many students have no real choice about where they attend school, and so may end up forfeiting their right to an IEP or LRE because the school refuses to identify the disability to save money. If you don't think this could happen, please come and visit Texas, where an arbitrary cap of 8% has been placed on SpEd identification for some years to keep costs down. Are you saying that public schools can arbitrarily decide not to enroll students into their schools based on learning disabilities? I don't see anything at all that says that anywhere. Can you tell me where your information is from? I know of schools in some states who cap the number of kids who can be classified in a given year. But that is not the same thing as saying a public school can refuse to take a child because of learning disabilities. I am trying to get the bottom of clear facts and law here, so if you can tell me where you got your information I'd appreciate it. I'm sorry; I posted very quickly this morning before going into work, and left out some important connecting parts. I apologize. No, it's unlikely that actual public schools would be able to arbitrarily not enroll students based on their disabilities. A more likely scenario would be that the public school systems in some areas would collapse, leaving only a network of charter and private schools in their place. And charter and private schools are not required to accept or retain any student they don't want. It's very possible that special needs students in these places could be denied a decent education. I'm mostly getting my information from my own reading of the new law and my previous understanding and current re-reading of special education law. I've also listened to some very knowledgeable people in my school and district. And I'm looking closely at what has happened in New Orleans, where the public school system has been 99% replaced with a network of charter and private schools since Katrina, so it's a test case of sorts. The stories are appalling. Test scores are "up," but schools are definitely skimming higher-performing students where they can and refusing or counseling out students who have educational or behavioral problems. I'm certainly open to hearing other interpretations, but I have not heard anyone with actual SpEd knowledge say anything positive about this new law. Anyone who cares about or works with special needs kids should be very concerned. |
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Post by peasapie on Mar 31, 2017 1:58:12 GMT
Are you saying that public schools can arbitrarily decide not to enroll students into their schools based on learning disabilities? I don't see anything at all that says that anywhere. Can you tell me where your information is from? I know of schools in some states who cap the number of kids who can be classified in a given year. But that is not the same thing as saying a public school can refuse to take a child because of learning disabilities. I am trying to get the bottom of clear facts and law here, so if you can tell me where you got your information I'd appreciate it. I'm sorry; I posted very quickly this morning before going into work, and left out some important connecting parts. I apologize. No, it's unlikely that actual public schools would be able to arbitrarily not enroll students based on their disabilities. A more likely scenario would be that the public school systems in some areas would collapse, leaving only a network of charter and private schools in their place. And charter and private schools are not required to accept or retain any student they don't want. It's very possible that special needs students in these places could be denied a decent education. I'm mostly getting my information from my own reading of the new law and my previous understanding and current re-reading of special education law. I've also listened to some very knowledgeable people in my school and district. And I'm looking closely at what has happened in New Orleans, where the public school system has been 99% replaced with a network of charter and private schools since Katrina, so it's a test case of sorts. The stories are appalling. Test scores are "up," but schools are definitely skimming higher-performing students where they can and refusing or counseling out students who have educational or behavioral problems. I'm certainly open to hearing other interpretations, but I have not heard anyone with actual SpEd knowledge say anything positive about this new law. Anyone who cares about or works with special needs kids should be very concerned. Thank you for taking the time to further explain. I'm a strong special ed advocate and I am concerned about what these changes will ultimately mean, so I've been trying to follow exactly what is being proposed. One of the most frustrating things about each new administration is that they all seem to want to play around with education. Each has an idea of what might work and, and with no solid research supporting it, they make changes someone thinks might work. We wouldn't do this in medicine or in a production facility to make cars or airplanes, but they do it with our children and their teachers. I personally think these vouches will be a big flop. I think very few people will leave their public school system for them because it's just a supplement, but people who have their kids in private schools already will be getting a handout that most do not need. (While poor kids will lose funding for food.) |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 31, 2017 2:43:05 GMT
I'm sorry; I posted very quickly this morning before going into work, and left out some important connecting parts. I apologize. No, it's unlikely that actual public schools would be able to arbitrarily not enroll students based on their disabilities. A more likely scenario would be that the public school systems in some areas would collapse, leaving only a network of charter and private schools in their place. And charter and private schools are not required to accept or retain any student they don't want. It's very possible that special needs students in these places could be denied a decent education. I'm mostly getting my information from my own reading of the new law and my previous understanding and current re-reading of special education law. I've also listened to some very knowledgeable people in my school and district. And I'm looking closely at what has happened in New Orleans, where the public school system has been 99% replaced with a network of charter and private schools since Katrina, so it's a test case of sorts. The stories are appalling. Test scores are "up," but schools are definitely skimming higher-performing students where they can and refusing or counseling out students who have educational or behavioral problems. I'm certainly open to hearing other interpretations, but I have not heard anyone with actual SpEd knowledge say anything positive about this new law. Anyone who cares about or works with special needs kids should be very concerned. Thank you for taking the time to further explain. I'm a strong special ed advocate and I am concerned about what these changes will ultimately mean, so I've been trying to follow exactly what is being proposed. One of the most frustrating things about each new administration is that they all seem to want to play around with education. Each has an idea of what might work and, and with no solid research supporting it, they make changes someone thinks might work. We wouldn't do this in medicine or in a production facility to make cars or airplanes, but they do it with our children and their teachers. I personally think these vouches will be a big flop. I think very few people will leave their public school system for them because it's just a supplement, but people who have their kids in private schools already will be getting a handout that most do not need. (While poor kids will lose funding for food.)Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. This is exactly what will happen. The well off people who have been paying for their kids' private school tuition all along will happily stand in line to grab their handout while the less fortunate kids who really don't have any other options will get the shaft. And kids like mine who are currently attending really good public schools will also feel that pinch. In the upper middle class communities like where we live, lots of people already send their kids to private schools and will grab that freebie because it's there, and my kid's school will take the hit. ALL public school kids are going to suffer from this regardless of where they are as public school dollars are siphoned off and shifted to private schools.  |
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Post by peasapie on Mar 31, 2017 21:26:18 GMT
crazy4scraps, they "say" the money won't come from public schools and that it will come from other places in the budget. Of course, they "said" we wouldn't be paying for a wall, either. This entire voucher thing is a play for votes from the wealthy who don't want to pay taxes to support schools. I think they would have been smarter to give them a tax rebate - if they wanted to do something - instead of this play for a voucher. I guess he didn't learn from the Trump University debacle. Business should stick to business, not try to meddle in education. Turns out, educators actually know what they're doing.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 31, 2017 21:53:04 GMT
peasapie Of *course* it won't come out of the public school budget!  Which is why Trump's budget proposal cuts funding from public education to the tune of $9.2B while at the same time proposing to start funding the vouchers to the tune of $1.4B, with the possibility of increasing that to $20B eventually over time. But nooooo, that's not going to negatively impact the public schools. Right. And I have some lovely oceanfront property in Arizona for sale too! 
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Which is why Trump's budget proposal cuts funding from public education to the tune of $9.2B while at the same time proposing to start funding the vouchers to the tune of $1.4B, with the possibility of increasing that to $20B eventually over time. But nooooo, that's not going to negatively impact the public schools. Right. And I have some lovely oceanfront property in Arizona for sale too! 