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WSSEC Public Policy Chair Comments on Special Ed Funding & Current Trial

Washington State Special Ed Coalition
Public Policy Chair Comments
Special Ed Funding & Current Trial

(sent to WSSEC listserve October 31,2006)

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
7602 Jade Dr. SW
Lakewood, WA 98498
edadvocate@mac.com