Post by healthy11 on Jun 6, 2014 11:01:11 GMT -5
From: Beverley Holden Johns <bevjohns@juno.com>
Sent: Thu, Jun 5, 2014 6:26 am
Subject: SB 16: a special ed fiasco
PLEASE STOP SB 16 BEFORE IT HARMS
SPECIAL EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS
SB 16 would directly fund both public and private
separate specialized placements (even increasing
the reimbursement for some), but stop direct
funding of the rest of special education.
Please contact your State Representative urging them to "oppose Senate Bill 16
as it would harm special education by divorcing funding from direct services for
almost all special ed students."
With the formal support of only Stand for Children and Advance Illinois, the
latest version of Senate Bill 16 passed the Illinois Senate Executive
Committee. Then the Illinois State Senate voted 32 yes, 19 no, and 6 present to
pass SB 16, but SB 16 has NOT yet been considered by the Illinois House of
Representatives.
SB 16 attempts to take almost all State education funds and give more funding to
poorer school districts BUT DOES THIS BY ABOLISHING SPECIAL EDUCATION
CATEGORICAL GRANTS (except for very high cost special ed students).
SB 16 ignores the fact that State funds are now tied to actually doing
something, to encouraging or requiring that those funds be spent for certain
students or for certain activities.
As amended, except for very high cost students, Illinois State Senate Bill 16
would allow special ed funds to be spent for almost anything a local school
district wants to spend them on, move the funding from students with IEPs to a
guess “representative of the statewide average population of students with
disabilities,” and almost eliminate State special ed funding for some school
districts.
Illinois now provides State education funds tied to services to students.
SB 16 would pretend that every school district serves exactly the same
percentage of special ed students.
SB 16 would disconnect State funding from actual services to students. In other
words, districts could receive funding under the guise of special education and
not be providing services to all students who need special education.
Senate Bill 16 would eliminate the $9,000 Illinois pays for each special ed
teacher,and instead fund Illinois special ed with a percentage of General State
Aide with one flat percentage of students no matter how few or how many students
a local school district identifies as needing special education.
Funding would NOT be tied to students with IEPs or to the number of special ed
teachers.
This would punish some school districts appropriately serving students, while
rewarding other school districts NOT identifying students as needing special
education.
The current special ed Personnel Reimbursement formula directly provides $9,000
for each special education teacher, and all other specialized personnel
“providing services in accordance with an individualized education program
(IEP).”
This direct funding is essential to the provision of specialized and
individualized instruction.
SB 16 would spend State money NOT on students with IEPs, but instead on a
“weighting percentage” of General State Aide established by the State Board of
Education “representative” of a guess as to the number of students with
disabilities in Illinois.
It can NOT say based on the number of students with disabilities because no one
knows what that is. So it says “representative” of that number.
To eliminate special ed Personnel Reimbursement is to invite all of the problems
that have resulted from the Chicago Block Grant.
Sent: Thu, Jun 5, 2014 6:26 am
Subject: SB 16: a special ed fiasco
PLEASE STOP SB 16 BEFORE IT HARMS
SPECIAL EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS
SB 16 would directly fund both public and private
separate specialized placements (even increasing
the reimbursement for some), but stop direct
funding of the rest of special education.
Please contact your State Representative urging them to "oppose Senate Bill 16
as it would harm special education by divorcing funding from direct services for
almost all special ed students."
With the formal support of only Stand for Children and Advance Illinois, the
latest version of Senate Bill 16 passed the Illinois Senate Executive
Committee. Then the Illinois State Senate voted 32 yes, 19 no, and 6 present to
pass SB 16, but SB 16 has NOT yet been considered by the Illinois House of
Representatives.
SB 16 attempts to take almost all State education funds and give more funding to
poorer school districts BUT DOES THIS BY ABOLISHING SPECIAL EDUCATION
CATEGORICAL GRANTS (except for very high cost special ed students).
SB 16 ignores the fact that State funds are now tied to actually doing
something, to encouraging or requiring that those funds be spent for certain
students or for certain activities.
As amended, except for very high cost students, Illinois State Senate Bill 16
would allow special ed funds to be spent for almost anything a local school
district wants to spend them on, move the funding from students with IEPs to a
guess “representative of the statewide average population of students with
disabilities,” and almost eliminate State special ed funding for some school
districts.
Illinois now provides State education funds tied to services to students.
SB 16 would pretend that every school district serves exactly the same
percentage of special ed students.
SB 16 would disconnect State funding from actual services to students. In other
words, districts could receive funding under the guise of special education and
not be providing services to all students who need special education.
Senate Bill 16 would eliminate the $9,000 Illinois pays for each special ed
teacher,and instead fund Illinois special ed with a percentage of General State
Aide with one flat percentage of students no matter how few or how many students
a local school district identifies as needing special education.
Funding would NOT be tied to students with IEPs or to the number of special ed
teachers.
This would punish some school districts appropriately serving students, while
rewarding other school districts NOT identifying students as needing special
education.
The current special ed Personnel Reimbursement formula directly provides $9,000
for each special education teacher, and all other specialized personnel
“providing services in accordance with an individualized education program
(IEP).”
This direct funding is essential to the provision of specialized and
individualized instruction.
SB 16 would spend State money NOT on students with IEPs, but instead on a
“weighting percentage” of General State Aide established by the State Board of
Education “representative” of a guess as to the number of students with
disabilities in Illinois.
It can NOT say based on the number of students with disabilities because no one
knows what that is. So it says “representative” of that number.
To eliminate special ed Personnel Reimbursement is to invite all of the problems
that have resulted from the Chicago Block Grant.