Students and Colleagues:
Please read below about the special education voucher program provision in
the House....
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: OSPA LEGISLATIVE ALERT: SPECIAL EDUCATION VOUCHER PROPOSAL IN HB
119 From: "Ann Brennan" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sun, May 6, 2007 1:45 pm
To: [log in to unmask]
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TO: OSPA MEMBERS
FROM: Ann Brennan
The House has added a special education voucher pilot program provision to
the Governor's budget bill. The provision will allow a special education
voucher to be given to up to 3% of the total Ohio students with
disabilities. The amount of the voucher would be the total funds (state
and local) spent on each student, depending on their special education
weight. Parents of such students could use the voucher for their students
to attend a private or another public school.
I have attached talking points prepared by OSPA and other education
organizations who either oppose or have serious concerns about this
provision.
ACTION: PLEASE SEND THE FOLLOWING SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR STATE SENATOR
INDICATING YOUR OPPOSITION OR CONCERNS REGARDING THIS PROVISION. BE SURE
TO PERSONALIZE YOUR LETTER
You may also send an e-mail letter, instructions follow.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Senator _____________ :
I am writing you to express my views on the special education voucher
provision that has been added by the House to HB 119. This provision would
allow for a special education voucher program, with vouchers to be given
to parents of special education students to be used at alternative public
schools or private programs. The voucher would equal the lesser of the
private program tuition or the amount the school district of residence is
required to spend on the student pursuant to the state funding formula.
This expenditure includes all local, and state dollars the school
district of residence spends on the student taking the voucher. Through
my work with special education students I amwell aware of their
educational needs, and it is with their best interest in mind that I
share these concerns.
My concerns center on the following principles:
1) Assuring that all providers of special education programs comply
with the Federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act
(IDEIA) and the Ohio Operating Standards for Students With Disabilities
(OAC 3301-51). Federal law now known as IDEIA was landmark legislation
when it was first enacted in 1975. In the years just before the acts
passage as few as one in five children with disabilities received the
educational assistance they needed, and many were institutionalized. We
have made great progress since then, today the law covers 6.5 million
students and most of them are taught in regular classrooms alongside
students with no disabilities. This has occurred because of the
requirements in Federal and State laws. Students with disabilities must be
assured of a free, appropriate, public education, in the least
restrictive environment with the same access to the general education
curriculum as all other students. They also must be guaranteed that
special education services will be provided by qualified professionals
who meet federal and state standards. These are the basic tenets of IDEIA
and the Ohio Operating Standards and all programs must be held up to the
same public scrutiny. The special education voucher provision in HB 119
does not cite IDEIA or Ohio Operating Standards compliance.
2) Assuring that all students with disabilities educational rights are
protected through IDEIA and Ohio Operating standards procedural
safeguards. The special education voucher provision effectively requires
parents to opt out of their due process and other rights by accepting the
private program voucher. Under federal and state law and regulations
parents are guaranteed a host of protections that can be invoked, ranging
from mediation, due process hearings, state-level appeal, ongoing
evaluations, and the option of alternative placements when required. No
such safeguards are required of private providers if they are exempted
from these important state and federal regulations.
3) Assuring that all special education programs comply with state and federal
assessment requirements and academic content standards. In addition to the
voucher provision not citing IDEIA and Ohio Operating Standards for
Students with Disabilities, the bill also does not cite compliance with
mandated state assessments and the Federal No Child Left Behind Act
requirements; nor does the bill cite compliance with Ohio Academic
Content Standards. In an era of increased accountability for student
performance and when our legislators are endorsing a more rigorous high
school curriculum we cannot afford to risk leaving our students with
disabilities behind. Private programs must be held to the same
educational accountability standards as public schools, including
participating in state assessments and reporting student outcome data to
ODE .
4) Assuring that public school funds are not diverted to support voucher
type programs at the expense of the students with disabilities remaining
in the public schools. Special education costs to Ohio public schools
already exceed the state and federal funds available. The promise of
increased Federal funding has not materialized. The vast majority of
special education students will continue to be educated in the public
schools. State policy should enhance this public school service delivery
capacity not diminish it. The Florida experience has seriously impacted
the publics schools special education programs, to the point that some
school districts have had to layoff needed educational aides that worked
exclusively with some of the most disabled students. Significant funding
was diverted to some private providers that have since been investigated
for fraudulent educational and financial practices. Had sufficient
compliance regulations and monitoring been in place such operations would
not have been approved.
A better approach to address the educational needs of all students is to
focus on providing targeted and intensive interventions in the preschool
through grade 3 years. Public school districts need continued support
from the General Assembly to accomplish this. Research tells us that
early intervention, particularly in reading, corrects most students
learning problems, and prevents them from later being identified as
special education students. Thank you for considering my views, please
feel free to contact me if I can provide you with further information.
Sincerely,
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAILING OR E-MAILING:
1) Go to: www.legislature.state.oh.us
2) Click on The Ohio Senate
3) Insert your zipcode for identifying your Senator
4) Click on your Senator's name and the e-mail link address as well as
their mailing address will appear
5) If e-mailing, click on the e-mail link, copy and paste the personalized
letter into the e-mail and send.
6) If mailing print the personalized letter on to your letterhead and mail.
Please send these communications soon, the Senate Finance Committee is
currently hearing HB 119, the state budget bill. Also send letters to the
members of the Senate Finance Committee. Simply click on the Standing
Committee Listing on the same website address as above, then click on
Senate Finance and a list of the member will pop up, click on each
member's name and their e-mail link will appear, then follow the above
directions. Be sure and include your return address, and if your Senator
is on the Senate Finance Committee indicate that you are a constituent.
If you have questions e-mail Ann Brennan at this address: [log in to unmask]
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