My collegue Sandy Alperstein, volunteer Co-Webmaster of www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com, brought this alert to my attention that deserves due consideration and action. The following alert is courtesy of Bev Johns, parent advocate. Please share and take action if you agree with its contents. By way of background, these proposals were adopted (over the objections of various teachers and parents groups) by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) at their December meeting. They are now being sent to JCAR (Joint Committee on Administrative Rules), which will either approve them or send them back to ISBE for changes (need a 3 out of 5 vote to send them back). We are hoping to convince them to send these rules back for revision, which is the point of this action alert. Thank you for your help!
FROM BEV JOHNS:
The Illinois State Board of Education has now sent the Part 226 special education rules to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) for consideration at their meeting on January 9, 2007.
THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE TO STOP THE ELIMINATION
OF SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER CASELOAD. IF THESE
RULES ARE APPROVED, SOME SPECIAL EDUCATION
TEACHERS MAY HAVE UP TO 90 STUDENTS, AND THERE
WILL BE NO LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ON
WHICH A SPECIAL ED TEACHER WILL BE EXPECTED TO
"CONSULT" WITH GENERAL ED TEACHERS. SERVICES TO
CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL SUFFER GREATLY. SOME
CHILDREN MAY NO LONGER RECEIVE THE APPROPRIATE
SERVICES THEY NEED.
You can voice your objections to these rules–specifically the elimination of special education teacher caseload and a new mandate for Response to Intervention (for GENERAL education teachers) without the funding and teacher support for it. When response to intervention is utilized, some students are being refused case study evaluations and needed services. If students are not identified they have no rights or protections. The removal of special education teacher caseload will result in fewer
special education teachers and the individuals who are left in the field will not have time to provide support for classroom teachers to implement Response to Intervention.
You can also voice your objections to the removal of over 50 pages of rights and protections to students.
According to JCAR’s procedures:
"Public comment is vital to the JCAR Review Process. Frequently, it is only through this comment that the Committee fully recognizes the effect of a rule on the individual, business or local government that has to adhere to it on a daily basis."
You can stress to JCAR and its members that the Illinois State Board of Education’s refusal to keep rules
that maintain special education teacher caseload is seriously jeopardizing the education of children with disabilities.
You can also stress that Response to Intervention is a new mandate for all school districts in Illinois without money and support for ALL schools and that the Federal Government (thru IDEA 2004) does NOT require Response to Intervention. You can also stress that some children will be denied case study evaluations and therefore denied needed special education services.
How can you voice your objections to Part 226?
1. You can send an e-mail to JCAR at: jcar@ilga.gov You must do this as soon as possible.
(Put "Part 226, Special Education" in the Subject line.)
2. Contact the members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Here are their names and numbers. MEMBERS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE RULES
CO-CHAIRMAN
SENATOR MAGGIE CROTTY
15028 S. Cicero Unit A Oak Forest IL 60452
311 State House Springfield IL 62706
708/687-9696 217/782-9595
CO-CHAIRMAN
REPRESENTATIVE BRENT HASSERT
1408 Joliet Rd. Ste 102 Romeoville IL 60446
217-N Stratton Bldg. Springfield IL 62706
630/739-7063 217/782-4179
SENATOR J. BRADLEY BURZYNSKI
505 DeKalb Ave Sycamore IL 60178
103D Mezzanine State House Springfield IL 62706
815/895-6318 217/782-1977
SENATOR JAMES F. CLAYBORNE JR.
327 Missouri Ave, 1st IL Bank Bldg., Rm 422, East St. Louis IL 62201
629 State House Springfield IL 62706
618/875-1212 217/782-5399
SENATOR STEVE RAUSCHENBERGER
1112 South St Elgin IL 60123
309F State House Springfield IL 62706
847/622-1049 217/782-7746
SENATOR DAN RUTHERFORD
320 N Plum St Pontiac IL 61764
105B State House Springfield IL 62706
815/842-3632 217/782-6597
SENATOR IRA SILVERSTEIN
2951 W. Devon. Chicago IL 60659
121B State House Springfield IL 62706
773/743-5015 217/782-5500
REPRESENTATIVE TOM HOLBROOK
9200 W. Main, Ste. 4 Belleville IL 62223
267-S Stratton Bldg Springfield IL 62706
618/394-2211 217/782-0104
REPRESENTATIVE DAVID R. LEITCH
3114 N University Peoria IL 61604
220 State House Springfield IL 62706
309/685-3900 217/782-8108
REPRESENTATIVE LARRY MCKEON
1967 W. Montrose Ave. Chicago IL 60613
279-S Stratton Bldg. Springfield IL 62706
773/348-3434 217/782-3835
REPRESENTATIVE DAVID E. MILLER
1350 E. Sibley Blvd., Ste. 202 Dolton, IL 60419
278-S Stratton Bldg. Springfield IL 62706
708/201-8000 217/782-8087
REPRESENTATIVE ROSEMARY MULLIGAN
932 Lee St., Ste. 201 Des Plaines IL 60016
218-N Stratton Bldg. Springfield IL 62706
847/297-6533 217/782-8007