Schedule of Portland-area parent meetings:

Portland NSpEd meets the third Tuesday of each month, 6 - 8 p.m., at McMenamin's/Kennedy School Community Room, 5376 NE 33rd. Contact: Bette' Moksnes-Koski and Doug Koski, 236-0276.

Beaverton NSpEd, first meeting is Tuesday, August 29, Tanasbourne Library. Contact: Tracy Walker, 531-8925.

Clackamas NSpEd meets the third Wednesday of each month, 6:30 pm, at Sunnyside Village Center, off SE 147th and Sunnyside Rd. Contact: Connie and John Ross, 658-8754.

Hillsboro Parents of Special Education. Contact: Patti and Mike McLeod, 628-2977.

NSpEd is networking with other parent groups which are meeting in Ashland, Salem-Keizer, Newberg, and other cities around Oregon.

For more information: Website: www.geocities.com/nsped_or/

E-mail: NSpEd1@aol.com

New Hearings in Salem for Parents of Children with Autism:

September 5 - House hearing, 9 a.m. Location: TBA.

September 6 - Senate hearing, 9:30 a.m. (Task Force report)

Main topic: Autism Task Force report.

State Senate and House are asking to hear from families pertaining to the issues involving children with autism.

If parents are unable to come, please e-mail your comments and concerns to:

Senator Tom Hartung, Chairman of Senate Interim Committee on Education

c/o Janet McComb

janet.e.mcComb@state.or.us

Phone: (503) 986-1473

FAX: (503)986-1814

MAIL: c/o Janet McComb

S3401A Capitol Building

900 Court Street

Salem, OR 97301

National Council on Disability (NCD)

NCD Publications- "Back to School on Civil Rights"

Special Education Legal Rights - Strategies and Resources

Wrightslaw - Special Education Law & Advocacy

NSpEd- Network for Special Education

P.O. Box 1221

Portland, OR 97207

NSpEd is an affiliate of LDA- Learning Disabilities Association of Oregon

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ATTITUDE/ INTIMIDATION:

*regardless of parent input the school and district will carry out its own agenda.

*parents are not equal members at IEP meetings. (more like 12 staff:1 parent)

*education specialists, teachers, instructional assistants are NOT allowed to say honestly what a child needs.

(Written in by parents, 4/22:)

- open hostility toward parents.

- corrupt ODE complaint resolution system.

- District administration operates from position of INVALIDATION from the top down.

- IDEA not enforced by hearing officers.

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TRAINING:

*Special Ed Teachers: lack of current theory taught & applied.

*Regular Ed Teachers: not trained or supported.

*Instructional Assistants: using uneducated/untrained ‘para-professionals.’ Doesn’t "have" to be a special education trained person to provide the special education services.

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CHILDREN'S OPTIONS NOT BASED ON INDIVIDUAL NEEDS:

*not getting effective programs.

*no progress - no data.

*District provides only what they choose - won't contract for appropriate programs.

(Written in by parents, 4/22:)

Tracking of children in wrong wing of education:

- alternative education rather than special education.

- inclusive education without support.

- warehousing of kids rather than education of kids.

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ACCOUNTABILITY:

*lack of documentation in education provided.

*schools not following IEP .

*complete/open disclosure of $ ... Fed and State funds and how they are used.

(Written in by parents, 4/22:)

Need legislation: "IEP Bill of Rights" or "Sp. Ed. Student Bill of Rights."

Lack of accountability from federal level to state level and then state level to district level.

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LACK OF INFORMATION TO PARENTS:

*not aware of what is available.

*services/options.

*resources.

*placement.

(Written in by parents, 4/22:)

- ESY (lack of info.)

- Transitional services?

- vocational training.

- community agency networking.

- geared towards "preparation for adulthood."

- students "given regular diplomas instead of modified diplomas so they are no longer eligible to remain in school until age 21.

- students asked to sign form indicating they "understand" that they become their own legal guardian at age 18 and that they "don’t want sp. ed. anymore or to continue in school."

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Priority #5/6 (tie) - 26 votes

MINDSET/ DISCRIMINATION:

*lack of education to personnel in how to treat and respect our children.

*see children as disabled, not as "differently-abled."

*focus on what they cannot do instead of what they can do.

*children not viewed as members of their school community; isolation.

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LITIGIOUSNESS:

*resources spent towards mediation, due process, legal insurance instead of direct services.

*parents are forced to enforce IDEA.

- no legal recourse in Oregon today.

- tremendous $ spent on mediation (parents are coerced into mediation at each step) - mediation is not enforcable - agreements are only "in good faith."

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Priority #8 - 15 votes

CASELOAD:

*the ratio of special education teachers (speech, PT, OT, etc.) to students is unacceptable.

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Priority #9 - 11 votes

OTHER:

(Written in by parents, Ap. 22)

Cuts to Early Intervention Services. (e.g., social worker for Down syndrome group cut from June; more cuts likely.)

Poor diagnostic help for kids in Early Intervention - kids often given minimal help, then diagnosed after entering kindergarten.

Once District admits to not providing services, trouble getting past services made up.

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