Good move for special needs children
“Basically it was any excuse in the book to turn kids away.”Long time PURE member Amy Zimmerman and the group Health and Disability Advocates filed a complaint with the Illinois State Board of Education yesterday, charging that the Chicago Public Schools has repeatedly failed to evaluate the youngest children with disabilities and move them into special education preschool programs as required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. According to this report in the New York Times, “usually, local school districts place children in prekindergarten classes or send therapists to visit children at home. Under the law, a plan for services must be in place by a child’s third birthday.” Parents have complained that their requests to CPS for evaluation and services have repeatedly been ignored or brushed aside.
It’s great to know that that Amy and HDA are on the case.
PSAT for 1-8-13: Back to business!
It’s been 3 weeks since my last Public Schools Action Tuesday post – it was a good, long holiday season!
So, here are 3 simple things you can do today if you, like me, are still easing back into the public school advocacy business.
1) Sign this petition to Mayor Emanuel, Governor Quinn, and the Illinois House and Senate for an elected school board! You can Facebook, tweet and e–mail it to your friends, too. I wrote: “Mayoral control has failed Chicago’s