Re: NYS Petition to Revoke "Emergency" Aversives Regulations

[doc Holiday]

Leslie E. Packer, PhD wrote:
> [Note: this is crossposted to relevant groups, but please delete
> groups when responding to avoid typical usenet crossposted
> flamewars...]
>
> There is now a petition available to urge the Board of Regents and the
> NYS Education Department to immediately revoke the "emergency"
> regulations that they enacted on June 23rd.
>
> Signed petitions must be received by them by August 28. The Board of
> Regents will be voting at their Sept. meeting as to whether to make
> the regulations permanent or not.
>
> If you would like to sign a petition to get the new "Aversives"
> regulations withdrawn, you can find a petition in .pdf format or in
> .doc format at:
> http://www.transparencyinpubliceducation.org/files/Petition.pdf
> http://www.transparencyinpubliceducation.org/files/Petition.doc
>> Sir, there are many problems we must be aware of and to be prepared to act upon if possible. I am limited to living one day at a time and if in the course of the day I am able to reach out and help someone in some small way perhaps only to bring forth a smile or to offer support and friendship this emits a feeling of having done something positive for a group member a small offering to a fellow group member, a patient to the illness of PTSD. I commend you for your doctoral level dissertations on public education but I fail to understand your reasoning for posting this data on alt.support.trauma-ptsd? This is an international group of men an women who have a common thread in dealing with an often disabling illness my personal work lies in learning how to manage the recurrent symptons of stress, depression,sorrow, emotional and physical pain and a host of other symptoms that make up this syndrome of PTSD, I do not have the stamina, time or ability to dwell in the world of academia.I am taxed just trying to stay on the path of living a meaningful life and to be of support when I am able. I think you would be better served using other venues of communication rather then this much needed support group. Be well, stay healthy, respectfully, John de
> Once you've completed it, mail it to your nearest Regent. You can
> find your Regent's mailing address online at:
> http://www.regents.nysed.gov/terms.html You can also send your
> petition by email to your state legislators; their addresses can be
> found by plugging your zip code into the form at
> http://www.congress.org,
>
> If you can't send mail to your regent, then at least call them and
> tell them you are a constituent and that you oppose the new
> regulations and want them revoked.
>
> The Board and NYSED are holding public hearings for members of the
> public to submit testimony and input. Information on how to submit
> feedback and the schedule for public hearings is at:
> http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/behavioral/publichearing.htm
>
> If you do sign and send a petition, please send a copy or an email to
> petition[at]transparencyinpubliceducation.org so that the coalition
> can get some sense of how many people are contacting the regents on
> this. Your emails will not be shared with others without your express
> written consent and you will not be contacted by the coalition unless
> you specifically request to be put on a notification or mailing list.
>
> BACKGROUND:
>
> These "emergency" regulations, while appearing to prohibit the use of
> "aversive behavioral interventions" -- such as electric skin shock,
> ammonia sprays, hot pepper sauce on children's tongues -- actually now
> open the door for every public school, preschool, state-approved
> private school, and BOCES facility to use these methods on disabled
> children if they obtain a waiver to do so. The procedure for
> obtaining a waiver is that the district basically asks itself and the
> state, "Can we do this?" and then decides whether it can or can't,
> regardless of the advice of the state. I kid you not.
>
> The new regulations also weaken the prohibitions against corporal
> punishment, and allow teachers to use physical force on a child to
> protect school property even if it is of little economic value, like a
> crayon.
>
> The regulations are available online at:
> http://www.regents.nysed.gov/2006Meetings/June2006/0606emscvesida1.htm
> If you would prefer to download them in pdf format, you can download a
> copy from:
> http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/Files/Cort_060606.pdf