Stop Special Needs Vouchers Update: Friday 7-17-15

[Stop Special Needs Vouchers]

Greetings from Stop Special Needs Vouchers -- please forward widely and quickly!

Voucher "Hearing" in Milwaukee on Monday July 20, 5pm

Sen. Ron Johnson is holding a "hearing" at St. Marcus voucher school in Milwaukee at 5pm on Monday July 20, to praise private voucher schools and complain about the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation into voucher school discrimination against students with disabilities. "Hearing" appears in quotes because nobody from the disability community or the civil rights community or even from the Dept. of Justice has been invited to speak, and there doesn't appear to be any opportunity for public testimony.  The announced lineup is all voucher-school supporters and graduates.

Here are the "hearing" details, also online at: 

http://www.hsgac.senate.gov/hearings/the-milwaukee-parental-choice-program-a-pioneer-for-school-choice-programs-nationwide

The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: A Pioneer for School Choice Programs Nationwide 

July 20, 2015 05:00PM
Location: St. Marcus Lutheran School, Krier Center (2215 N. Palmer Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212)

Invited speakers:

- Justice Shorter, Former MPCP Student and Graduate of Messmer High School
- Diana Lopez, Former MPCP Student and Graduate of St. Anthony High School
- Brother Robert Smith, Former Principal, Messmer High School
- John Witte, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison 
- Richard Komer, Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice

The Journal Sentinel wrote about the "hearing" at http://www.jsonline.com/news/sen-ron-johnson-questions-doj-role-in-voucher-probe-b99539403z1-316031261.html

It would be excellent to have a Stop Special Needs Vouchers presence, complete with green t-shirts...

If you are able to attend, please send e-mail to stopspecialn...@gmail.com and let us know!  

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Initial Summary of Wisconsin's New Special Needs Voucher Program

They couldn't do it by fair legislative process, so they had to turn to underhanded means: special needs vouchers were inserted into the Wisconsin state budget by the Joint Finance Committee after midnight on May 20, without public hearing or input.  We did not succeed in our efforts to have the harmful program removed.  The budget that was signed by Governor Walker on July 12 passed the statewide vouchers into law.

A brief initial summary of the special needs vouchers appears below.  Stay tuned for further details, as well as for some exciting news in a future message about equity-improvements to Wisconsin's open enrollment law for students with disabilities!

• The statewide program will start with the 2016/17 school year
  
• Voucher applicants must have attended public school in the previous year
  
• Voucher applicants must have been denied open enrollment to a non-resident school district in the previous year
  
• Voucher amount is $12,000 in 2016/17 (paid quarterly)
  
• The private school is supposed to "implement the child’s most recent individualized education program or services plan, as modified by agreement between the private school and the child’s parent, and related services agreed to by the private school and the child’s parent that are not included in the child’s individualized education program or services plan."  However, there are no stated obligations for a private school in case of noncompliance or dispute, nor for updating the student's plan in subsequent years.
  
• Private schools that take special needs vouchers are NOT required to abide by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Voucher students lose all their IDEA rights and protections.
  
• Private schools that take special needs vouchers ARE required to abide by Wisconsin's state law regulating seclusion and restraint (for all their students, not just those on vouchers!)  However, the public will have no way to see the data, because the governing bodies of private schools are not subject to open-records law.

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Encouragement from State Superintendent Dr. Tony Evers

In the wake of the passage of a state budget that was a terrible disappointment for families who value public education, Dr. Tony Evers released a message encouraging families and communities to continue to advocate for our schools and our children:

“Across the state, families and communities have stepped up to protect public schools. While this budget did not deliver anything close to what they asked, the momentum they have built is tangible and must remain. The future depends on parents’ and communities’ ability to stay engaged and win legislative support to keep our public schools strong with needed investments.”

Read the full message at http://dpi.wi.gov/news/releases/2015/evers-urges-families-and-communities-keep-stepping-up-for-public-education

Thank you, Dr. Evers!

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