UPDATE and Candidate Information from Stop Special Needs Vouchers, October 4

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Stop Special Needs Vouchers

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Oct 4, 2014, 7:07:37 AM10/4/14
to J Juhnke
Greetings from Stop Special Needs Vouchers -- please forward this message widely!

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Election Day is Tuesday Nov. 4 -- Spread the Word on Harmful Special Needs Vouchers

We're one month away from Election Day 2014 in Wisconsin!

We know that special needs vouchers proposals will turn up again in the next legislative session, like the proverbial bad penny.  But the proponents of these harmful vouchers are keeping silent on the issue as they campaign.  Only two candidates were willing to go on the record in favor of special needs vouchers for the Stop Special Needs Vouchers candidate survey this summer -- and both of them lost their primaries.

Fortunately, we did get many other passionate and articulate responses to our question:
Do you support the creation of a statewide special needs voucher program in Wisconsin, as proposed in Wisconsin’s past two legislative sessions? Why, or why not?

You can look up your candidates' responses, along with past votes and co-sponsorships and statements on special needs vouchers, online at 
http://www.stopspecialneedsvouchers.org/candidates/

Please help spread the word!  Click the link, check Assembly and Senate candidates for your district, and share what you find -- tweet it, Facebook it, e-mail it.  Many of the quotes lend themselves well to a letter to the editor!

Stop Special Needs Vouchers has been highlighting candidate statements and votes on our Facebook page as well.  It's easy to share from there: 
https://www.facebook.com/StopSpecialNeedsVouchers

Every share, tweet, e-mail and conversation helps!

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Candidate Statements in Opposition to Special Needs Vouchers

From Senate Candidate Penny Bernard Schaber, whose opponent Roger Roth did not respond to the SSNV survey, in Senate District 19:

“I do not support the creation of a statewide special needs voucher program for Wisconsin. As a Physical Therapist with 30 plus years of experience with 11 years in the Oshkosh Area School District, I kow first hand the amount of therapy and special additional services a child with special needs requires to be successful in school. I also know that there is a maintenance of effort level of funding required in the school district which means that the public school will not only lose the funds to a private school with vouchers but the public school will be required to continue to spend the same level of funds even though the child is not in that school.

Another concern with the special needs vouchers is that currently there is no requirement for the private school to adequately meet the needs of the child with special needs; as the private school is not required to follow the IEP for the student.

The third area of concern I have is that many private schools do not and will not have the special equipment or skilled therapy or teaching staff that is needed to serve the child with special needs. To meet these needs the public schools will be required to provide staff and equipment to the private schools for limited or no reimbursement to the public schools for the costs they incur to provide for the needs of the student with special needs.”

From Senate Candidate Kathleen Vinehout (incumbent), whose opponent Mel Pittman did not respond to the SSNV survey, in Senate District 31:

“I do not support special needs vouchers and worked with my legislative colleagues and advocates across the state to stop advancement of legislation to create special needs vouchers.

We were successful in defeating a provision in the 2013-15 State Budget to create special needs vouchers.  Instead, my Democratic colleagues and I offered a budget amendment that called for an increase in funding for special education. Unfortunately, that proposal along with every amendment offered by Senate Democrats was defeated.

As a member of the Senate Education Committee, I fought legislation offered by my Republican colleagues. We were successful in killing these bills in committee.

I am opposed to special needs vouchers because it would put the education of special needs students at risk.   Students using special needs vouchers to go to private schools would lose all of their federal rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The private schools enrolling these students are not obligated to employ certified teachers, to provide an appropriate education or follow the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and they are not required to accept students with exceptional educational needs if significant changes to schools programs or facilities are required.

Finally, special needs vouchers would siphon critical funding from public schools and make it more difficult for public schools to provide a quality education to children with disabilities.  Providing a quality education to children, regardless of where they live or their special needs, is a cornerstone of our state constitution and is essential to the future of our children and our state.”

Many more statements can be found at http://www.stopspecialneedsvouchers.org/candidates/

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Voter ID in Wisconsin -- Bring it to the Ballot!

Get informed on Wisconsin's new Voter Photo ID law at the Bring it to the Ballot web site:

Toll-free information line: 1-866-VOTE-WIS


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Vouchers and Special Education in the News

Outgoing Rep. Kestell reflects on legislative career (September 28)
"Rep. Steve Kestell believes his best asset in the Legislature was stopping 'bad bills.'"  

Stop Special Needs Vouchers is grateful to Rep. Kestell for helping to stop the special needs vouchers earlier this year; in the article, he warns about the rush toward voucher expansion.

You can read about the candidates vying for Rep. Kestell's seat in Assembly District 27 at
http://www.stopspecialneedsvouchers.org/candidates/#assembly27

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From Wisconsin State Supt. Tony Evers' State of Education address on September 25:
"Special education aid has been frozen since 2008, and now covers just over a quarter of district special education costs."
"This November, I will again propose Fair Funding for Our Future — a comprehensive school funding reform package. I’ll propose increases in general aid and revenue limits and more support for special needs students, English learners, students in poverty, and rural schools. "
http://news.dpi.wi.gov/files/eis/pdf/dpinr2014_104.pdf

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Special needs vouchers have been highlighted in the recent campaign back-and-forth about political "plagiarizing." The September 23 piece from PRWatch linked below points out that when the Special Needs Scholarship Program Act was first proposed in Wisconsin (as 2011 AB110) it was incredibly similar to an ALEC model bill of the same name.
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/09/12606/wi-alec-plagiarists-criticize-burke-copying-jobs-plan

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In Illinois, State Sen. Kwame Raoul details why vouchers are not the answer: "The American public school turns away no one. Not the child with multiple disabilities. Not the child who comes from a troubled home and has made some mistakes. Not the millionaire’s child. Not the homeless child. Not the child who’s ahead of grade level and bored in class, nor the child who enters first grade unable to recognize a single letter."
Vouchers are not the answer (September 19)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-letter-vouchers-are-not-the-answer-20140919-story.html
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For complete current coverage of stories as they appear, "like" our Facebook page at 
https://www.facebook.com/StopSpecialNeedsVouchers

For an introduction to Stop Special Needs Vouchers, visit our new website at:
http://www.stopspecialneedsvouchers.org/about/

For a list of past SSNV press coverage, visit our In the News page at
http://www.stopspecialneedsvouchers.org/in-the-news/

 Stop Special Needs Vouchers is on Twitter:  @StopSNV

To subscribe to these mailings, or to unsubscribe, send e-mail to
stopspecialneedsvouchers@gmail.com




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