ALERT from Stop Special Needs Vouchers, 4 February 2015

[Stop Special Needs Vouchers]

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

Governor Walker's Budget Proposal:  No Special Needs Vouchers... YET.

Governor Walker released his budget proposal Tuesday evening, February 3. 

The good news is that there are NO special needs vouchers in the proposal as it now stands.

Our voices are clearly powerful!

Unfortunately, the budget also contains bad news for students with disabilities.

• All of the increases in aids for special education funding recommended by the Department of Public Instruction were REJECTED.  Since we have already had six years of flat-funding for special education in Wisconsin, this would bring the total to eight years.
• The recommended improvements to the open enrollment program for students with special needs (including eliminating "undue financial burden") were REJECTED.
• The enrollment caps for the statewide "regular" voucher program are to DISAPPEAR, allowing public education funding to drain into private schools that don't have to provide services to students with disabilities.

Finally, the budget process is far from over, and there is no guarantee against the special needs vouchers being inserted into the budget at a later date.

 

Our governor, our legislators, and the Joint Finance Committee will need to hear from us again and again during these coming months.  Please continue communicating your ongoing opposition to special needs vouchers -- no time like the present to let them know that we're watching! -- and stay tuned for coordinated calls to action around budget hearings and other opportunities to make our voices heard.

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Stop Special Needs Vouchers at Save Public Schools! A Community Strategy Session.

This Saturday Feb. 7, 9:00am to 12:30pm, there will be a community strategy session at Madison Area Technical College downtown Milwaukee campus.

From the event site on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1107898299237215/
"Do you have children, grandchildren, and family members in Milwaukee schools? Join us and be a part of a movement to ensure our kids receive the best possible education!

At this event, participants will learn more about the bills being proposed, and attend workshops on subjects such as: special needs vouchers, bilingual education, school safety, community schools, how to mobilize parents and students, and using social media in our fight. Some of the workshops will be conducted bilingually or in Spanish."

Joanne Juhnke and Elsa Diaz-Bautista will co-present a workshop on advocacy and opposition to special needs vouchers.

Register/RSVP at http://mtea.weac.org/2015/01/20/stop-takeover-milwaukees-public-schools/

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Disability Advocacy Day, Tue. Mar. 17 in Madison -- Registration is Now Open!

Hosted by the Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations (who share our concern and opposition to special needs vouchers).

Tuesday March 17, Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, WI

Check in starts at 9:00 am, with issue briefing (across a variety of disability-related issues) at 10:30 am -- followed by strategizing, lunch, and then legislative visits!  It would be great to have a substantial showing from SSNV activists to make sure our legislators hear our opposition to special needs vouchers, loud and clear...

This is a great way to visit your legislator's office with an appointment already set up, with an assigned facilitator to help you get to the appointment, and other attendees so it isn't just you!

Registration is free, but you must register and attend the briefing to participate.  

Registration link: http://www.survivalcoalitionwi.org/index.php/events/

Lunch is on your own, or you may purchase a lunch when you register. Lunch cost: $10.00. 

For those who have blue Survival T-shirts from last year, please wear them!  (Survival T-shirts will be available for those who don't have them).

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