I received this notice from two trusted allies.
From: Maggie Hart
Date: Fri, Mar 20, 2020 at 3:23 PM
Subject: Threat to ALL Special Education by COVID-19
Hi Everyone: I’m sorry to be bothering you with something work related but Senator Alexander has attached an amendment to the next proposed relief package that includes a full and complete waiver of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for the rest of the school year! The National Disability Rights Network has a really simple way to write to your congress people to tell them not to let the amendment pass.
Here is the link:
The amendment would mean that school districts across the country would not have to provide any more special education services- all year- and they would never have to make up the missed sessions. Not even consultations over the phone or computer for parents to talk to therapists. No special education schools, no speech therapy, no physical therapy, no occupational therapy. No therapy or education (no special schools!!!) for kids with significant disabilities like autism and Down Syndrome.
If you have time, please follow the link and email your reps. It takes about two minutes to do. If you’re inclined, please pass along the link to others who might fill it out too.
Thanks!
Maggie
Diane Ravitch's blog 
With the dump administration every move is to undermine steps toward equality and democracy … DISGUSTING. This is done to HURT the most vulnerable.
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The worse thing I have heard of besides the Republican virus! No sympathy for anyone since they knew in January!
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Do Republicans do anything except hurt people and children?
The package to help people from coronavirus is now stopped in Congress by Republicans who want to give billions to corporations and not include safeguards against buy back programs nor safeguards against corporations getting federal money and then firing their workers.
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people who join the GOP only think of money as a tool, never a gift
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We really can’t fulfill the requirements of IEPs right now.
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I think everyone needs to slow their roll here. No educator wants to see their students left struggling during this global pandemic, and yes the rules have changed! What is the primary objective here? Equity in learning or keeping ALL stakeholders safe from an unknown predator? The primary objective for all of us right now is to slow the spread of COVID-19 so we can resume appropriate teaching methods and engage students in the learning process. I am no fan of DeVoss or the GOP, yet I do believe that common sense needs to prevail in this unprecedented time for all of us. Safety first.
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I agree with LCT. It is better to briefly suspend requirements in this crisis than to somehow live under the illusion that we can do business as usual.
That said, we should assure that this is not just an end run around a law some have never liked.
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I agree that IEPs and many provisions of IDEA cannot be FULLY met but this complete abandonment of effort is terrible and worse because it is proposed by Lamar Alexander. I signed the email.
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It’s awful, but at the same time, what should we do? The district in which I work is telling the special education teachers that they have to allow kids with IEPs to come to the school to get help. This puts teachers and students at risk. Is there a way to help with that without destroying IDEA?
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T.O.W.: That is beyond ridiculous! Isn’t your city/state on lockdown? (I guess not, or the district wouldn’t, I’d assume, be able to make this request.)
Illinois is on lockdown: all schools are closed & all but essential services are operating. Even as such, as educators can/are able, students are being helped by a number of teachers & therapists via online, by telephone, Skyping, etc.
Don’t let “them” (adminimals, as per Sr. Swacker, but I call them the brain dead) bully you in what is a worldwide crisis.
I’m sorry, but forgive me if I think the intent behind this is to muck up IDEA…permanently.
Just what Betsy (& let’s not forget Arne & henchmen…no better) would like.
Also, thanks for posting this, Diane. I believe I’d sent you a bulletin from the Learning Disabilities Assn.of America with the same information &, also, one from a national parents group.
So there are large #s people against this.
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I am in a state with a “soft closure” of schools. We have to report for 5 hours every third day on a rotating basis.
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Wow, TOW Utah is telling press they’re “shut down” for 2 wks but then a bunch of word-salad which I see translates to exposing teachers & students every 3 days just as we’re poised for the tsunami spread. WTH?
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Thanks for posting this. Is there any way non-Americans can do anything to help?
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As I special education teacher in a state that has shuttered schools, there is no way I can meet my students’ IEPs. I work with students with significant disabilities who all have 1:1 aides. How do I provide that? We need some legal release. How do you provide tele speech services for a non-verbal student with Autism? Or adapted PE services for students with significant cognitive disabilities? Some students need direct in-person support and to ignore that reality when we can’t meet with students only adds stress knowing that we will be sued for not providing services in this time of crisis. I support this action to suspend IDEA requirements for a few months. It will provide needed flexibility in working to develop and provide online curriculum for students without having to worry about not exactly meeting the IEP.
The death toll in American is about to sky rocket and we need to treat this like the national crisis that it is. Would we be critizing schools for not providing services for a few months if there had been a natural disaster like a hurricane, earthquake or major fire?
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Just business as usual: leave the most vulnerable behind. Exactly, as in war.
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