Washington State IDEA Council 

                   One Day Ends Before A New Day Begins...

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. ...   MLK Jr.

Picture
            Much is owed to the early advocates who brought students with unique needs out of church basements and homes and into the public schools and we are now ready to move into a new era of advocacy for these students.     We can no longer accept the status quo that tolerates serious system flaws that put students' futures in jeopardy by maintaining a system of low expectations and poor outcomes.  Students with unique needs deserve a system that maintains high expectations and quality educators in an inclusive and supportive school environment.   The IDEA Council supports transformation of the public education system that was put in place to serve students with unique education needs through the use of 504 and Individual Education Plans and seeks to create improvement according to the following principals:   
  • Students with unique needs seeking educational benefit in a transformed public education system, shall be defined by their strengths, not their labels or their funding source. 
  • Walls that separate students, teachers and parents from what is called general education, its curriculum and whole school activities will become non-existent.  
  • Administration will take responsibility for all students needs, regardless of funding stream, in a holistic manner so that all students benefit from system resources.
  Current barriers that are listed, but not limited, to those described in recommendations to the state legislature by the Office of the Education Ombudsman, Office of the Governor, provide confirmation that this transformation is needed and the time for a new era of advocacy is in order. Link: http://www.governor.wa.gov/oeo/work/2009_special_ed.pdf 

Be A Voice

Picture
You too, can be a voice to make this transformation a reality.  Just go to our Guest Book page and leave a comment for us.