|
 Commentary:
ISD Leaders Using Scare Tactics to Prevent Legislative Changes
by Neil Munro, The Daily Oakland Press, February 22, 2004
For more articles like this
visit
https://www.bridges4kids.org.
We shouldn't be
surprised, but some of Michigan's 57 intermediate school
districts are trying to use emotional appeals to defend
themselves in legislative hearings.
They no doubt feel beleaguered in the wake of the disastrous
misbehavior of the Oakland County ISD. That has prompted our
lawmakers, led by Rep. Ruth Johnson of Holly, to inquire broadly
into what the districts are up to.
It turns out that this is not the only place that the behavior
of such districts has raised eyebrows, especially when it comes
to the handling of money.
That the elected and appointed officials of the districts are
nervous, no doubt, is an understatement. Their response,
however, has some very unsavory aspects.
For example, they've asked parents of children who receive
special education services or who have special needs to attend
the hearings. They're urged to tell "heartfelt stories" but not
to "overdo it with the numbers."
The districts are implying that such services are endangered by
the legislative hearings.
Johnson tells of having to assure the very upset mother of a
blind child that the services were not at risk.
But, as Johnson puts it, "the ISDs are continuing to use parents
... to protect their out-of-control system and lack of
accountability."
Parents who may be reading this should rest assured that the
Legislature's interest is in the governance of the districts,
not in special education as a state service. Such education is
not a target, is not involved and is not endangered.
For the most part, special education is provided by local
districts with funds that have done little more than pass
through the intermediate districts.
If those intermediate districts were to be abolished entirely,
all special education programs would go on. They are not
dependent on the intermediate system. For representatives of the
districts to imply otherwise is cruelly misleading.
Two state meetings have been held and two are scheduled. Parents
frightened into attending and testifying in person or in writing
have been and are being used.
There may be some employees of intermediate districts who
themselves are confused about what is at stake and why.
But there surely are plenty of others who know better and fully
understand that the dragging of parents of special education
youngsters into the ISD mess is a ploy, and a desperate one.
ISD leaders who were confident of the value of their
institutions can speak to the lawmakers and defend themselves
more than adequately without calling upon parents to make
emotional appeals.
To the extent that sort of thing has gone on and continues to,
our lawmakers will be more and more curious about why this
tactic has been hauled out and used against them.
The ISD leaders who have taken this misleading approach are only
casting doubt on a system of county districts that already has
caused the state more concern and embarrassment than their
existence can justify.
As Rep. Johnson puts it, the hearings are intended to help the
lawmakers improve the delivery of services to the children, not
to take them away.
The only people who need to be scared are the ISD operators who
managed to call embarrassing attention to themselves.
back to the top ~
back to Breaking News
~ back to
What's New
|
