Bridges4Kids News Digest

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National News	*top*
U.S. $94 Million in Reading Grants Available from U.S. Department of Education Press Release, U.S. Department of Education, April 1, 2004 http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/04/04012004a.html The U.S. Department of Education is inviting local education agencies and public, non-profit or private organizations serving preschool-age children to apply for approximately $94 million in grants to improve young children's preparation for reading. U.S. Disability rights education & defense fund (dREDF) Analysis of SB 1248 DREDF News Briefing #33, April 1, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/DREDF4-1-04.html#top Schedule for Senate Bill 1248: The bill could come to the Senate floor at any time; the latest dates under discussion are April 7 or April 8. If the bill passes the Senate, it will go to conference where it will have to be reconciled with the House bill, H 1350. Student Takes Different Path to University http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/FREEP3-30-04.html#top Social worker Janice Fialka warns that a child's high school graduation can be bittersweet, but especially so for the parents of developmentally disabled children. Fialka should know: Her son, 19-year-old Micah Fialka-Feldman, is a special education student. As his graduation drew near last year, it felt more like a dead end than an open road. bridges4kids Featured Resource: Do You Know Your Rights? National Council on Disability http://www.bridges4kids.org/Legal.html#NCD Learn about the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), The Rehabilitation Act, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), The Fair Housing Act (FHA), and how they relate to you, as a disabled individual. The History and Structure of English Orthography: Letters, Sounds, Spellings and Meanings Children of the Code http://www.childrenofthecode.org/interviews/venezky.htm The Children of the Code project is pleased to announce the availability of one of its most important interviews, our interview with Dr. Ricahrd Venezky. Dr. Venezky is considered by many, if not most, reading scientists and policy makers to be the authority on the English Code. The IDEA Classification Debate: Emotionally Disturbed (ED) and Otherwise Health Impaired (OHI) Donna Gilcher, Ruth Field & Martha Hellander, Newsletter of the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, March 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/CABF3-20-04.html#top What is the most appropriate classification for students with bipolar disorder under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)? Parents and schools face this question each time they meet to develop a student’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP). Although IDEA states that special education services are not categorically driven but must instead be driven by student need, parents often are told that appropriate accommodations for behavioral issues are not possible without an Emotionally Disturbed classification. This belief may arise from a misunderstanding of how IDEA defines these categories. School Consultants Score Wrath of St. Louis Los Angeles Times, March 17, 2004 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001880951_stlouis17.html Nine months ago, the school board hired a corporate turnaround company to run the troubled public-education system in St. Louis. The consultants will return to New York in June, their $4.7 million contract up. They will leave behind a school district in chaos and a city enraged. Applying business models developed to save casinos and clothing chains from bankruptcy, the outsiders slashed the district's expenses by 15 percent. They shut 16 schools, laid off more than 1,100 employees and hired private companies to handle food service, building maintenance and payroll accounting. They made the moves quickly, with minimal public input. Many parents felt betrayed. Accusations of racism filled the air as some protested that the cuts fell most heavily on black neighborhoods. The uproar is getting louder. WA Water From Schools With Old Pipes Being Tested For Lead Seattle Times, March 29, 2004 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2001890394_water29m.html Marcia Green knew her students would be excited to have clean water in the cooking lab at Rainier Beach High School. But when she turned on a faucet that had a new filter, nothing... IN When the Students Become the Teachers Washington Post, March 29, 2004 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34782-2004Mar29.html Indianapolis teacher Jerry Hammes has a secret weapon to help the students in his first-period class improve their grades: peer tutoring. [Free login/registration required to view this article.] Remember Me When I'm Gone: Jan Berry's Farewell Message JanAndDean-JanBerry.com http://jananddean-janberry.com/jan-larry-king.html When I was young I had all the advantages. My father worked for Howard Hughes, we lived in Bel Air. I went to the best schools, and got the best girls. My intelligence quotient was well above average; and yet I could be a rebellious, troublesome punk who brought more than a little anxiety to my parents. That sounds normal enough; but the truth is, nothing about my life has been ordinary. OH Boys' Book Club Cincinnati Enquirer, March 29, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/Enq3-29-04.html#top Ice cream, pizza, field trips and books that grab the reader's attention. These are the tools Delhi Middle School librarian Sandra Lingo is using to get sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade boys hooked on reading in the "All Guys Book Club." Job Opportunity: Louisiana PBS Project Coordinator http://www.bridges4kids.org/MichiganInfo.html#4 LSU announces a full time position of a Project Coordinator for Louisiana's Positive Behavioral Support Project. . Job Opportunity: The Arc Michigan Executive Director http://www.bridges4kids.org/MichiganInfo.html#4 The Arc Michigan in Lansing Michigan, the state’s largest disability advocacy organization, is seeking a dynamic individual with proven management skills and a deep commitment to citizens with developmental disabilities and their families.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)	*top*
CA Funds Could Leave No Bilingual Child Behind Los Angeles Times, March 29, 2004 http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bilingual29mar29,1,5529299.story?coll=la-headlines-california Once excluded from federal dollars, districts with limited-English learners are applying for money to improve literacy for students in grades K-3. U.S. Myths and Realities: What do we really mean by “No child left behind”? EducationNews.org http://www.educationnews.org/children-with-disabilities-under.htm The purpose of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is “… to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education… (emphasis added). U.S. Paige Finds Schools Act a Tough Sell Los Angeles Times, March 29, 2004 http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-na-paige29mar29,1,4326643.story?coll=la-news-learning Little more than two years after Congress gave Bush his first major domestic policy success by overwhelmingly passing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), teachers, parents and state officials across the country are balking at the law's requirements. What figured to be an unquestioned accomplishment for Bush now looks like it could be a liability. And U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige, who has traveled to 46 states since taking office, primarily to promote NCLB, is finding it harder than ever to make his case.
Parenting/Parental Involvement	*top*
bridges4kids Featured Parenting Websites: The Father's Network http://www.fathersnetwork.org/page.php "Good fathering flows from the realization that being a father is important, vital, demanding, rewarding, and risky." Link Up Parents http://www.linkup-parents.com/ Researches parenting and family oriented sites. Link Up's sole purpose is to make searching easier and less time consuming for you. Common Sense Parenting http://www.parenting.org Features a common sense skill of the week, family spotlight, parenting questions and answers, and more. Fact Sheet: All Terrain Vehicle Safety (PDF) http://www.bridges4kids.org/pdf/ATVSafety.pdf The season is here for outdoor recreation. This includes the use of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). Michigan is number four in the country for ATV sales and unfortunately is also number four in the nation for ATV related crashes and deaths having 600 crashes and 15 deaths in 2002 (2003 data not yet available.) ATV sales in Michigan are on the rise and have continued to increase by nearly 25% each year since 1999. Safety training for the youthful operators is mandated by law. Most are unaware of this requirement and also do not know where to get training. The Michigan ATV Association website is available at www.michiganatv.com or call 888.223.5247.
Early On/Early Intervention	*top*
AZ All-day Kindergarten Offers Best Return on Investment Arizona Central, April 1, 2004 http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/columns/articles/0401sr-haver01Z8.html Voters in the Paradise Valley Unified School District recently approved a budget override that will fund full-day kindergarten. Gov. Janet Napolitano has said she is making the availability of similar programs throughout the state "the centerpiece of my legislative agenda." Study: Preschool Children Better Prepared for Kindergarten Than Peers Without Preschool Associated Press, March 29, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/AP3-29-04.htm Children who attend preschool for two years are twice as likely as children with no preschool experience to have the language, literacy and math skills needed to be ready for kindergarten, a Connecticut study says. The legislature's Education Committee requested the study to determine how many children in the state's poorest school districts entered kindergarten with the necessary skills. U.S. All-day Kindergarten Proves a Winner Detroit News, March 29, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/DetNews3-29-04.htm When Maria Covarrubias talks about the benefits of full-day kindergarten, she speaks from experience. Three of her children attended half-day programs at Daniel Webster Elementary School in Pasadena, Calif. Now, her youngest, Matthew, is enrolled in a pilot full-day kindergarten class there. Canada Pre-school Crucial Time Toronto Star, March 29, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/3-04/TorontoStar3-29-04.htm By the time children get to Grade 1, it may be too late to help those who have already fallen behind, says a new study by a renowned child development expert. Canada The Early Years Study: Three Years Later Hon. Margaret Norrie McCain, J. Fraser Mustard, August 2002 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/3-04/Founders8-02.htm This report is dedicated to all the people we met with in Ontario during the preparation of the Early Years Study and subsequently after the release of that study. Most have been trying to find ways to implement the key recommendations that are relevant to their communities. The theme of this report is "From Early Child Development to Human Development: Enabling Communities".
Michigan News	*top*
Detroit Schools to Eliminate 3,200 Jobs Detroit Free Press, April 2, 2004 http://www.freep.com/news/education/skuls2_20040402.htm About 900 Detroit Public Schools teachers and 2,300 other employees will be laid off by July 1 in response to what officials said is a monumental financial crisis. Governor Signs Teacher Suspension Bill Gongwer News Service, April 1, 2004 Teachers with felony convictions could be removed from classrooms much more quickly under a bill signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm on Thursday. The bill (HB 5476, PA 51) streamlines procedures for dealing with situations involving felonious teachers, including a 15-day deadline for prosecutors to notify the state and local superintendent of convictions. The new law requires the state superintendent of public instruction to evaluate every teacher convicted of a felony on whether he or she should be suspended immediately or be subject of a hearing that can lead to suspension, revocation or continuance of a teaching certificate. Previously, districts had to seek a hearing with the State Board of Education to determine whether the instructor should lose tenure and be suspended. The Department of Education faces about 30-40 felonious teacher cases a year. Michigan School Aid Budget Gets Senate OK Gongwer News Service, March 31, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/News3-31-04.html#top Arguments over poor and wealthy school districts marked the passage of SB 1069 on Wednesday in the Senate. The bill, the largest of the state's budgets, went to the House on a 31-6 vote as a number of Democrats complained about cutbacks in at-risk funding. Cox Rules Schools Must Enroll Ex-charter School Students Gongwer News Service, March 31, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/News3-31-04.html#3 Traditional public school districts must enroll students within their boundaries who leave public school academies and may not treat them as nonresidents, Attorney General Michael Cox ruled Wednesday. He said the districts must accept the students regardless of when in the academic year they elect to transfer, importantly even after the official count day when state aid is calculated. ACLU Studying Effect of Teen Life Sentences Gongwer News Service, March 31, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/News3-31-04.html#4 With Michigan being one of 40 states that still allow life without parole for juvenile offenders and one of 13 with no age limit on such sentences, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan has undertaken a study of the effect of those sentences on communities. Oakland County Officials Want Direct Election of ISD Board Members The Oakland press, April 2, 2004 http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/04022004/loc_20040402056.shtml Oakland County commissioners say they support legislation calling for direct election of ISD board members. However, they want lawmakers to make it easier to put the question before voters. Redmond Takes the 5th Under Subcommittee Questioning Gongwer News Service, March 31, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/News3-31-04.html#2 Former Oakland Schools Superintendent James Redmond was willing to give his full name, but that was the only information he provided the House Education Intermediate School District Review Subcommittee at its hearing Wednesday other than a statement read by his attorney proclaiming his innocence. Watkins Told About ISD Mess In 2001, But Lack of Documentation Prevented Action MIRS, March 31, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/News3-31-04.html#5 A witness told a House investigative panel today that he told State Superintendent Tom Watkins of suspected irregularities and wrongdoing at the Oakland Intermediate School District (ISD) in Dec. 2001, about six months before the ISD scandals came to light. Ex-Oakland Schools Boss Faces Felony Theft Charges Detroit News, March 30, 2004 http://www.detnews.com/2004/schools/0403/30/a01-107392.htm Former superintendent stands accused of embezzling $7,000, misconduct in office. Fired former Oakland Intermediate School District Superintendent James Redmond faces felony embezzlement and misconduct charges that could land him up to 15 years in prison, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox said Monday. District's Top Job Draws 22 Hopefuls Detroit News, March 28, 2004 http://www.detnews.com/2004/oakland/0403/28/b05o-105254.htm A military commander, a company vice president and scores of serving superintendents are vying for the post of top boss at the Oakland Intermediate School District. Oakland Schools officials have released the names of 22 people being considered for the job as Oakland Schools Superintendent. ISD Board Members Subject To Recall, For Now http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/3-04/News3-29-04.html#3 Legislators are currently wrangling with legislation that would provide for the recall of ISD board members whether they are popularly elected or elected by the boards of the constituent districts, and that wrangling appears likely to continue even with an opinion from Mr. Cox (opinion No. 7153) that recalls of all levels of school board members are already covered under a single section of the current school code, which itself refers to sections of the election law. State Board of Education Launches Study to Improve School Infrastructure Michigan State Board of Education, March 30, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/3-04/MSBE3-30-04.html#top The Michigan State Board of Education is partnering with education financing experts to study and make recommendations on how the state can best meet critical funding needs to repair crumbling school buildings and invest in school infrastructure. Michigan Mental Health Commission Purpose Explained Elizabeth Bauer, March 30, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/3-04/Bauer3-04.html#top Public Comment Sought by Elizabeth Bauer, Member, Michigan Mental Health Advisory Commission, Member, Michigan State Board of Education Playtime in Dearborn for Children with Autism This is a great opportunity for Everyday Miracles families and for those families wishing to join Everyday Miracles. Everyday Miracles is a non-profit, parent led, community-based support network designed to strengthen, empower and inform families and communities about children with autism. There is no membership fee to join. These playgroups are held every Tuesday evening from 6:00pm-7:00pm and are free of charge. For more information you may contact Michele Coffey (734-675-8583 or javabean48183@yahoo.com) or Elaine Jones (734-283-1759 or elaine1038@yahoo.com). State Unveils Website to Help With Purchasing Gongwer News Service, March 29, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/3-04/News3-29-04.html#2 A website that state officials hope could help local governments save money by purchasing needed products through companies the state already has contracted was unveiled on Monday. Call for Nominations: da Vinci Awards for Accessibility If you are aware of a product or facility whose design innovations have exceeded legally mandated requirements, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, or an applied research project that promises to help people with disabilities, please pass this information on to the person, organization or corporation involved. The Engineering Society of Detroit and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter, have created the da Vinci Awards, a nationally recognized award to celebrate universal design and technology that benefit people with disabilities. The deadline for nominations for the da Vinci Award is May 28, 2004. For more information visit http://www.esd.org/davinci/ or contact ESD's Nancy Strodl at 248-355-2910 x152 or nstrodl@esd.org. MI Permit Granting Permission To Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations To Pollute Ground Water Released By DEQ For Public Comment Gongwer News Service, March 26, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/3-04/News3-29-04.html#top A proposed pollution discharge permit for concentrated animal feeding operations is now released for public review and comment, officials with the Department of Environmental Quality said Friday. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) Fact Sheets Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship (LPES) Project http://www.lpes.org/CAFO.html Helping livestock and poultry producers understand the CAFO regulations that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released in 2003 will be a challenge for service agencies, Cooperative Extension personnel, and commodity associations during the next few years. The objective of this website is to provide resources that can help answer questions about the federal CAFO regulations. Because of the variation among states in the implementation of these federal rules, your state's environmental agency, Cooperative Extension program, or livestock commodity association may be able to provide additional information specific to your own state.
Disability News	*top*
CA Assemblyman Seeks More Funds for Visually Impaired Students T.S. Mills-Faraudo, San Mateo County Times, March 20, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/3-04/SanMateoTimes3-20-04.html#top In front of a watchful audience of media, politicians and educators Friday, 9-year-old Taylor Rebhahn recited a fictional story she wrote about an elephant named Rose who needed someone to care for her. The fourth-grader didn't read her imaginative story from a piece of paper in front of her or a computer screen. Instead, her little fingers lightly touched Braille coming out of a computer as she read about Rose's sad fate of being picked up by zoo keepers. Advice for Parents of Young Autistic Children (PDF, 2004): Working Paper James B. Adams, Ph.D., Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D., Autism Research Institute, San Diego, California; Temple Grandin, Ph.D., Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado; and Bernard Rimland, Ph.D., Autism Research Institute, San Diego, California http://www.autismtoday.com/AdviceForParents.pdf This document contains information on how autism is diagnosed, what to do once your child receives this diagnosis, therapy options, resources, etc. Self-directed Support Corporations (SDSC) and Microboards (PDF; size=101k) What A Difference a SDSC Can Make: Joshua’s House Incorporated! by Jackie Golden http://www.bridges4kids.org/pdf/Golden-Microboards.pdf "Self-directed Support Corporations (SDSC’s) and Microboards share the same philosophy. Simply put they are a small legal provider for one person with a disability, but then again, they are much more than that. Both the SDSC and the Microboard put control and direction of supports back in the hands of the person with the disability needing the supports." bridges4kids Featured Resource: Video Series: Asperger's Syndrome http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/8-02/JDIreviews.html For those living or working with children diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, Coulter Video offers videos that relate in easy-to-understand terms and in a friendly format. They've just come out with some new videos that may be of interest to you. Asperger Syndrome: Transition to College and Work (VHS) - Narrated by Drew Coulter, a student with Asperger's Syndrome. This 57-minute VHS video describes how people with Asperger Syndrome can prepare for college and/or prepare to enter the workforce. Asperger Syndrome: Success in the Mainstream Classroom (VHS) - Because of the many similarities between Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-NOS and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, many of the strategies described in this program should also work well in teaching children who are diagnosed with HFA, PDD-NOS and NLD. Other Videos Available from Coulter Video are also available on this page. bridges4kids Featured Website: ADD Resources http://www.addresources.org "We are dedicated to supporting, educating and serving as a resource for people with ADD. ADD Resources maintains an educational website, a bookstore, and a lending library with over 450 titles of ADD books, audiotapes and videos. We publish a monthly eNews, the 8-page ADDult ADDvice quarterly newsletter, the 138-page Adult ADD Reader, and an outstanding collection of articles by national authorities as well as adults with ADD." How to request a Medicaid Fair Waiver Hearing Instructions (PDF; size=89k) http://www.bridges4kids.org/misc/FairHearingInstructions3-04.pdf Request Form (PDF; size=113k) http://www.bridges4kids.org/misc/FairHearingRequest3-04.pdf Medicaid Manual Chapter III (PDF; Michigan) http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CMHSP_04-01_87369_7.pdf This document has been updated to correct some errors and to add information regarding children's waiver. The updated version is now available. bridges4kids Featured Resource: The Garaventa Evacu-Trac http://www.garaventa.ca/et/index.html The Garaventa Evacu-Trac, an emergency evacuation chair, will help move a person with limited mobility quickly and safely down a stairway during an emergency.
IEP Issues	*top*
TN Sevier County Tennessee School System Section 504 Plans: Examples of Program Accommodations and Adjustments Sevier County Tennessee's Special Education Website http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/SevierAcc.html#top This document contains possible examples of 504 accommodations. This is intended to be a staff document. The following examples are not offered as check lists and should never be considered as all-inclusive or mandatory listings. Rather the following are examples intended to serve as “starters” for 504 teams designing accommodation plans that meet a student’s specific needs.
Upcoming National Events	*top*
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Upcoming Michigan Events	*top*
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Bridges4Kids Chief Executive Officer Deborah Canja deb@bridges4kids.org Bridges4Kids Director of Information Technology & Information Systems Jackie Igafo-Te'o jackie@bridges4kids.org	Bridges4Kids News Digest Editor Kim Murphy editor@bridges4kids.org Bridges4Kids Resource Assistant Bella Djordjevski news@bridges4kids.org

Canada The Early Years Study: Three Years Later