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June 7, 2006 |
Bridges4Kids
NewsDigest Topics
| • Disability News | |
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• No Child Left Behind (NCLB) |
• Special Education Issues |
| • Ask the Attorney/Advocate | |
| • Upcoming National Events | |
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Judge Hatchett Show Seeks Former Bully Turned Success Sony Pictures Television, producers of the show "Judge Hatchett", a show that showcases troubled kids and attempts to set them on the right path in life, is seeking to interview a former bully (who may have been through the juvenile justice system) who turned his or her life around. This person must be willing to help today's teen bullies that may be headed down the same dangerous path. For more information, please email us at info@bridges4kids.org.
What Can One Person Do? Start a Cool Website http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/06/nl.0524.htm#3 The Bridges4Kids website was recently singled out for its comprehensive coverage of child development, education issues, disabilities, gifted and at-risk issues, parenting and special education in the latest issue of the Special Ed Advocate, a widely read newsletter produced by Pete Wright and Pam Wright, creators of the nationally renowned websites, Wrightslaw.com and YellowPagesForKids.com and authors of several books on special education law and navigating the special education system. Read this issue online today!
College Students Taking On Substitute Teacher Jobs
Jason Kramer scrunched his six-foot frame into a tiny wooden chair, as
a group of playful 4-year-olds served him plastic roasted chicken,
plastic cupcakes and a plastic grilled cheese sandwich. Kramer, who
was playacting with students at Benjamin Banneker Elementary School in
St. Mary's County, is one of hundreds of college students who
moonlight as substitute teachers in Maryland. In St. Mary's County,
where Kramer, 20, lives and works, about 10 percent of the system's
substitute teachers are college students. School-Business Partnerships: Seven Strategies for Success http://www.danielsfund.org/sevenstrategies/Strategies/ The Daniels Fund has researched why some school-business partnerships are more effective than others. This report highlights seven strategies for success: (1) Ensure student learning and achievement are the focus of every partnership; (2) Develop a well-defined and well-managed program that supports school-based partnerships; (3) Make strategic matches between schools and businesses that advance a school’s improvement goals; (4) Set clear expectations for schools and businesses; (5) Provide training for school staff and business employees; (6) Create a meaningful process for communicating about the program and recognizing the contributions of business partners; and (7) Regularly monitor and evaluate each partnership and the overall program.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/30/education/30dropouts.html?ex=1306641600&en= de8fac040db392bb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss It is a kind of Alice-in-Wonderland idea. If you do not finish high school, head straight for college. Many colleges — public and private, two-year and four-year — will accept students who have not graduated from high school or earned equivalency degrees. And in an era of stubbornly elevated high school dropout rates, the chance to enter college through the back door is attracting growing interest among students without high school diplomas.
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No Child Left Behind (NCLB) |
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For more information on No Child Left Behind, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/ESEA.html
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Parenting/Parental Involvement |
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http://www.bridges4kids.org/IEP/ESY.html What is summer learning loss? The fall-off in reading and math skills during the summer months due to the lack of participation in academic enrichment activities.
Just For Kids: Ready, Set, Breakfast! http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/nutrition/food/breakfast.html Did you eat breakfast today? Find out why it's important in this article written just for kids - like you.
Top 10 Places to Find a Babysitter for a Child with Special Needs http://specialchildren.about.com/od/childcare/tp/babysitter.htm?nl=1 A night out. A weekend away. A special occasion with one of your other children. There are times when you really, really need a babysitter for your child with special needs. But it has to be a babysitter who can handle him. Who knows about her health problems or behavioral struggles. Who will show good judgment when your child can't. Who will keep your child safe against long odds. That's not a job for the teen next door. Who ya gonna call? Here are 10 places to start your search.
http://www.earlychildhoodmichigan.org/articles/6-06/MIRS5-31-06.htm Parents who leave their young children in the car would face a 93-day, $500 misdemeanor if authorities believe the child was at risk of being harmed by staying in the car under a pair of bills that cleared a House committee today.
Why Counting Works http://www.earlychildhoodmichigan.org/articles/6-06/Phelan5-06.htm Perhaps the most useful—as well as the most simple—aspect of the 1-2-3 Magic program is the use of a procedure known as counting to manage behavior such as arguing, yelling, fighting, whining and tantrums. The counting method has preserved the sanity of many parents and according to those same parents, it has also saved quite a few marriages as well. Why does counting work so well? Because the procedure minimizes (A) cognitive confusion and (B) emotional aggravation.
Bridges4Kids Featured Website: The Children's Grief Education Association http://www.childgrief.org/childgrief.htm The Children's Grief Education Association was founded in 2004 as a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of grieving children and families and to provide education and support to those who serve them.
For more information on Parenting, Siblings, Adoption and Foster Care, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Parenting.html
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From coast to coast, states are pushing to get more 4-year-olds into classrooms. But debate over a universal pre-kindergarten proposal on the ballot June 6 in California shows that widespread disagreement continues over whether the education of all 4-year-olds should be a public obligation.
MI Download the Key Player Packet for Spring 2006 (PDF) http://www.arcmi.org/Spring2006KeyPlayerPacket.pdf This issue includes: What’s Happening at FIE, Michigan Family-to-Family Health Information and Education Center, Parent to Parent SW Michigan, Early Hearing Detection Intervention Program, Parent Voice in Public Policy, Different Kinds of Libraries, Child Care/Potty Training, Child Care Expulsion Prevention Project (CCEP), Early On Timelines, Vision and Hearing Screenings, SICC Meeting Information, State Board Meetings, State Board of Education, and Resources and Information.
For more information on Early Childhood issues, visit www.EarlyChildhoodMichigan.org
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Education and Training Vouchers Up To $5,000 Available To Foster Care Youth For College http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-06/SBM5-31-06.html#top Michigan's Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program is available to provide up to $5000 to current and former foster youth in order to assist them with college expenses. Lutheran Social Services of Michigan (Jackson Office), administrator of the ETV Program since January 2006, is urging foster care workers, foster parents, community members and other interested persons to help youth in foster care apply for the vouchers.
Same-Sex Classrooms Debate Coming http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-06/News5-26-06.html#top
After languishing for years in the legislative hopper, a controversial
plan to permit single-gender schools is now up for a Senate hearing.
http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-06/News5-26-06.html#1 A new merit based pay system for teachers that's been implemented in the Denver Public School District is drawing national attention and interest from some associations in Michigan.
http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-06/News5-26-06.html#2 Bills requiring benefits for mental health services equal to that offered for physical health care in insurance plans that provide coverage for mental health problems won approval Wednesday by the Senate Health Policy Committee on a divided vote.
Fingerprinting and Curriculum Laws May Mean 'Durant V' http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-06/News5-22-06.html#top The 460 taxpayer groups and school districts heading up the Headlee Amendment case against the state known as Adair or "Durant IV" are looking into the possibility of going after the state again. This time, the plaintiffs are looking into suing the state over the recent law that requires background checks for all school employees and another that sets up a statewide curriculum. http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-06/News5-22-06.html#2 Among the bills the House Education Committee is taking up this week is legislation that would allow school districts to create sinking funds created from bonds or borrowed money that could be used for any reason. It's well established that the Michigan Chamber of Commerce does not like the idea of expanding school districts' spending options in the sinking fund arena.
Michigan: Announcement of Public Hearings & Period of Public Comment http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-6530_6598-144348--,00.html The following documents are being revised and presented for a period of public comment from June 1, 2006 through June 30, 2006: Addendum to the Individualized Education Program, Proposed Form and Manual; Transition Coordinator, Procedures for Approval; and Intermediate School District Plan Criteria for the Delivery of Special Education Programs and Services.
Two New State Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules Administrative Law Examiners for Special Education Cases Hired in Michigan http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-06/Plummer5-23-06.html#top
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Wanted: Life Experiences of Adults with Developmental Disabilities If you're an adult with a developmental disability, we ask that you share your life experiences for possible inclusion in an upcoming book by Disability is Natural founder Kathie Snow. Your story can help educate parents, teachers, and others about what's really important for today's children with disabilities. Download the Request for Stories at www.disabilityisnatural.com.
What's Wrong With Your Child? http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-06/Coulter5-24-06.html#top My wife, Julie, and I were in church before the service recently and a woman came up and told Julie how nice it was that she'd brought our son Drew to their Sunday School class last week. "You really can't tell that there's anything." She didn't finish the sentence, probably realizing how something like "anything wrong with him," would sound.
Growing Up and Staying Healthy! This new e-Newsletter, from the Healthy & Ready to Work National Center (HRTW), contains information on health and transition issues of those with special needs, along with employment, accessibility issues, adulthood, health care, and more.
Bright Solutions for Dyslexia Our mission is to educate parents, teachers, and other professionals on the latest NIH research on dyslexia -- in parent-friendly language. A website that helps parents to understand their child's strengths and weaknesses, and learn what they should do to help. Bright Solutions also publishes a FREE quarterly e-newsletter on dyslexia. Parents can sign up for the newsletter on their website or by calling 408-559-3652.
Autism & Asperger Syndrome Support Group: U.K. Different Worlds http://www.differentworlds.org.uk We are a group of parents, carers, friends and relatives with a common link. We all have personal experience of Asperger Syndrome or other Autistic Spectrum Disorders. We meet monthly and invite ‘Guest Speakers’ along to the meetings. We have had visits from Social Services, the Local Education Authority, Alternative Therapists re. dietary advice etc. We have write ups, photos, poetry, diagnosis criteria, and much more on our Site, and we actively encourage both adults and children to write for us.
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http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/art/henrico.rt.pwanalysis.htm On May 26, 2006, U. S. District Court Judge Robert Payne issued an extensive pro-child decision in Henrico County School Board v. R. T., a tuition reimbursement case on behalf of a child with autism. The judge found that the school system knowingly and repeatedly failed to provide an appropriate educational program for a young child with autism. In awarding reimbursement for a private school that employs intensive one-on-one ABA therapy to educate children with autism, the judge slammed the School Board for inertia: "The Court finds that the School Board’s conduct in this matter reflects the inertia to which Congress was referring when it wrote in the IDEA that 'the implementation of this chapter has been impeded by low expectations, and an insufficient focus on applying replicable research on proven methods of teaching and learning for children with disabilities.'" 20 U. S. C. § 1400(c)(4). Henrico County School Board v. R. T. Download the decision in Henrico County School Board v. R. T. (from Wrightslaw) at http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/06/henrico.va.rt.htm
VA School System Loses Autism Case http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/ RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137836373127 A federal judge yesterday found the Henrico County school system knowingly and repeatedly failed to provide a system of instruction suitable to a severely autistic child. In a 79-page opinion laced with criticism of the school system's compliance with education disabilities law at http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/06/henrico.va.rt.htm, U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne sets hearings to determine what Henrico schools should pay for failing to meet federal standards of care regarding this child.
http://inclusion-news.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/summer2006 Inclusion News is a free publication that goes to parents, family members, teachers, doctors and other professionals who support children with special needs. Inclusion news is supported through the kindness of its subscribers, grants and endowments from private donors.
For more information on Special Education, IEPs and Section 504, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Rules.html
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Ask the Attorney/Advocate |
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Bridges4Kids Exclusive: Ask the Attorney with John Brower Visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/AA.html for dozens of John's previously posted Q&As.
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These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week, along with events taking place this week. To view a complete calendar of National events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html
The 4th Annual Milestones
Organization Autism Conference "Promoting an Independent Learner"
Autism Academy Frontier
Extension
DESCRIPTION: This is a two day
session of intense training for staff working with individuals with
autism. The sessions will be taught by Janise Cline and Dustin Watkins
from Bittersweet Farms.
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These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week, along with events taking place this week. To view a complete calendar of Michigan events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html
The 4th
Annual Eric "RicStar" Music Therapy Camp
DESCRIPTION: Eric 'RicStar'
Winter Music Therapy Camp is a terrific summer music camp for
individuals of all ages with special needs and their siblings that
celebrates individual ability.
Family-to-Family Health
Information Center's Health Resource Support Parent Training
DESCRIPTION: This training
provides resources and information on health care and public health
insurance to persons who serve as “support parents” to fellow parents
of children with special needs.
MICHIGAN
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING WHERE: Meetings usually start at 9:00 a.m. and are usually held on the 4th floor of the Hannah Building in Lansing. Contact the State Board of Education Office (517) 373-3900, for meeting location and time. HOSTED BY: The Michigan State Board of Education DESCRIPTION: State Board of Education meetings are open to the public. Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for effective participation in the meeting should contact Mrs. Eileen F. Hamilton, State Board Executive, at (517) 373-3900 (voice) or (517) 373-4035 (TDD) one week in advance to request mobility, visual, hearing, or other assistance. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call Mrs. Eileen Hamilton (Administrative Secretary, State Board of Education) at: (517) 373-3900 (voice), (517) 373-4035 (TDD), or email: hamiltone@michigan.gov.
Self-Determined Family
Free Family Gathering For Parents of Children With Special Needs WHEN: July 11, 2006 WHERE: Hawk Island Park in Lansing, Michigan DESCRIPTION: This event includes a wide variety of activities for children, take-home information for families, as well as a fabulous lunch...all at no cost to families! FOR MORE INFORMATION: Download the informational flyer at http://www.bridges4kids.org/fswg/FamilyGatheringFlyer2006.pdf or the vendor application form at http://www.bridges4kids.org/fswg/VendorRegistrationForm2006.pdf today!
Accessing Healthcare Coverage for Mental Health Services for Your Child and Is your Teen Ready for Adult Life? WHEN/WHERE: Locations and Dates for 2006 trainings: Mt Pleasant July 18, Pontiac August 9, and Bad Axe August 16.
DESCRIPTION: The Association
for Children’s Mental Health will be providing 4 free regional
trainings as a part of the Real Choices Family to Family Health &
Education Center Project on both Accessing Healthcare Coverage for
Mental Health Services for Your Child and Is your Teen Ready for Adult
Life?
Braille Beats Fine Arts
Program Summer 2006 Designed for students with Visual Impairments FOR MORE INFORMATION: Download the flyer (PDF) at http://www.bridges4kids.org/BrailleBeats2006.pdf or contact Susan Gardner at 248-684-2796 or braillebeats@yahoo.com or Brunhilde Merk-Adam at 248-627-2260 or bkmabma@worldnet.att.net.
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Bridges4Kids NewsDigest Staff
Deborah Canja
Chief Executive Officer
Director of Information Technology & Information
Systems
Bella Djordjevski
Resource Assistant
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