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Congressman
Boehner's E-Bulletin: Updating Our Nation's Special Ed Law
from Congressman John
Boehner's Weekly E-Bulletin, December 27, 2002
For more articles visit
www.bridges4kids.org.
ON THE AGENDA: GREAT IDEAS
This week, we conclude our preview of the issues the House
Committee on Education and the Workforce plans to tackle
during the 108th Congress. Today I’d like to focus on a major
legislative reauthorization slated for 2003: updating our
nation’s special education law.
This year,
Congress is scheduled to review America’s special education
law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) -
the primary federal law to serve children with special needs.
As Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the
Workforce, I believe improving IDEA is a top priority as we
work to meet President Bush’s call to ensure no child is left
behind in our education system.
In preparation
for our work to reauthorize IDEA, my committee has unveiled a
new website asking for recommendations from teachers, parents,
school officials, students, and others on how to reform and
strengthen the special education law. A link to this website –
which we’ve dubbed “Great IDEAs” – can be found at the House
Education Committee’s website -
http://edworkforce.house.gov.
This site will
help our committee members collect input on ways to improve
educational results for students with special needs and to
address the growing shortage of high-quality special education
teachers.
In the 107th
Congress, the Education Committee held a series of ambitious
hearings on what steps need to be taken to ensure that
children with special needs are not left behind. And out of
those hearings came several themes that will guide our special
education review in the 108th Congress.
Among the
themes:
- Increasing accountability and improving education results
for students with disabilities;
- Reducing the paperwork burden;
- Improving early intervention strategies;
- Reducing overidentification/misidentification of nondisabled
children, including minority youth;
- Encouraging innovative approaches to parental involvement
and parental choice;
- Supporting general education and special education teachers;
- Rewarding innovation and improved education results;
- Restoring trust and reducing litigation;
- Ensuring school safety; and
- Reforming special education finance and funding.
As we prepare to reauthorize IDEA, we also understand that
making education reform work requires a partnership between
parents, teachers, principals, and elected leaders. That is
why the Great IDEAs website is such a valuable tool for me and
my committee colleagues.
I urge you to
join in building this partnership by using the Great IDEAs
website to reach out and provide your feedback on this very
important education issue. Once again, you can link to the
Great IDEAs website by visiting the Committee on Education and
the Workforce’s home page at
http://edworkforce.house.gov.
A HAPPY AND
HEALTHY NEW YEAR
As we prepare to celebrate the arrival of the year 2003, I
wish you, your
friends, and your family a safe, healthy, and happy New Year!
Soon after the New Year, the House and Senate will return to
Capitol Hill to convene the 108th Congress. I look forward to
keeping you updated on our agenda and key votes through the
Weekly E-Bulletin. As always, I want to hear from you if you
have input on what we are doing in Washington, DC.
In the meantime, enjoy the remainder of the holiday season!
Your
comments are appreciated. Contact John Boehner’s Hamilton
District Office at 8200 Beckett Park Drive, Suite 202,
Hamilton, OH 45011, 513-870-0300, or 1-800-582-1001.
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