I don't know if people saw this op ed piece.  Sounds good to me!  Now let's have Congress do something about it.

Also, I have been thinking that  it would be good to take a bit of time at our first meeting and give our new members a bit of an orientation to our issues and how the board works.  We should talk about governance; the assessment issue and what is happening; budgets, bills and how the business office works for us; and what new members as well as old members might like to work on.

What do you think of that idea?  Is the first meeting the 13th?

See you soon.
Karen B. Horn
Director, Legislative and Membership Services

-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 8:34 AM
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Subject: Re: Special Education OpEd

Op Ed as promised...Jolinda
    
    
     Fully Fund Special Education
     By Senator Jim Jeffords
    
    
     I have always subscribed to former House Speaker Tip O'Neil's
     philosophy that, "all politics is local," and I believe that the best
     barometer of burning political issues in America is found not in
     Gallup polls but in conversations with constituents and with local
     lawmakers.  On February 20th, I made my annual pilgrimage to the
     Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier.  I value this yearly visit as an
     opportunity to hear what Vermont legislators need from their U.S.
     Senator, and to share with State Representatives and Senators my ideas
     about what we hope to accomplish in Washington, D.C. for Vermont. 
    
     This year was no different.  As I walked the halls of the Statehouse,
     I exchanged ideas and listened to the concerns of my fellow
     Vermonters.  The one message conveyed to me throughout the day, from
     Republicans and Democrats alike, was not about tax cuts or
     Presidential pardons or defense spending.  Vermonters, regardless of
     party, are concerned about special education funding.
    
     In 1975, Congress passed Public Law 94-142, now known as the
     Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which rightly guaranteed
     all children with disabilities a "free and appropriate public
     education."
    
     But we all know that education itself is not free so the federal
     government promised it would contribute 40 percent of the costs of
     special education. As a freshman Congressman, I was proud to help
     write that legislation along with then Vermont Senator Bob Stafford.
    
     Now, over 25 years later, the federal government's promise to fund its
     share of the cost of special education services has unfortunately gone
     unfulfilled.  The majority of the funding for special education for
     8,000 Vermont students and 6.1 million students across the country,
     currently comes from local school budgets.  The federal government's
     contribution is just under 15 percent of these costs, leaving the
     balance of the federal obligation to state and local governments.
    
     We committed to 40 percent in 1975.  After 25 years, we have
     appropriated just under 15 percent.  As I have said many times, it's
     time to deliver on the missing 25 percent.
    
     We have made progress since I became Chairman of the Senate Health and
     Education Committee, with federal funding for special education
     increasing by 174 percent.  Vermont's federal allotment has increased
     from $4.5 million in 1996 to $13.2 million in 2001.  Yet, we are still
     far short of our goal.  The current total for special education funding
     is at $7.1 billion.  To fully fund our obligation, we need to commit
     about $16 billion annually. 
     With countless other federal programs and departments competing for a
     greater piece of the federal pie, this is no easy task.  It's
     difficult explaining the complexities of special education funding in
     a thirty-second sound bit.  But it's the right thing to do and there
     is no higher claim than special education funding.
    
     This year, I intend to introduce legislation that will boost federal
     special education funding by $2.5 billion each year until 2007, at
     which time we will have reached our 40 percent commitment.  Last year,
     I sponsored a similar amendment, which was defeated by only three
     votes.  With the support of my colleagues and organizations like the
     National School Boards Association, the National Governor's
     Association, and the Council for Exceptional Children, I am hopeful
     that this year we will finally succeed.   We must succeed, for the
     sake of students, parents, teachers, taxpayers and communities across
     the nation. 
    
     I recently read an article regarding the Rumney Memorial School in
     Middlesex.  On Town Meeting Day, Middlesex voters will decide on a
     budget that is 7.5 percent higher than last year's budget.  Principal
     Dan Ryan stated that special education accounted for more than
     one-third of the overall budget increase.  This story could be told at
     schools throughout the state.  Principal Ryan, and a majority of
     Vermont educators, are committed to educating students with special
     needs.  But they're frustrated by the increasing costs and they need
     federal help.
    
     I've heard the cry for help, at my visit to the Statehouse, and in my
     travels throughout our great state, and I am sounding that cry in
     Washington, D.C.  It's time to relieve the financial burden weighing
     down local school districts.  It is time to keep our promise.  It's
     time to fully fund special education.