SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING IN PA

There is a serious injustice being done in Pennsylvania and it affects our Special Education students.

The 2008 Education Reform Act addressed many important areas in our public school system.  One glaring neglect, however, was Special Education.  This vital area was left out of the reforms of 2008 and it is time to correct this oversight.  House Bill 704 seeks to do just that.  It would change the way school districts are funded for Special Education from a flat percentage to an actual need basis.

At the moment a total of 16 % of school students in PA have Special Needs.  Currently the State allocates to each district by using the total student enrollment in each district, calculating 16 % of that total, then providing funds to the district based on that figure.  However, since this is a state-wide average virtually no district in Pennsylvania has 16% of its students in Special Education. They have more - or less - but likely not 16%.  Still, that is how they are funded.  Thus a district that has, let's say, 20% of their students in Special Education finds themselves falling critically short of the needed funds to serve this population.  At the same time, a District with 12% of its census in Special Education receives more money than needed.  By the way, House Bill 704 also calls for greater accountability for the use of the funds received.  This ensures that the money is used for what it is intended.

The PA Senate Education Committee has decided that it will only vote for HB 704 if Senator Pileggi, as the Senate Majority Leader, first gives his approval for a vote both in Committee and on the Senate floor. Most senators are prepared to support this legislation if Senator Pileggi allows a vote to happen during the next couple of weeks.  If you are a citizen of Pennsylvania I would urge you to call Senator Pileggi and urge his support of this bill.  Because he is the Senate Majority Leader any citizen in the State has the right to do this.  Then, call your own State Senator and urge his support as well.  Follow those calls up by writing a brief note of appreciation.

Here are some suggested Talking Points which I have taken from the PA Council of Churches website.
Talking Points
These talking points will work for Senator Pileggi (contact him first even if you live outside Chester or Delaware Counties) or any other state senator.

1. Please support House Bill 704 in the Senate Education Committee and on the Senate floor.  HB 704 deserves your support and a vote before the end of the year.
2. I am asking you to support reform of the state funding and accountability system for special education.
3. HB 704 has 66 bipartisan cosponsors. It was approved 173-25 by the full House of Representatives in June.
4. The current funding system is broken, is unfair, and does not provide enough resources for special education in the right places. It sets the number of students eligible for state funding for special education at 16% regardless of whether the district has fewer or more students receiving special education. It also does not focus the funding on strategies that have a track record for improving student performance.
5. The school districts you represent need additional resources and support from the state, and must be held accountable for results.
6. I have personal experience with how this broken system hurts children with disabilities and all students. (Describe your experience.)
7. Thank you for supporting this important issue and voting for HB 704.

This is a matter of urgency as time is running out.  Please act today.  Our Special Education students need your help!

-gdgehr
September 30, 2010

APS: THE SCHOOL SECRET THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD

There is a well-kept secret in Pennsylvania that involves our educational system.  Its a secret that every parent of a special needs child should be made aware of.  Unfortunately, most public school officials want to keep it under wraps.

Understanding The Secret
The secret is called APS.  Even the acronym suggests something mysterious that only an insider can understand. APS stands for Approved Private Schools.  There are thirty-five institutions under the banner of APS and they are a gold mine for many parents and children.  Each of these schools are dedicated to serving specific clients with varying special needs.  They are scattered across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and are, in reality, an extension of the public school system.  Approved Private Schools are intended to offer educational programs, support services, and specialized training for our children whose diagnoses create natural barriers for learning opportunities within their local public schools.

I call this a "secret" because an amazing number of parents with special needs children have never heard of the APS.  Not that its their fault, mind you.  The Public School officials ought to bring up the subject during IEP meetings and parent-teacher conferences.  They ought to - - but typically do not.  Instead, our schools claim they can meet the needs of every child, including those with special needs and disabilities, either through learning support programs or Intermediate Unit classes.  But as a general rule the subject of an APS will not come up. 

What a shame!  These schools under the APS label are truly a blessing to the families they serve.  The faculty and staff members are highly trained in their specialized field to deal with the unique dynamics represented by these students.  Now, I am not suggesting that the public schools and IU staff are incompetent.  By no means.  I have certainly met some fine people who work in these places.  For some families, they provide the necessary educational environment for their child to succeed.  But let's be honest.  The umbrella of special needs is so broad that it defies description.  Autism alone involves a huge spectrum of diagnoses from those with unusually high IQ's but extremely impaired social skills, to IQ levels that are so low they qualify for mental retardation.  Some are very verbal and high functioning in many ways.  Others are non-verbal and live in their own world.  And that's just autism.  Each label has its own degrees of variance.

We are talking about a highly specialized approach to education.  In the public school there is, by its very nature, a need to be all things to all kids.  Bless their hearts, our public school teachers assume a tremendous responsibility and receive few words of appreciation.  They do what they can, and generally they do a commendable job.  But they are limited in what they can do because they must serve such a wide spectrum of students. 

Cafeteria vs. Specialty Restaurant

Think of this in terms of a cafeteria.  Most cafeterias serve a somewhat limited menu because it is more efficient to serve a choice of two different soups to hundreds of people than to attempt to offer eight or ten varieties that would satisfy the tastes of each customer.  Its simple economics.  The same is true in education.  Public schools offer a limited number of options and specialties due to their ever-scrutinized budgets and resources.  Let's say the Hometown School District has a total of 300 hundred students with special needs, including Asperger's Syndrome, PDD-NOS, Tourettes Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy, blindness and deafness.  Now remember these students are anywhere from Kindergarten to 12th grade.  So not only do the diagnoses demand specialized training,m but the age requirements also dictate unique approaches.  It simply is not financially feasible for the Hometown School District to have qualified faculty and support staff to address the huge range of needs represented by such a population.

Here is where the APS comes into play.  They deal with a small, very specific population of students.  They do not need to be a general cafeteria trying to serve generic meals to a large customer base.  Instead, they are comparable to a specialty restaurant.  One might be an Italian Deli known for their pizza.  Another may be a burger and fries drive through.  Another, a fine French Restaurant.  And on it goes - - you get the picture.  The Approved Private Schools are designed to offer the specialized approach needed to meet the needs of the child.  Each school is chartered to serve a particular targeted population.  Rather than trying to offer all things to all students, they are focused on one or two diagnoses and trained to deal just with them.  The result is SUCCESS, at a level unmatched by public schools and IU's. 

Why The Secrecy?

If this is such a successful approach, why don't all parents of special needs children know about it?  Honestly, there are several reasons.  One is pride.  Some school officials simply cannot admit that they are unable to meet the needs of their students.  Another is cost.  Since the APS are not supported by public tax dollars they must charge tuition for each student.  The tuition, according to State Law, must be paid by the home school district.  Not only so, but the home school district is also responsible fro transportation.  Yes, this translates into higher costs.  But we must ask the question:  How do you place a dollar figure on a child's education?  How much is his or her future worth?  If we can't invest in our children what kind of life do we have? 

Understand that the APS system was established by federal mandate during the Kennedy Administration of the early 1960's.  It requires that the needs of every child must be apropriately addressed.  Parents of special needs children may request that their child be enrolled in an APS designed to address the unique needs of the student.  With proper medical and behavioral documentation such requests must be met by the home school district.

A Personal Testimony

I became familiar with all of this in 2000 when my son was diagnosed with autism, nonverbal learning disability, sensativity integration disorder and a few other supporting disorders.  We were fortunate to be in the Pottstown School District at the time.  An angel (she could not have been anything else) working as a school psychologist informed us about the APS option.  She directed us to resources that provided us with more details.  Within two years our son was enrolled at the Vanguard School in Paoli.  He was entering 6th Grade at the time.  Immediately he began to turn his academic career around.

When we moved to the Ephrata School District in 2006 we met a new challenge.  They were unwilling to keep our young man in Vanguard, insisting that they could meet his needs themselves with the help of the IU.  We listened and we attending the proposed classroom.  What a tragedy!  The room has several code violations including no windows, no direct access to the hallway without going through another room, too little square feet per student. and more.  Only after we secured legal counsel from an attorney specializing in Special Education Law did we finally get their attention.  Jonathan (our son) was allowed to continue at Vanguard all the way through High School graduation.

Whatever It Takes

It's just not right!  It should not have to take the threat of legal action to make the public school do its job.  It is a travesty that we are willing to sweep our disabled citizens under the rug and out of the way so we look "normal" and appear to be competent.  But such experiences cause me to become all the more determined to fight for the rights of those who can not speak up for themselves.  I want to get the secret out in the open so everyone knows and understands what kind of services are available and guaranteed by law.  Whatever it takes, we must help each other to achieve the highest potential.

This article is a bit longer than I intended.  Sorry.  But it still only skims the surface.  Let's keep the conversation going and learn from each other for the sake of our special, precious children.

G. D. Gehr

Why Peace-Ability?

Changes can bring excitement, renewed hope, a broadened vision, and dreams for somethng better.  Changes can also bring uncertainty, doubt, unrest, anxiety and fear.  In short, there are all kinds of changes that affect us in differring ways.

This blog was created for a number of reasons, all of which are influenced by several changes.  I am a preacher/pastor.  Have been for 27 years.  But I am moving into a new area of ministry that will take me out of the pastoral model and with it, out of the pulpit.  Do you have any idea how hard it is for an old preacher not to preach?  Well, I have not stopped yet, as this change won't fully go into effect until the end of November.  But just the thought of not creating a weekly message to deliver has me wondering how I will be able to express and/or share my thoughts.  Enter the idea of a blog!

While the thought of a blog seems inviting, I do not cherish the idea of a free-for-all type of discussion.  That is to say I prefer to keep it a bit more focused on one or two themes.  The themes I have chosen to discuss are PEACEMAKING & SOCIAL JUSTICE issues and DISABILITIES AWARENESS.  Why these two?  Simple.  As an ordainded minister in the Church of the Brethren I embrace the Church's position that Christ calls each of us to be peacemakers.  Social justice goes hand in hand with peacemaking for peace can not be fully realized until there is justice and the needs of each person are met.

Likewise I have long been interested in the rights and the needs of the disabled.  I use the term "disabled" in the broadest sense to include mental and physical disabilities.  My interest in this stems from my family's personal involvement.  You see, I have a son who is now 20 years old.  He has a diagnosis of PDD-NOS (a form of autism) and mild mental retardation.  In caring for him over the years I have learned that there is too much to learn about these disorders.  That does not mean I stopped trying, however.  And the more I have learned the more I hear Jesus say "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40, NIV)."  Oh there are many other passages that come to mind, but I need to refrain from preaching so the transition in my professional life will be a bit easier!

But this is not called "PEACE-DISABILITY".  It is "PEACE-ABILITY".  The implication is two fold.  With regards to Peace I want to stress my conviction that this ideal is possible.  We are able to achieve it, with God's help and grace.  With regards to disabilities I prefer to address the positives rather than the negatives.  I wish to encourage the abilities of people instead of looking at what they can not do.  Thus it may be thought of as an ABILITIES ministry rather than a disabilities ministry.

Now you know the birthing process for the title of this blog: PEACE-ABILITY.  I think it has a nice ring to it.  S,o welcome to my little world of thoughts, dreams, visions, and - at times - perhaps some chastising, as needed, of course!  I invite you to join me.  Share your responses.  Initiate discussions with your own ideas.  Let's talk together that we might grow together.  Perhaps along the way we might help make this world a little nicer to live in.  Who could argue with that?

"Sacred Ground Revisted"

Please note: the following article first appeared in a somewhat shorter version in

the Ephrata Review newspaper as a "Minister's Message" by me.  It was inspired, in

part, by reflecting on the events of September 11, 2001.

            Two locations.  Two states.  Two debates.  One takes place in a sleepy little town nestled in the open fields and gently rolling hills of Pennsylvania.  The other is centered in the heart of the concrete jungle known as Manhattan, New York.  As different as night and day, both represent a similar question of "Sacred Ground".

            Though it once was the sight of the most famous battle of the American Civil War, modern-day Gettysburg remains a nostalgic symbol of a day gone by.  Yet a new battle is on the rise in this town, and it centers on a proposed casino within a half-mile of the Gettysburg National Military Park.  Life in Lower Manhattan appears to always be contentious, at least to an outsider unaccustomed to big-city life.  The newest point of contention these days involves a proposed Mosque on private land two blocks north of the location of the former World Trade Center towers, now known as Ground Zero.

            While many issues are raised by both sides in defense of their positions, the common denominator is the definition of "Sacred Ground" as applied to places of national interest.  The Miriam-Webster Thesaurus defines "sacred" as "1) not to be violated, criticized, or tampered with; 2)of, relating to, or being God; 3) of, relating to, or being used in the practice or worship services of a religion".  It is the first definition that is typically associated with the term "sacred ground".

            Casino opponents in Pennsylvania claim the proposed project there would cheapen the hallowed battlefield and the memory of the fallen soldiers.  Those who oppose the Mosque in New York use similar arguments in defense of those who died in the September 11, 2001 attack by linking the Religion of Islam with the terrorists responsible for that tragedy.

            This article is not intended to address the merits of either position.  However, after reading articles about both in the same newspaper on the same day recently I became intrigued with the whole concept of "Sacred Ground".  For no matter where you stand on these divisive issues the definition of sacred ground eventually comes into play.  In search of a clearer understanding from a Christian perspective I turned to my Bible.  There I discovered that the term "sacred ground" does not exist.  I did, however, find the term "holy ground" used on two occasions: once in the Old Testament and once in the New, where the former was quoted.  The reference is found in Exodus 3:5 when God spoke to Moses through the burning bush: “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”  

            Of course the ancient land of Canaan has long been considered sacred to the descendants of Abraham.  Through the centuries wars have been fought over it in nearly every generation, or so it seems.  There is nothing new in this.  Neither is there anything new in setting aside a small tract of land for a place of worship, thereby consecrating the tract as "sacred".  For the Israelites of the Old Testament there was Mount Sinai, Shiloh, and Mount Zion within the city of Jerusalem.  It was here on Mount Zion that the tabernacle tent was replaced with the Temple built by Solomon.

            Understandably such sights evoke passionate responses from people.  Yet I find myself asking: why?  Why do we place such a high priority on land?  Why are we willing to fight - even die - for the land we claim to be ours?  In reality it does not belong to us.  Our tax receipts, titles, deeds and supporting legal documents mean nothing in the cosmic scheme of things.  The Bible is unmistakably clear: "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. (Psalm 24:1)".  It is true that the Old Covenant included the promise of land to Abraham and his descendants, but as Christians we live under a New Covenant established by Jesus Christ.  Interestingly he was asked a similar question one day by a Samaritan woman while sitting at a well.  In John 4:1-26 the woman engages Jesus by asking where the proper place of worship is: Mount Gerizim, as held by the Samaritans, or Jerusalem, as practiced by the Jews.

Jesus' response is insightful:  "Jesus declared, 'Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem...a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

            Our Lord teaches that temporal things, including land, belong by nature to the physical realm, to the "powers of this dark world (Ephesians 6:12)" and are not to be considered in the Kingdom of God.  For God's realm is spiritual in nature.  It is a kingdom that is not of this world (John 18:36).  Rather, it is housed within the heart of the believer.

            For those who are in Christ, then, the term "Sacred Ground" is meant to apply to what the author of Hebrews calls "the city whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:10)", that is, heaven.  Thus informed by scripture we find that our priorities are fashioned by maintaining a proper perspective on life.  We are sojourners and strangers in this world (Hebrews 11:9).  Why then do we place such an emphasis on protecting our territory?  Moreover, why should we attempt to consecrate any portion of this life as "sacred"?  Whether battlegrounds or casinos, sanctuaries of worship or centers of destruction, it will all come under the judgment of the One who says "The old order of things has passed away...Behold, I make all things new!  (Revelation 21:4-5)".  Until that great day arrives and our Lord Jesus returns let us pray earnestly for the wisdom and the grace to know and to do His Will.

G. D. Gehr