A Perfect System?

Let’s Make a Better System - Visualize a System that WORKS

What if?

1. Service Coordination from Awareness to Death (Must be tested and certified!)
2. Educator’s Oath: I will treat your child as if he/she were my own. I will do no harm.
3. People first language and "disability awareness" classes & seminars given to educators, community leaders, business leaders, labor leaders, clubs and churches.

How it feels to be a person with a disability or parent of is a person with a disability.

1. Schools must notify parents of ANY disciplinary measure taken against their child including time outs or sitting in hallway, ect.
2. Ability Network: Organization, Web site, Literature designed specifically to guide an individual through the system.
3. Commission on Quality of Education for individuals with disabilities. Power to audit!
4. Hold Schools accountable: Fines and Penalties to non compliance with law.
5. More Free “Training” for any parent of a child with a disability.
6. Police given authority to investigate child abuse in schools.
7. All children “evaluated” so each child has his own IEP. No classification/Labels
8. No distinction between regular and special education.
9. No “Integrated” classrooms. No classrooms will be set aside as Integrated and students will be assigned based upon need not disability.
10. Director of Pupil Services - Elected position not responsible for budget.!!@!!!
11. Makeup of Educational Committee (formerly CSE) – Parents or individuals with disabilities and educators must be certified as “disability aware”.
12. “Private” meetings to discuss a child’s services would be illegal.
13. All educators must be certified as “disability aware” (See 3 Above)

16. New Classes to offer in schools: No labels just needs. Occupational, Music, Speech, Sensory, Social, Behavioral and Physical Education vs Therapy - NO Special Education. Also ”disability awareness” classes for ALL students.
17. Curriculum focused on Let’s get ready, here life comes” (life & work skills). Focus on what the child needs most vs French, Chemistry, Trigonometry ect. Include “real world” experiences such as real internships and real work programs. The best preparation for post school life.
18. No “age limit” on school’s responsibility! Focus on preparedness!
19. More classes for Partners. Advanced Partners Focusing on making laws!

I realize that there are no “easy” answers and there will never be a perfect system as long as there are people involved but we have to try! There will be good people with good intentions but with a different point of view. We need to educate them. There will be people who knowingly, because of funding, prejudice or malice, deprive someone of the services they need. We need to prosecute them!*

 If you have any ideas for more changes please let me know and I will post them.

* All input is welcome.