Michigan- Parents fight Special Ed rule change

LANSING -- Hundreds of irate parents of special education students are expected to swarm the state Capitol on Tuesday to oppose a series of proposed changes in state rules they say will rob their children of quality programs and essential time in the classroom.
The "March for 249,000 Special Kids" rally, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Capitol steps, is intended to alert state policymakers to their plight.
"The state has done nothing in recent years but chip away, chip away, chip away at the foundation of learning," said Marcie Lipsitt of Franklin, a leader of the Michigan Alliance for Special Education and mother of an 18-year-old son with special needs.
"These proposed rule changes are being made to cut services, to bring them down to the federal minimum, all in the interest of saving money."
Parents are particularly opposed to scrapping a provision that gives students with severe cognitive or multiple impairments an extended school year -- 230 days instead of the standard 180 days. New federal rules say the additional 50 days must be open to any student who could benefit and not be limited to certain groups.
But parents fear that eliminating the automatic entry rule eventually will mean shorter school years for severely impaired kids.
"Children with severe autism, traumatic brain injuries and severe emotional impairments need more days to learn, their progress is so slow," Lipsitt said.
But state education officials say Michigan must comply with the federal mandates or risk losing $400 million in federal aid.
"This change wasn't intended to take anything away. Hopefully, it will open up the extended year to more students rather than fewer," said Kathleen Straus, president of the State Board of Education.

Read the rest of the article in The Detroit News.
Lets hope that the parents lobbying lawmakers and committe members are successful. If we as parents remain silent on issues that affect our children, their futures are limited.