Reform Special Education Funding » Action Items

A Final Round of Special Ed Calls to the Senate

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:44:14 +0000

One more round of calls should help us win final passage in the Senate!

We need help because Senate Bill 1115 for special education funding and accountability reform is expected to receive two final votes in the Pennsylvania Senate during the week of March 26.

Due to incredible support, SB 1115 passed the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, March 6 in a unanimous vote. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen.

The next step for SB 1115 is a vote next week in the Senate Appropriations Committee, and then a vote on the Senate floor. The goal is to send this bill to the House by early April and then achieve final adoption along with the annual budget by June 30. The vote on March 6 was great progress, but obviously we have more work to do.

The Senators need to hear from their constituents in support of SB 1115, before the upcoming votes.

The home district office phone number and e-mail address for the state senators is here – http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/#address.

E-mail or call this week to your senator’s home district office and leave a message. The senators are in the district this week.

Special Ed Bill Update

admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:24:34 +0000

Due to strong advocate support, special education reforms to benefit children with disabilities passed the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, March 6. Thanks to all of the advocates who helped make this happen.

The comprehensive legislation for special education funding and accountability reforms passed the Committee in a unanimous vote. This is Senate Bill 1115, which is also now up to 30 cosponsors in the Senate.

The next step for SB 1115 is a vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee, perhaps in the next week or two, and then a vote on the Senate floor. The goal is to send this bill to the House by early April and then achieve final adoption along with the annual budget by June 30. Tuesday’s vote is great progress, but obviously there’s more work to do.

Go to the Action Alert and follow the instructions for contacting legislators about this important bill.

Action Alert: Special Education Votes in March

admin — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:06:18 +0000

Make a phone call today to improve special education for students with disabilities in Pennsylvania!

Call or e-mail your state senator before March 6 and ask for a vote in favor of Senate Bill 1115. Even in this tough year, we are close to making historic progress for children with disabilities.

SB 1115 is our reform legislation for special education funding and accountability. We have worked to enact these positive reforms for several years. We are now getting close to final passage.

You can find the Harrisburg office phone number and e-mail address for your state senator here – http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/#address. E-mail or call their Harrisburg office and leave a message.

Thank you for getting involved and making this happen for children with disabilities.

TALKING POINTS for calling the Harrisburg office of your local state senator:

• “Please vote for Senate Bill 1115, the special education reform bill, when it comes up for a vote in March.”

• “Senators Browne and Dinniman are the leads sponsors. The bill has 29 cosponsors and Senator Piccola, Chair of the Education Committee, is also supporting the bill.”

• “I am asking you to support reform of the state funding and accountability system for special education.”

• “This legislation was approved 173-25 by the full House of Representatives in 2010, and has now been re-introduced as SB 1115. The bill does not call for any new funding in 2012-13.”

• “The current funding system is broken, is unfair, and does not provide enough resources for special education in the right places. The broken system sets the number of students eligible for state funding for special education at 16% regardless of whether the school 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.”

• “The school districts you represent need support for special education, and must be held accountable for results.”

• “I have personal experience with how this broken system hurts children with disabilities and all students.” (Describe your experience.)

• “Thank you for supporting this important issue and voting for SB 1115 when it comes up in March.”

A Detailed Update

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:30:59 +0000

2010 ACTION: In 2010, House Bill 704 was passed by the House with bi-partisan support (173 to 25) and came close to getting a vote in the Senate. We just ran out of time.

2011 ACTION: The bills for reforming the state system of funding and accountability for special education were re-introduced in June 2011. A hearing was held in the Senate Education Committee in November 2011, with witnesses from the Arc of PA, the Education Law Center, and the Sto-Rox and Lancaster school districts.

Senator Patrick Browne (R-Allentown) and Representative Bernie O’Neill (R-Bucks County) are now the lead sponsors. Senator Dinniman (D-West Chester) and Representative Sturla (D-Lancaster) are also supporting the legislation.

Check out the bills and the list of cosponsors for Senate Bill 1115 and House Bill 704. Thanks to your phone calls, there are now 29 cosponsors on the Senate bill and 56 on the House bill. Click here for a detailed summary of the bills.

Note that SB 1115 will be the vehicle for adopting the special education reforms in 2012. We expect the House to vote on SB 1115, not HB 704. The two bills are identical, but only the Senate bill will get voted on.

MOST RECENT AMENDMENT TO SB 1115: Senators Piccola, Dinniman, and Browne have recently agreed to final changes to the bill. This clears the way for a vote in the Senate Education Committee. In general, the changes improve the bill by protecting the proposed formula for more effectively distributing special education funding from the state. In addition, two new provisions were added to provide more help for students with severe disabilities and to shift funding from state-level administration to go more directly to services for students with disabilities.

Special Education Reform Bills Introduced!

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:53:09 +0000

The special education reform bills have been introduced and are now on their way.

Please take a minute right away to click on the bill numbers below and see whether your Representative and Senator have signed on as cosponsors.
If you do not see their names, give a quick call to their Harrisburg office and ask them to immediately cosponsor this legislation.

If your representative and senator are already listed as cosponsors, call them to say a big “Thank you!”

The new bill numbers are House Bill 704 (yes, the same number as last year) and Senate Bill 1115.

Both bills are identical. Both are the same as the major reform legislation helping students with disabilities that we all worked so hard on last year. As you know, in 2010 House Bill 704 was passed by the House with bi-partisan support and came close to getting a vote in the Senate. We just ran out of time and had to start over in the 2011-12 session.

The newly re-introduced House and Senate bills fix the distribution and accountability of state funding for special education, aimed at improving opportunities to learn for children with disabilities.

You can find the Harrisburg phone number for your senator and representative here — http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/#address. Call their Harrisburg offices in the Capitol.

Talking points are enclosed below:

TALKING POINTS for calling the Harrisburg office of your own state senator and representative

· Please immediately add your name as a cosponsor for the special education reform bill, House Bill 704 or Senate Bill 1115. These bills have just been introduced.

· The lead sponsors are Representatives O’Neill and Sturla and Senators Browne and Dinniman.

· I am asking you to support reform of the state funding and accountability system for special education.

· This legislation was approved 173-25 by the full House of Representatives in 2010, and is now being re-introduced. The bill does not call for any new funding in 2011-12.

· 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 school 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.

· The school districts you represent need support for special education, and must be held accountable for results. The new bills address these issues.

· I have personal experience with how this broken system hurts children with disabilities and all students. (Describe your experience.)

· Thank you for supporting this important issue and signing on as a cosponsor of HB 704 and SB 1115.

· I will call back in a day or two to follow up.

The bill is back!

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:26:23 +0000

It’s been a while since we had news to report about special education reforms in the PA General Assembly. Well, now we have some really good news.
And we all need to get busy!
The major reform legislation helping students with disabilities that we all worked so hard on last year is being re-introduced in the PA Senate and House.

In 2010, House Bill 704 was passed by the House with bi-partisan support and came close to getting a vote in the Senate. We just ran out of time.

The bill fixes the distribution and accountability of state funding for special education, aimed at improving opportunities to learn for children with disabilities.

The same bill will now be re-introduced in both the Senate and the House, in the same form as it passed the House in 2010. Click here for a detailed summary.

Senator Patrick Browne (R-Allentown) and Representative Bernie O’Neill (R-Bucks County) have issued memos asking their colleagues to cosponsor the legislation.
Senator Dinniman (D-West Chester) and Representative Sturla (D-Lancaster) are also taking the lead.
Click to read the memo from Browne (May 4) and from O’Neill (May 11; will be posted ASAP).

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD AND CALL YOUR OWN SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE.
Ask them to cosponsor the special education bill from Senator Browne and Representative O’Neill.
Your senator and representative should call the offices for Browne and O’Neill and tell them to add their names as a cosponsor to the bill.
The special education bill does not have a number yet, so we want senators and representatives to sign on as “original co-sponsors”.

Action is needed this week and next week. Don’t delay. Talking points are enclosed below.

You can find the Harrisburg phone number for your senator and representative here.
Call their Harrisburg offices in the Capitol. And then call them back in a day or two to confirm that they signed on as a cosponsor.

Thank you for your help.

TALKING POINTS
Call the Harrisburg office of your own state senator and representative.

· “Please call Senator Pat Browne or Representative Bernie O’Neill to add your name as a cosponsor for a new special education reform bill that will soon be introduced.”

· “Senator Browne and Representative O’Neill both issued cosponsor memos in the last few days. The bill does not yet have a number.”

· “I am asking you to support reform of the state funding and accountability system for special education.”

· “This legislation was approved 173-25 by the full House of Representatives in 2010, and is now being re-introduced. The bill does not call for any new funding in 2011-12.”

· “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 school 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.”

· “The school districts you represent need support for special education, and must be held accountable for results.”

· “I have personal experience with how this broken system hurts children with disabilities and all students.” (Describe your experience.)

· “Thank you for supporting this important issue and signing on as an original cosponsor by calling the office of Senator Pat Browne or Representative Bernie O’Neill.”

· “I will call back in a day or two to follow up.”

Action Needed for Children with Disabilities

admin — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:36:18 +0000

WHAT
Contact state Senator Dominic Pileggi, Majority Leader, and ask him to allow a vote on House Bill 704 for special education funding and accountability reforms.

WHO
All students, parents, advocates, and concerned citizens from ALL parts of Pennsylvania. (Especially, but not only folks in Chester and Delaware Counties.)

WHEN
Right now. The official legislative session will end in a couple of weeks, so we could run out of time for this year if things are delayed.

HOW
Call Senator Pileggi’s Harrisburg office at (717) 787-4712 and leave a detailed message. Also, send him a polite and personal e-mail to dpileggi@pasen.gov.

WHY
On September 21 the Senate Education Committee held a hearing about HB 704. The Committee indicated that they 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. We have met with most senators and know that we can win these votes if Senator Pileggi allows them to happen during the next couple of weeks.

A Summary of HB 704 is linked in the right margin. Watch our video from the 21st and hear what supporters are saying.

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.

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.
I am asking you to support reform of the state funding and accountability system for special education.
HB 704 has 66 bipartisan cosponsors. It was approved 173-25 by the full House of Representatives in June.
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.
The school districts you represent need additional resources and support from the state, and must be held accountable for results.
I have personal experience with how this broken system hurts children with disabilities and all students. (Describe your experience.)
Thank you for supporting this important issue and voting for HB 704.

Sept. 21 Special Education Hearing Reminder

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:00:43 +0000

The Senate Education Committee will meet and discuss our legislation for special education funding and accountability reforms, HB 704, at –

10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 21 in Room 8, East Wing, Capitol Building in Harrisburg.

Representative Sturla (our lead sponsor) will testify and present the bill to the Committee for consideration.

The East Wing is directly behind the main Capitol building, down an escalator and to the right.

PLEASE ATTEND THIS HEARING. BRING OTHERS WITH YOU. This is our one big chance in the Senate before the end of the year.

Consider scheduling a meeting or two with state senators from your area, after the hearing on Tuesday. Staff for your senator(s) are likely to be available, even on short notice.

Save the Date: Sept. 21, PA Senate Hearing on 704

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:18:32 +0000

ATTENTION: Disability Advocates, Parents, and Concerned Citizens

The Senate Education Committee will hold a hearing at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 21, 2010 on House Bill 704. The hearing will take place in Room 8, East Wing, Capitol Building. We’re encouraging people to attend and show their support.

House Bill 704 is our legislation for special education funding and accountability reforms. The bill makes important improvements to benefit the education of children with disabilities.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved HB 704 in June by an overwhelming vote of 173 to 25. The bill is now in the Senate. At the hearing, Representative Sturla (our lead sponsor) will testify and present the bill to the Committee for consideration. It’s important we show our strength at this hearing.

For more information about attending the hearing contact the Education Law Center’s Baruch Kintisch or Sandy Zelno.

HB 704 passes House! Your action and support still needed

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:11:44 +0000

Our bill for special education funding and accountability reform (House Bill 704) passed the whole State House of Representatives on June 23, 2010 by a vote of 173 to 25.

Click here to see how your representative voted.

Together, we made this happen when everyone else said it couldn’t. Let’s keep working and see if we can get the bill passed into law with the state budget by mid-July.

Stay tuned for further action steps.

For now, please consider the following immediate actions:

(1) Call or e-mail your state representatives and thank them for voting for HB 704. They are currently in their Harrisburg offices. Find their contact information here.

(2) If you have not signed our online petition, this would be a good time to do so.

(3) Consider adding your comments about HB 704 on our online discussion page.

Your tireless efforts are most appreciated.