Government Relations
UPDATE - The Never Ending Saga ENDS !! (download pdf)
Government Awareness Update
April 2009
Lori A. Harris
State Issues:
The 81st Texas Legislature was called into session this January. Some of the filed bills addressing special education issues are as follows:
HB 3630-Relating to the minimum salary schedule for public school employees.
HB- 1108-Relating to providing certain parents with written and audio taped translations of individualized education programs developed for public school students receiving special education services.
SB 648- Relating to the right of employee's who is a parent of a child enrolled in a special education program to take time off from work to meet with certain persons affecting the education of the child (HB 615)
HB 716-Relating to a school choice program for certain student's with disabilities.
HB 541-Relating to assessment of public school students receiving special education services.
SB 451-Relating to staff development requirements in public schools. (HB 511)
It is very important for our members to write their state senators and representatives to support our efforts. When writing to your senator or representative, briefly describe your role as a diagnostician, the importance of the role in the school setting and cite the bill numbers in your letter. To access your senators’s and Representatives’s address go to http://www.capitol.state.tx.us. To the right side of the screen is a box (Who Represents Me) that allows you to look up this information by your address and zip code.
Federal/National Issues:
NCLB is up for reauthorization. CEC has a position paper available on it’s website with recommendations for changes to this law.
Websites:
www.cec.sped.org, www.texasonline.com, www.govenor.state.tx.us, www.txeda.org, www.tea.state.tx.us, www.capitol.state.tx.us
How to be an effective advocate (download pdf)
78th Legislative Session:
TEDA Legislative Goal:
The Educational Code be amended to include educational diagnosticians in the list of school personnel required to hold an appropriate certification.
1. Stay on topic.
2. Provide information about Educational Diagnostician's’ role in public education
3. Identify and explain the local perspective
4. Meeting with Legislators or Staff is a 3-step process:
a. The Meeting
b. A Thank-you note to the Legislator/Staff member for the meeting
c. An email to TEDA Board (txeda.org) regarding the attendees and substance of the meeting.
To find out your representatives visit Texas Legislature Online
For additional information contact Georgene Moon, or Lori Harris, Governmental Relations Chairs
Federal Legislation:
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 www.nochildleftbehind.gov
Office of Special Education Programs www.ed.gov./offices/OSERS/OSEP
President's’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education
www.ed.gov/inits/commissionsboards/whspecialeducation
State Resources:
To help keep up with state special education changes, join the TEA special education listserv www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed
The Child Centered Legal Framework
is another resource on line to help you keep up with current legal information related to the CommissionerÂ’s Rules, state regulations and the District Effectiveness and Compliance (DEC) Reference Guide.
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/forms/
The Educational Code be amended to include educational diagnosticians in the list of school personnel required to hold an appropriate certification.
Things to Remember When Visiting with Legislators
