We Must Hold Our Legislators, Administration, and Educators Accountable

I am writing to every legislator and senator in my district and that
is on any committee that has anything to do with education. I
believe that it is imperative that we all do this.

I have worked within the system. I have worked around the system. I
have tried to work from every angle that I can. Here is what I know:

The State of Missouri is so far behind in their thinking and they
are not going to change within some serious legislative action.

The feds insist that the states close a child complaint within 12
months. That is 12 months of your child's life that you can't get
back. Until January, Missouri only did that 32% of the time. That
is not only against federal regs, it should be criminal. Someone
should be facing time. That's what our children are doing. They
are losing time that can not be made up. It's gone.

What did Missouri say about this? They said that it wasn't really
their fault because the feds changed their regs and they didn't get
a chance to address the changes until January.

Now I would like to ask each of you the following question. If your
boss gave you 12 months to do your job and you only did it 32% of
the time would you still have a job? I know that I wouldn't.

In Missouri the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has
very little power and exercises it very infrequently. As long as
your school district eventually does a somewhat adequate job, they
are satisfied.

I go to my legislators and they tell me to address my school board.
I address my school board and they tell me that they are doing an
excellent job. I go to the Department of Education and they tell me
go my administrators. I go to my administrators and they tell me
that I need to go to my Special Education Director. I go to my
Special Education Director and he says that we have a difference of
opinoin. I go back to the Department of Education and they tell me
that the letter of the law is being followed. I go to the OCR and
they say that the IEP isn't being implemented, but it isn't
materially affecting my son's education. This circle is insane. At
what point is someone going to say, "The buck stops here. We know
that we are doing a lousy job and from this day forward we are going
to make a consitent effort to turn it around?" A girl can dream!!!


I am now going to keep writing to legislators and bugging them until
someone hears me. I will not stop until legislation is drawn up
that gives the children of Missouri the free and appropriate
education that they are supposed to be entitled to. Please join me.



Sherri