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Education Options

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OUR CHILDREN NEED YOUR HELP ! 

There is strength in numbers.   Please fax or write and call your representatives and U.S. Senators now.  Use our sample letter or write your own.

We must let our legislators know that there are many voters in Maryland who want to preserve a continuum of alternative placement options as mandated in IDEA 1997. The continuum should include self-contained classrooms, pullout programs, non public placements, as well as inclusion.  

 

Our voices need to be heard.  We've been silent too long.

  Talking points in the letters to your legislative representative:

  • Personal stories about your child’s education.  Why alternative education options are important to your child’s future.  Personal stories from teachers, relatives and medical staff are also important for our legislators to read.

  • As you (the legislative representative) are considering any pending IDEA legislation, please maintain the full continuum of options.

  • The list of available options must include self-contained classrooms, pullout programs, non public placements, as well as inclusion.

  • The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) sited Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for its low rate of inclusion of children with special needs in the general education classrooms.  Your concern is the using of this report by a few organizations in the push for Full Inclusion for all students in the general education classrooms, regardless of disability or intensity of needs.

  • Recognition of budgetary considerations of full inclusion for every student is enormous.

  • We request that you support legislation that maintains options for children with disabilities, and that you do not support legislation that promotes full inclusion only.

  • You are a member of the CCEO.  CCEO believes that a full continuum of alternative educational placement options must remain available to students with special needs, according to IDEA 1997.

  • The CCEO has over 1,000 members from all across Maryland, representing the full gamut of disabilities.

Explanation of nonpublic funding formula.

The county pays the nonpublic school and submits a bill to the state.  The tuition is then shared by both and the state will reimburse the county for its portion. 

 

The county is obligated to pay 300% of its base per pupil pay towards tuition.  After this the state will reimburse the county 75% of the remaining tuition and the county will pay the remaining 25%. 

 

There are two parts of the formula, the first part 300%, will remain the same, (the basic per pupil cost can change.)  The second part will be 75% / 25% as proposed in the Governors 2004 Budget Reconciliation bill. 

 

Example, per student

 

$50,000.00                  cost of nonpublic

$15,000.00                  300% of basic per pupil cost ($5,000.00) paid by county

$35,000.00

$26,250.00                  75% paid by state portion

$  8,750.00                  remaining 25% paid by the county

 

The county will pay a total of $23,750.00

 

The officials we should be contacting now:  Send your letters and call!

 

click here to display sample letter >   Display Sample Letter

 

For information on Maryland General Assembly:

http://mlis.state.md.us/

 

President of Senate

Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.

H-107 State House

Annapolis, Md.  21401-1991

Phone- 301-858-3700

 

 

Speaker of House

Speaker Michael E. Busch

H-101 State House

Annapolis, Md.  21401-1991

Phone- 410-841-3800

 

Senate Committee:

 

Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee

Senator Joan Carter Conway, Chair

2 West Miller Senate Building

11 Bladen Street

Annapolis, Md.  21401-1991

Phone- Annapolis/Baltimore Area 410-841-3661

           Washington, D.C. Area      301-858-3661

 

House Committee/Subcommittees:

       

Education Subcommittee

Anne R. Kaiser, Chair 410-841-3036 or 301-858-3036

                       12 Bladen St.

                       Annapolis, Md 21401-1991

                       410-841-3469

 

                       

 

 

          Maryland's U.S. Representatives

Maryland's U.S. Senators

For members bio and address:   http://mlis.state.md.us/Other/Roster/Roster.htm

 

For committee members and address:  http://mlis.state.md.us/Other/Roster/Committee.pdf

 

To find your delegates (House) and State Senators (Senate):  http://mdelect.net/

 

Instructions for Sending a Letter to US Senator or US Congressman

 

For Senator Cardin or Senator Mikulski    send a separate letter to both

  FOR E-MAIL Submission:

  1. Go to www.senate.gov

  2. Click on ‘Choose a State’

  3. Go to Maryland

  4. Go to web form for – Senator Mikulski or Senator Sarbanes

  5. Fill out the form, and then cut and paste the letter in the comments section.

  6. Then submit the form.

For Faxing letters (recommended):

Senator Cardin - fax 202-224-1651    phone 202-224-4524

Senator Mikulski -  fax 202-224-8858    phone 202-224-4654

   

For Mailing the letter (takes about two weeks):

The Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin                               The Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski

United States Senate                                                     United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510                                                Washington, DC 20510

 

For Any Congressman:

  For E-Mail;

  1. www.house.gov/writerep

  2. Follow the published instruction – Choose state, put in zip code, and all is automatic after that. 

  3. Cut and paste letter into comments section.

  For Faxing:

  1. www.house.gov

  2. Find your representative by zip code or if you know them, by name

  3. On their web pages is the fax numbers,

  For Mailing:

  1. www.house.gov

  2. Find your representative by zip code or if you know them, by name

  3. Addresses are on the web pages.

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