Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
R-3 settles civil rights complaint - Lebanon Daily Record : Local News: office for civil rights, lebanon r-3 school district, special education, advocates for lebanon r-3 special education,
R-3 settles civil rights complaint - Lebanon Daily Record : Local News: office for civil rights, lebanon r-3 school district, special education, advocates for lebanon r-3 special education,
DESE found that the Lebanon trailers were perfectly normal school buildings. OCR did not.
In a resolution with the Office for Civil Rights, the Lebanon R-3 School District has agreed to move the two special education classrooms currently being held in mobile homes at the Lebanon Junior High School to its elementary schools.
An investigation that began last spring has finally culminated with the Lebanon R-3 School District agreeing to the OCR’s terms and signing a resolution agreement on Tuesday. The district has until March 1, 2013, to submit a plan about how the district will relocate the classrooms. The move must take place by the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education visited the district September 28, 2012 and found the operations in Lebanon were typical of programs for students with disabilities.
They went on to add that it was clear students with disabilities were integrated with students in general education in a variety of settings.
DESE found that the Lebanon trailers were perfectly normal school buildings. OCR did not.
In a resolution with the Office for Civil Rights, the Lebanon R-3 School District has agreed to move the two special education classrooms currently being held in mobile homes at the Lebanon Junior High School to its elementary schools.
An investigation that began last spring has finally culminated with the Lebanon R-3 School District agreeing to the OCR’s terms and signing a resolution agreement on Tuesday. The district has until March 1, 2013, to submit a plan about how the district will relocate the classrooms. The move must take place by the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education visited the district September 28, 2012 and found the operations in Lebanon were typical of programs for students with disabilities.
They went on to add that it was clear students with disabilities were integrated with students in general education in a variety of settings.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Read About His Contributions Ideas
This Web site coming soon
The web site for Orphans and Children.
Jeff Grisamore Launches
ALLIANCE FOR ORPHANS AND WIDOWS
The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Children of Promise International has commissioned our president, Jeff Grisamore, to launch a new initiative, hereby known as, the Alliance for Orphans and Widows. As President of Children of Promise since 2000,
Jeff's legacy has been a consistent passion for the care of orphans and widows, a quality that will serve him well in this new endeavor. Jeff will assume his new duties as founder and president of Alliance for Orphans and Widows in April 2006.
The web site for Orphans and Children.
Jeff Grisamore Launches
ALLIANCE FOR ORPHANS AND WIDOWS
The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Children of Promise International has commissioned our president, Jeff Grisamore, to launch a new initiative, hereby known as, the Alliance for Orphans and Widows. As President of Children of Promise since 2000,
Jeff's legacy has been a consistent passion for the care of orphans and widows, a quality that will serve him well in this new endeavor. Jeff will assume his new duties as founder and president of Alliance for Orphans and Widows in April 2006.
Alliance Charities, the donor advised fund I direct at Servant Christian Community Foundation (SCCF) Contributions are tax-deductible and you will receive tax receipt from SCCF.
Alliance Charitiesc/o Servant Christian Community Foundation
706 N. Lindenwood Drive
Olathe, KS 66062
You can also make secured credit card contributions online at www.alliancefororphans.org
If you have questions, please call Jeff Grisamore at 816.225.5695 or email him atjeff@alliancefororphans.org
Why choose a Giving Fund?
Your SCCF Giving Fund can serve your church or ministry in a wide variety of ways – as a capital fund, endowment, community outreach, or other purpose. Its many benefits include:
Flexibility – Accept all kinds of non-cash gifts – from real estate to business interests to restricted securities – and reduce your legal liability in the process.
Simplicity – Manage all aspects of your Fund online and leave all of the administrative tasks to SCCF (such as liquidation of assets).
Opportunity – Create new opportunities to influence your supporters on planning their giving – and how to get the greatest joy and impact out of their giving.
Privacy – Your Fund is confidential and not subject to public record searches.
Legacy – Deepen the relationship that your supporters have with your church or ministry, and strengthen your church or ministry by implementing a system of financial support for years to come.
Creating A Culture of Generosity
That's the vision behind Servant Christian Community Foundation (SCCF).SCCF helps people give creatively and efficiently. We provide tools, resources and expertise that enable givers to give more generously and to use the most tax-efficient methods for giving.
Our donor advised funds are tailored to accommodate your giving needs. SCCF serves families/individuals, churches, ministries, and professional advisors.
Why a Christian Community Foundation
There are at least ten major reasons why you should seriously consider establishing a Foundation Fund with the Servant Christian Community Foundation. Of course, responsible stewardship and the satisfaction of contributing resources to be used for Christian causes are the most important reasons of all.
1. A Private Foundation Alternative. A Foundation Fund with SCCF is very much like having your own private foundation without the drawbacks. Your Fund can even be personalized, i.e., 'The John Smith Foundation Fund.' By channeling your gifts through SCCF rather than establishing your own private foundation, you avoid costly legal fees, restrictions on contributions, excise taxes, and penalties often associated with private foundations.
2. Give Now, Distribute Later. One of the unique aspects of SCCF is that you can make your charitable contribution, take a current year tax deduction, but elect not to distribute some or all of those funds until a later year. You have up to 10 years before distributions must begin from the SCCF fund you have established.
3. Giving Appreciated Property. You may give non-cash charitable contributions including real property, limited partnerships, stocks, notes, etc. You get your full tax deduction, even if SCCF holds the asset for a period of time before it is converted to cash. To make gifting more simple, SCCF can receive gifts of marketable securities directly into a SCCF brokerage account.
4. Higher Deductions than Private Foundations. Making a donation to SCCF allows you to take a deduction of up to 50% of your adjusted gross income as opposed to 30% if you had your own foundation. Certain gifts to private foundations are limited to cost basis deductions where as the full-appreciated value may be deducted when donated through SCCF.
5. Simplified Giving. SCCF can simplify your giving and save you time by administering the distribution of gifts for you. For instance, should a donor wish to make a large donation of property or stock and wish to divide the proceeds among many different worthy causes, SCCF can sell the property and distribute the proceeds in accordance with your recommendations.
6. Future Giving. SCCF can be named the beneficiary of your Charitable Remainder or Charitable Lead Trusts, and SCCF can be owner and beneficiary of an insurance policy on your life. At your death the proceeds can be used to set up a Foundation Fund for distribution as designated by your children or appointees. The contribution you make to SCCF to pay insurance premiums may be tax deductible.
7. Anonymity. You have the option of making your gift(s) anonymous. The source of a gift to a particular recipient need not be revealed if desired by the donor.
8. Wills/Life Insurance. SCCF can be named in your Will to receive a portion of your estate. In such a case, either your will, or the contract with SCCF signed during your lifetime, can designate the charities to receive the distributions from your Foundation Fund. You can also designate the person, or persons, who will make the distribution decisions regarding your Foundation Fund after your death.
9. Gifts to Needy Individuals. SCCF can assist you in your ministry of benevolence through our affiliate, Helping Hands Ministries, allowing you to make tax-deductible payments to needy individuals who are not related to you
About Servant Christian Community Foundation SCCF is one of a nationwide network of Local Christian Foundations that are affiliated with The National Christian Foundation (NCF). Since 1982, this network has granted more than $1.6 billion to over 15,000 churches and ministries worldwide.SCCF offers expert counsel and innovative, flexible giving solutions to help:
Individuals and families make a greater impact with their charitable giving, give practically any asset entrusted to them, and balance their giving with income needs
Churches and ministries offer their supporters creative ways of giving, which can lead to significant new funding for their organization Professional advisors (financial planners, CPAs, attorneys, and others) present charitable giving expertise to their clients, which turns their practice into a ministry and builds stronger relationships
The National Christian Foundation, with whom SCCF is affiliated, is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).Resource Network.
You will have access to Christian advisors and fellow donors who can help you think through your stewardship or estate questions:
How much should I leave my children?
Alliance Charitiesc/o Servant Christian Community Foundation
706 N. Lindenwood Drive
Olathe, KS 66062
You can also make secured credit card contributions online at www.alliancefororphans.org
If you have questions, please call Jeff Grisamore at 816.225.5695 or email him atjeff@alliancefororphans.org
Why choose a Giving Fund?
Your SCCF Giving Fund can serve your church or ministry in a wide variety of ways – as a capital fund, endowment, community outreach, or other purpose. Its many benefits include:
Flexibility – Accept all kinds of non-cash gifts – from real estate to business interests to restricted securities – and reduce your legal liability in the process.
Simplicity – Manage all aspects of your Fund online and leave all of the administrative tasks to SCCF (such as liquidation of assets).
Opportunity – Create new opportunities to influence your supporters on planning their giving – and how to get the greatest joy and impact out of their giving.
Privacy – Your Fund is confidential and not subject to public record searches.
Legacy – Deepen the relationship that your supporters have with your church or ministry, and strengthen your church or ministry by implementing a system of financial support for years to come.
Creating A Culture of Generosity
That's the vision behind Servant Christian Community Foundation (SCCF).SCCF helps people give creatively and efficiently. We provide tools, resources and expertise that enable givers to give more generously and to use the most tax-efficient methods for giving.
Our donor advised funds are tailored to accommodate your giving needs. SCCF serves families/individuals, churches, ministries, and professional advisors.
Why a Christian Community Foundation
There are at least ten major reasons why you should seriously consider establishing a Foundation Fund with the Servant Christian Community Foundation. Of course, responsible stewardship and the satisfaction of contributing resources to be used for Christian causes are the most important reasons of all.
1. A Private Foundation Alternative. A Foundation Fund with SCCF is very much like having your own private foundation without the drawbacks. Your Fund can even be personalized, i.e., 'The John Smith Foundation Fund.' By channeling your gifts through SCCF rather than establishing your own private foundation, you avoid costly legal fees, restrictions on contributions, excise taxes, and penalties often associated with private foundations.
2. Give Now, Distribute Later. One of the unique aspects of SCCF is that you can make your charitable contribution, take a current year tax deduction, but elect not to distribute some or all of those funds until a later year. You have up to 10 years before distributions must begin from the SCCF fund you have established.
3. Giving Appreciated Property. You may give non-cash charitable contributions including real property, limited partnerships, stocks, notes, etc. You get your full tax deduction, even if SCCF holds the asset for a period of time before it is converted to cash. To make gifting more simple, SCCF can receive gifts of marketable securities directly into a SCCF brokerage account.
4. Higher Deductions than Private Foundations. Making a donation to SCCF allows you to take a deduction of up to 50% of your adjusted gross income as opposed to 30% if you had your own foundation. Certain gifts to private foundations are limited to cost basis deductions where as the full-appreciated value may be deducted when donated through SCCF.
5. Simplified Giving. SCCF can simplify your giving and save you time by administering the distribution of gifts for you. For instance, should a donor wish to make a large donation of property or stock and wish to divide the proceeds among many different worthy causes, SCCF can sell the property and distribute the proceeds in accordance with your recommendations.
6. Future Giving. SCCF can be named the beneficiary of your Charitable Remainder or Charitable Lead Trusts, and SCCF can be owner and beneficiary of an insurance policy on your life. At your death the proceeds can be used to set up a Foundation Fund for distribution as designated by your children or appointees. The contribution you make to SCCF to pay insurance premiums may be tax deductible.
7. Anonymity. You have the option of making your gift(s) anonymous. The source of a gift to a particular recipient need not be revealed if desired by the donor.
8. Wills/Life Insurance. SCCF can be named in your Will to receive a portion of your estate. In such a case, either your will, or the contract with SCCF signed during your lifetime, can designate the charities to receive the distributions from your Foundation Fund. You can also designate the person, or persons, who will make the distribution decisions regarding your Foundation Fund after your death.
9. Gifts to Needy Individuals. SCCF can assist you in your ministry of benevolence through our affiliate, Helping Hands Ministries, allowing you to make tax-deductible payments to needy individuals who are not related to you
About Servant Christian Community Foundation SCCF is one of a nationwide network of Local Christian Foundations that are affiliated with The National Christian Foundation (NCF). Since 1982, this network has granted more than $1.6 billion to over 15,000 churches and ministries worldwide.SCCF offers expert counsel and innovative, flexible giving solutions to help:
Individuals and families make a greater impact with their charitable giving, give practically any asset entrusted to them, and balance their giving with income needs
Churches and ministries offer their supporters creative ways of giving, which can lead to significant new funding for their organization Professional advisors (financial planners, CPAs, attorneys, and others) present charitable giving expertise to their clients, which turns their practice into a ministry and builds stronger relationships
The National Christian Foundation, with whom SCCF is affiliated, is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).Resource Network.
You will have access to Christian advisors and fellow donors who can help you think through your stewardship or estate questions:
How much should I leave my children?
Children's Promise International
Alma is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. Major attractions include Concordia Parks & Recreation and Baltimore Bend Conservation Area. Among the biggest companies in Alma are Children of Promise International, Alma Schools and McGarry Machine & Welding Shop. The biggest schools here are Trinity Lutheran School and Santa Fe High School. One of the best places to visit when you are in Alma is Higginsville Lanes. Famous persons from Alma include Bob Mahony, a mayor of the city.
His Endorsements Explain Why He Won't Fight For Your Child's Safety and Education
What Has He Really Done?
Representative Grisamore has been quick to use individuals with autism as a stepping stone in his career. But, what has he really done? Gone all over the state promoting himself as the autism savior?
How many of the children in his district have been forced to drop out of school, attend private schools, been sent to Ozanam, etc. while he stood back and watched? Has he filed any bills that would hold DESE or the school districts accountable? I don't think so. He refuses to.
He is endorsed by NEA, the Superintendent's association, the principal's association, etc. How can you accept those endorsements and then write bills that would force those people to do what is right? You can't.
Insurance is not the only need. We need to make sure that these children get the education and services that will help them to be successful. It won't happen as long as our legislators are in bed with the very people that are denying them.
How many of the children in his district have been forced to drop out of school, attend private schools, been sent to Ozanam, etc. while he stood back and watched? Has he filed any bills that would hold DESE or the school districts accountable? I don't think so. He refuses to.
He is endorsed by NEA, the Superintendent's association, the principal's association, etc. How can you accept those endorsements and then write bills that would force those people to do what is right? You can't.
Insurance is not the only need. We need to make sure that these children get the education and services that will help them to be successful. It won't happen as long as our legislators are in bed with the very people that are denying them.
Missouri State Teachers Association
Impact committee announces primary endorsements
34 Jeff Grisamore House
Missouri NEA Recommendations
Jeff Grisamore District 34
There are more, but Grisamore doesn't have a working website. It is under construction. Just like the website for his charity. It has been under construction for six years.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Ranking sorted by size
Missouri State Districts - MO School District Rankings
Missouri School District Rankings
| Rank (of 503) | District |  # Students | # Ranked Elementary Schools | # Ranked Middle Schools | # Ranked High Schools | Rank score* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 487 | St. Louis City | 25084 | 42 | 9 | 0 | 0.088 |
| 314 | Springfield R-XII | 24730 | 36 | 9 | 0 | 0.425 |
| 21 | Rockwood R-VI | 22823 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0.910 |
| 46 | Francis Howell R-III | 19981 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0.830 |
| 143 | Ft. Zumwalt R-II | 18951 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0.645 |
| 276 | North Kansas City 74 | 18764 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 0.474 |
| 421 | Hazelwood | 18655 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 0.257 |
| 114 | Lee's Summit R-VII | 17803 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0.689 |
| 293 | Columbia 93 | 17550 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0.453 |
| 39 | Parkway C-2 | 17458 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0.836 |
Missouri State Districts - MO School District Rankings / Lee's Summit R-VII Rank
Missouri State Districts - MO School District Rankings / Lee's Summit R-VII Rank
Missouri School District Rankings
| Rank (of 503) | District | # Students | # Ranked Elementary Schools | # Ranked Middle Schools | # Ranked High Schools | Rank score* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | Wheaton R-III | 468 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.690 | ||
| 112 | City Garden Montessori | 102 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.690 | ||
| 113 | Adair County R-II | 238 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.689 | ||
| 114 | Lee's Summit R-VII | 17803 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0.689 | ||
| 115 | Forsyth R-III | 1213 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.688 | ||
| 116 | Clark County R-I | 1023 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.688 | ||
| 117 | University Academy | 1009 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.685 | ||
| 118 | Ripley County R-III | 136 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.681 | ||
| 119 | Salisbury R-IV | 450 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.681 | ||
| 120 | Marion C. Early R-V | 663 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.680 | ||
Lindbergh schools lead state in academic achievement : Sj
Lindbergh schools lead state in academic achievement : Sj
Regardless of the press and inaccurate information that it put out there, Lee's Summit is not top in the state. It is not even close.
Regardless of the press and inaccurate information that it put out there, Lee's Summit is not top in the state. It is not even close.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
I Will Try to Forgive, but I Will NEVER Forget
I will try to Forgive, but I will never
Forget
Children should never be afraid to go to school,
and parents should never have to worry that their children will be harmed by
the people taking care of them while they are at school.
Forgiveness
isn’t possible when negative emotions stick around and cloud my thoughts about
restraint and seclusion. I am trying to
forgive, but I will never forget.
Forgiveness
can’t be doled out quickly when constant reminders of an offense that happened
to my child while in the public school system surrounds me.
As
many times as I’ve thought about how to come to terms with the violence my son
was subjected to, finding forgiveness hasn’t been one of those things on my
list of things to do.
To
forgive and let all the pain of what my child and our family went through wash
away—the guilt, the pain, the anxiety, the despair seems so difficult to do.
Can
I really do that?
Can
I truly forget how my son’s downward spiral of regression, depression, anxiety
attacks began? He was so little, so innocent and just didn’t know how to cope
with everything around him.
Can
I honestly forgive the people who abused my child by restraining him over and
over and by putting him in seclusion because they didn’t try to understand him,
because they didn’t try to understand his disability?
Can
I totally forgive the people who turned me away when I asked them to get my son
some help?
Can
I totally look past their denial of what they did to my son and the retaliation
and pain we are still going through today?
Can
I forgive myself for overlooking the signs that my son was showing me that
“something was wrong”, but I wasn’t seeing because I thought he was in good
hands? If I can’t forgive myself then
how can I ever forgive you?
Can
I fully embrace the struggles we have gone through to find justice for the
violence my son was subjected to at the hands of others?
Sometimes
I wake up in the middle of the night and I ask myself why I didn’t listen to my
son when he told me, “No school Mommy, no like.” He used to love going to school. What happened to make him so fearful
of school?
Here’s
what I can accept. I can accept that all of that did happen to my child,
but I will not accept that it had to happen because I know for a fact it did
not have to happen.
Here’s
something else I haven’t been able to accept. Not because I turned it
down but because this too hasn’t happened yet—no one has yet to apologize to my
son for what they did to him. Instead
I have heard nothing but excuses of why he was treated with such violence and
that they felt they did what had to be done.
Do you even remember my son? I’m
sure you have moved on with your life and long forgotten my little boy.
What
I can’t accept is how these same people continue to destroy him by using
unprofessional evaluations that make him look bad so that they can justify what
they did to him as being the right thing to do.
Come
to think of it, I think my whole family could use an apology. Shouldn’t
someone have said sorry to me and my husband for the extra stress they have
caused us, the time lost with our son and the things we’ve been denied as our
child’s parents?
When
are those apologies coming? I’m not saying I’m holding out for those
before I can forgive and forget, but it sure would be nice for someone to admit
that they played a role in my son’s regression, depression, and anxiety attacks
that developed from all the restraint and seclusion abuse he went through at
the hands of people who were supposed to be helping him?
Forgive
and forget. As much as I’d love to, oh how I’d really love to be able to
say to several of my son’s
past school staff, “I forgive you,” but right now, today, this week with what
he went through and what we’ve gone through as a family, I’m just not ready to
say, “I forgive you.” In fact, it might be a long time before I am ready
to forgive and move on.
To
offer forgiveness, if I really, really had to do that today would be a bit
jaded. It would go something like this:
Dear
Teacher, Teachers Aide, Principal and Behavior Specialist (and whoever else had
a hand in destroying my child’s life),
I
know you are all just human, and you thought the violence you subjected my son
and other children to was the right thing to do. I understand that some
of you have more professional training under your belt and loads more formal
education than I do. I understand that
you have a hard job. I have a feeling
though that your lack of training of my son’s disability, your refusal to help
and understand him when I pleaded with you, your power struggle with my son
over his behaviors that were not in his control, and your pride muddled your
thoughts. How else did you let what happen to my son happen? How could you keep restraining him and
putting him into seclusion when it was obvious that it was making him
worse? And how did you not see that
these violent acts were starting to affect him mentally and were causing him to
regress in his academics and social skills?
You had to see he was in mental pain, and yet you continued to restrain
him and put him in seclusion. Why? Please tell me why so I can try and
understand, and if I can understand maybe I can find it in my heart to forgive
you and move on.
I
totally get that you’re super busy and that you have a lot of children with
behavior issues, but that does not make what you did to my son or other
children right. That does
not make what you are still doing to children with disabilities right. Don’t you understand that behaviors are a
form of communication for our children who are nonverbal or who can’t express
themselves? Don’t you understand even
now that restraint and seclusion doesn’t help children with disabilities and
that it can cause long lasting trauma and escalate behaviors. Clearly you
must have been overwhelmed and understaffed. What other excuse could you
give for watching my son go through such mental torment and regression?
I’ve
waited a long time to figure out if I need to forgive you, but I’m honestly at
a standstill even thinking about it. I really don’t know how to say this,
but I do think it’s time for me to say something. So, here goes.
I’m
sorry you didn’t open your eyes to see the red flags being waved right in front
of your face that my son was suffering mentally from your actions and was
regressing at a fast pace. I’m
sorry you were clueless and that your ignorance failed my child. I’m
sorry your educational knowledge of children with disabilities failed my
son. I’m sorry you never knew that behaviors are a form of
communication. I’m sorry
you refused to update his functional behavior plan. I’m sorry you were ignorant of
my requests to get him help. I’m sorry
you bullied me at several IEP meetings and made me cry. I’m sorry you
wasted my time telling me, ‘He did this and he did that but you never told me
what you were doing to him.’ I’m
sorry I waited until my son had a breakdown before I pulled him out of
school. I’m sorry you’re still doing the
same thing to other children as you did to my son and that you are still
bullying parents. I’m sorry you haven’t
learned a thing from your past violent actions.
No
parent should feel as alone, scared, worried, angry and as destroyed as I felt
the day I picked up my son from school as he cried hysterically begging me to
take him home. No parent should witness what happened to their child like
I did. No one should witness that and later be told, “We didn’t do
anything wrong.”
No
parent should walk through life not knowing what to do next or not knowing
where to turn for help. No parent should have to face the agonizing
decisions I’ve had to. No parent should have to fight as hard as scores
of parents now have to do to keep their children safe when they go to
school. No parent should be left high and dry with nowhere to turn for
help like so many other parents have. No parent should expect or demand
an apology from someone who promised to do no harm in the first place.
None.
One
more thing. When one
forgives his offender the last part of the apology usually includes not only a
renewal for the relationship to be whole again, but also a promise, a promise
to never commit the offense again. See, that’s a problem. Not on my
end but for your apology, when you make it….it won’t be a true apology if you
are still doing to children what you did to my son. You still don’t see
the big picture and that what you’re doing to children with disabilities is
physically and mentally harmful.
You
can’t help make this all go away until you take a step back. Take a step back and look at the children
with disabilities as children who need help with the behaviors that are not in
their control because right now you are only looking at them as unruly
children. They are not unruly; they are children with disabilities that
have a tough road ahead of them! When
you stop and realize how you played a role in damaging my son’s future, and
after you rectify what you are doing is wrong, then we can talk about
forgiveness.
It’s
with a heavy heart that I apologize that I cannot truly offer any forgiveness
to you. I pray to God that I can because it’s nearly impossible for me to
stop thinking about how my son and countless other children ended up where they
are today. Someday I hope to have the strength to completely move past
the pain and sadness you brought to my child and my family. One day I’ll
be able to find forgiveness. Until then I’ll be here waiting for you to
offer yours.
Anonymous
mom
09/2012
Please HELP me!
STOP Restraint and
Seclusion
Monday, October 15, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Politics Aside, There’s No Debating the Scary Facts of Romney’s Tax Policy - COLORLINES
Politics Aside, There’s No Debating the Scary Facts of Romney’s Tax Policy - COLORLINES
On healthcare, Romney pledged to “repeal and replace Obamacare.” The centerpiece of his rollback is the elimination of the individual mandate, which requires all Americans to buy subsidized insurance. Bafflingly, in the same breath, Romney promised to maintain Obamacare’s “pre-existing conditions” provision, which prevents insurance companies from denying coverage due to longterm ailments such as asthma, autism or HIV/AIDS.
The problem is that covering pre-existing conditions is expensive. In order to pay for the added costs of doing so, the insurance companies themselves insisted during the negotiations on Obamacare that the number of people participating in the healthcare system be expanded to help pay for it. That’s one of the key reasons for why we have the mandate: it helps underwrite the coverage of pre-existing conditions. Without the mandate, there is no viable way to ensure that people with pre-existing conditions can get coverage.
Romney himself once acknowledged this fact. That’s why he included both the pre-existing conditions provision and the individual mandate in his healthcare plan for Massachusetts.
When Obama pointed out that Romney’s Massachusetts health care plan was the model for Obamacare, Romney said, “I like the way we did it in Massachusetts.” But in a strange move of mental jujitsu, the former governor, went on to deride Obama for taking Romneycare nationwide through Obamacare. What was good for the people of his home state is apparently not good for the rest country.
Romney had a string of additional desultory answers and skewed facts on Medicare, Medicaid and education. On the Obama administration’s key education initiative, Race to the Top, Romney said that he “did agree” with the program. However he opposes the $4 billion included in the stimulus plan that established Race to the Top and got it going.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Update: DESE says Lebanon School District compliant when it comes to special needs students - ky3.com
Update: DESE says Lebanon School District compliant when it comes to special needs students - ky3.com
LEBANON, Mo -- In June, parents of special needs students in Lebanon held a meeting concerning the treatment of their children. It was led by the Advocates for Lebanon R-3 Special Education.
They claimed their special needs children were being housed in two trailers behind Lebanon Junior High School for long periods of time. They went on to add their students were not properly being integrated with other students in the school.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education visited the district September 28, 2012 and found the operations in Lebanon were typical of programs for students with disabilities.
They went on to add that it was clear students with disabilities were integrated with students in general education in a variety of settings.
LEBANON, Mo -- In June, parents of special needs students in Lebanon held a meeting concerning the treatment of their children. It was led by the Advocates for Lebanon R-3 Special Education.
They claimed their special needs children were being housed in two trailers behind Lebanon Junior High School for long periods of time. They went on to add their students were not properly being integrated with other students in the school.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education visited the district September 28, 2012 and found the operations in Lebanon were typical of programs for students with disabilities.
They went on to add that it was clear students with disabilities were integrated with students in general education in a variety of settings.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Report: Test security is inconsistent among states - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff
Report: Test security is inconsistent among states - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff
And, according to an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch back in April, in Missouri there were more than 100 reports of standardized testing irregularities, including cheating, that poured into the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2010 and 2011.
According to the paper, of the $8.4 million Missouri spends to administer the Missouri Assessment Program, nothing is spent on test fraud detection services.
It also affirms that Missouri education officials rely on a system of "self-reporting" that assumes teachers and administrators will come to the state when they know of possible abuse.
Under this approach, the article explains that, even when allegations of testing irregularities are reported, the state and school districts rarely engage in the kind of rigorous statistical review many say is needed.
The article says that Missouri has also dismantled a program due to funding reductions that had sent inspectors randomly into schools to ensure tests are administered properly.
That article also acknowledged that Mo. education officials say looking for "red flags" would add thousands of dollars to the testing contract at a time when the state has cut department funding.
$24 Million in Grants Awarded to 22 States to Improve Training Systems to Help Children with Disabilities | U.S. Department of Education
$24 Million in Grants Awarded to 22 States to Improve Training Systems to Help Children with Disabilities | U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education announced today the award of $24 million in grants to 22 states to improve personnel training systems to help children with disabilities. States receiving grants are: Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The U.S. Department of Education announced today the award of $24 million in grants to 22 states to improve personnel training systems to help children with disabilities. States receiving grants are: Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.
More Than 2,000 Millionaires Received Unemployment Benefits In 2009
More Than 2,000 Millionaires Received Unemployment Benefits In 2009
Meanwhile, wealthy Americans receive a slew of other forms of assistance that Republican lawmakers are seeking to protect. For example, the capital gains tax rate is just 15 percent, less than half of the top income tax rate of 35 percent. As a result, many middle-class workers are taxed at a far higher rate than millionaires and billionaires receiving passive income from their investments.
In addition, the Bush-era tax cuts, which predominantly help the rich, would cost the U.S. nearly $1 trillion in revenue over the next decade if extended, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Overall, the U.S. tax system is not very progressive: The top 1 percent pays a total tax rate of 29 percent, while the middle 20 percent pays a total tax rate of 25 percent, according to Citizens for Tax Justice.
Republican politicians have proposed maintaining these low tax rates for the rich, including extending all of the Bush-era tax cuts. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has proposed further cutting taxes on investment income and eliminating the estate tax, which would disproportionately benefit the wealthy.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Springfield schools look outside the box for expansion options to deal with influx of students - kspr.com
Springfield schools look outside the box for expansion options to deal with influx of students - kspr.com
Just like Lebanon they are thinking of putting special education students in a separate building. Lee's Summit did this, too.
School leaders say once the school board leases the property, the church will become a second campus for special education students, who are currently being spread throughout the district in small makeshift classrooms -- because their only campus is full.
Just like Lebanon they are thinking of putting special education students in a separate building. Lee's Summit did this, too.
School leaders say once the school board leases the property, the church will become a second campus for special education students, who are currently being spread throughout the district in small makeshift classrooms -- because their only campus is full.
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