SEPACS Update
March 8, 2007
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2e Support Group

The next 2E parent support group meeting will be on Saturday, March 10th from 10 AM to Noon at the Mustang Library (90th and Shea). We will have 2 excellent SUSD speakers - Heidi Oshin (2E teacher) and Denise Cooke (psychologist). They will speak on Practical Strategies for Encouraging Academic, Social and Emotional Growth of 2E Students and will provide time for questions and answers.
My apologies for back to back email updates but the situation at the capitol has changed.  The state Senate is trying to pass their version of the budget by this Friday and funding for excess utilities is not yet assured!  We need to urge our senators to ONLY support a budget that includes a solution to the excess utilities funding expiration. You will find a sample letter below to paste into an email to Senators Leff, Allen and Burton- Cahill.   Please email or call these Senators TODAY and urge them to support a solution to the excess utilities funding expiration.  If nothing is done, SUSD stands to potentially lose $5.6 million dollars in funding!  These costs will have to be absorbed by the district, leading to devastating staff layoffs.  $5.6 million dollars translates to laying off 125 teachers, an impact that would be felt hard at every school in the district.  A large delegation of SUSD teachers, administrators, governing board members and parent leaders is going to the capitol on Wednesday to communicate this message to these same legislators.  It would be great to fill up their email inbox in advance of our arrival.   Contacting these Senators is one of the best things you can do to preserve the quality of your childrens' education!
 
Thanks for your help,
 
Jeff Winkler
VP- Legislative Liaison
Scottsdale Parent Council
 
 
Dear Senator_________,
 
Thank you for your continuing support of issues relevant to the SUSD community.  I am writing as a parent to urge you to ONLY support a budget that includes a solution to the impending excess utilities funding expiration.  I am in support of Majority Leader Bee's efforts, working with Governor Napolitano, to pass a budget that has at least some bipartisan support.  The inclusion of excess utilities funding would help to garner that support. 
 
As you well know, the loss of this $5.6 million dollars in funding would have a huge impact on SUSD's education program.  This is the financial equivalent of the loss of 125 teachers which would likely lead to the elimination of music, fine arts and athletic programs and higher class sizes throughout the district.  The fact is that over 80% of SUSD's budget is devoted to teacher compensation, so the loss of $5.6 M would clearly lead to a direct negative impact in the classroom.  I urge you to contact Senator Bee and indicate your support for a budget solution to the excess utilities funding expiration.  This is an issue where a large number of your constituents are asking for your support and leadership.
 
Sincerely,   
 
Your name here
 
Senator Barbara Leff
602-926-4486
 
Senator Carolyn Allen
602-926-4480
 
Senator Meg Burton-Cahill
602-926-4124
 
Minutes from our last meeting has been added to our web site at www.sepacs.org.

 
 
A FREE Leadership Training for self-advocates & parents of children with disabilities

Partners in Policymaking is an innovative leadership training program for parents of children with disabilities and for adults with disabilities. The program is designed to provide information, training, resources and skill building to people with a disability and the parents of children with disabilities so that they can become better advocates for themselves or their children. Partners in Policymaking provides participants with opportunities to meet and talk to national and state leaders in the disability advocacy field.

 
Participants will have an opportunity to meet and unite with others who have similar concerns to create a powerful voice on important issues. Participants learn how the legislative process works at the local, state and national levels. The goal of the training is to develop productive partnerships between people who need and use services and those in a position to make policy and law.

 
ASU Disabililty Resource Program has a summer transition program for students with disabilities. Students enrolled in this program, live on campus and can take up to nine credit house and receive a food allowance for a fee of $50. (The fee is to make sure the student and parents are serious.) The program is the GATE program. We are searching for students who are going to enroll at ASU, have a disability and will commit to attending ASU in the fall and the GATE program during the first summer session. They take for credit classes with intensive support. www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/ed/triosss/gate.htm
 
Please direct comments, suggestions, and article ideas related to SEPACS and this newsletter to:

 


Dru Bloomfield
Special Education Parents Advisory Council of Scottsdale

 
phone: 480-513-7012