Wrightslaw - News - IDEA 2002 - Congress Wants Your Great IDEAs (June 6, 2002)

Congress Wants Your Great IDEAs

Washington, DC. On June 6, 2002, Congress unveiled a new website called Great IDEAs. They are asking parents, teachers and others for recommendations about how to strengthen and improve the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

"We have heard testimony from teachers, parents, students, and scholars on the best ways to accomplish this goal -- but as often is the case with a major legislative review, there are many more interested individuals and organizations than there are seats at our subcommittee hearings."

"For that reason, we believe it is important to hear directly from you. To that end, we have established a link on the committee’s website that will allow you to give us your input."

"Please feel free to comment generally on IDEA, but it would be most helpful if you could provide information on the specific statutory provisions of IDEA or regulations under IDEA that you feel need to be changed or eliminated and why. The more precise you are with statutory cites and suggested language, the better."

"To help guide your comments, some of the key topics that our members are interested in learning more about include:

Increasing accountability and improving education results for students with disabilities.

Reducing the paperwork burden.

Improving early intervention strategies.

Reducing overidentification/misidentification of nondisabled children, including minority youth.

Encouraging innovative approaches to parental involvement and parental choice.

Supporting general education and special education teachers.

Rewarding innovation and improved education results.

Restoring trust and reducing litigation.

Ensuring school safety.

Reforming special education finance and funding.

"Committee members are eager to consider your thoughts on these issues as we prepare to reauthorize IDEA. We look forward to your assistance in assuring that no child with special needs is left behind."

To learn more about Great Ideas, read the News Release and visit the Great IDEAs page.

Use the IDEA Form to submit your ideas.

Why IDEA Reauthorization is Important

Congress plans to revise and reauthorize the IDEA statute in 2002.

If you are the parent of a child with a disability, you represent your child's interests. You need to stay informed about changes to the law that may affect your child.

If you are a teacher or special education service provider, the reauthorized law is likely to affect you and your job.

For news, progress reports, and other important information about the IDEA Reauthorization, bookmark the IDEA 2002 Page

To learn about the issues, including reports, surveys and recommendations about how the law may be changed, please visit the IDEA 2002 Resources page.

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