FYI: People who are not NY residents who send this letter will be disregarded. However, they are welcome to attend the rally on March 10th since numbers of attendees are crucial to be visible at Albany capital city.
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
search here by your zip code
http://www.nysenate.gov/
search here by your street address and zip code
This letter is intended for Senate and Assembly members.
However, you can easily modify this letter that is to be addressed to Governor Andrew Cuomo and drop your messages into the form on this Web page:
http://www.governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php
or at:
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
(518) 474-8390
Twitter: @NYGovCuomo
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/fHR9iZ
Remember, you have until March 2nd. Every letter counts and may make a difference.
Rochester School for the Deaf was used as a sample. You may select any schools from the list from the 4201 schools @ http://4201schoolsassociation.wordpress.com/10-2/
Date:
Dear Senator/Assemblymember XXXXXXXXX,
I write to ask you to oppose a proposal in
Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget, which would have a devastating impact on ROCHESTER SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF. The Governor’s budget would shift the
entire cost of educating children at our school to local school districts,
abandoning the nearly 200 year tradition of state support for the education of
children who are blind, deaf or severely physically disabled.
The Executive Budget proposes a number of changes
which are of great concern to me, including:
· To alter the appointment process for children to attend
these schools,
· To significantly change the system by which these schools
are funded, replacing it with a rate setting methodology used by other special
education schools that delays payments for months (or even years!) – leading
some to close and others to accrue tremendous debt.
· This rate system would be paid for entirely by the home
school district of the disabled child.
· Changing the
evaluation process so that parents would no longer be able to take their child
directly to a 4201 (state-supported) school, like ROCHESTER SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, for an evaluation. Under this
proposal, parents would be required to go through the local school district,
which would assume total responsibility for evaluating the child’s level of
educational needs.
I am very concerned
about the damage this proposed change would have on deaf, blind and physically
disabled students. ROCHESTER SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, a 4201 school, is
well-respected in our community. The teachers and all other school staff have
the professional knowledge and expertise to communicate directly with each
student, without an interpreter or a third-party aide. If school districts are
forced to take on the responsibIlity of evaluating each of these students,
direct communication with students would very likely be lost. Evaluating
children indirectly through interpreters – for whom there are no minimum
quality standards or qualifications in our state – is not effective or efficient, especially in determining a child’s degree
of disability. There are enormous fiscal implications if local schools were forced to
hire outside professionals, as well as the practical challenge of actually
finding qualified professionals in many areas of the state.
The appropriate
educational evaluation and placement for deaf, blind and physically disabled
children must be the priority. The 4201 School system has proven to be highly
effective; these proposals jeopardize the education of New York’s students who
are deaf, blind or physically disabled and their future prospects for
achievement.
Please oppose Governor Cuomo’s attack on our school!
Sincerely,
For those of you who missed what is going on, please review the following links:
Thank you very much for your participation. Remember, Deaf/4201 students need you! Let's make noises across New York!
