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2019

Bills CASE supports:

Senate Bills

House Bills & Resolutions

Other positions CASE has signed on to support:

  • We have supported lifting the caps on educational spending with our Non-Defense Discretionary colleagues.
  • We have signed on to a letter in support of Title II-A spending to support professional development.
  • We opposed the Title IX regulations as written and signed on to a letter with our colleagues at the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities.
  • We signed on to a letter in support of increased Title IV spending.
  • We will support a bill with AASA (the School Superintendent's Association) to improve Medicaid in schools.
  • We supported some of the Advocates for Literacy recommendations regarding revisions to the Higher Education Act.
  • We supported an amendment to the Higher Education Reauthorization Act sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand which will expand loan forgiveness programs to public servants.
  • We support additional funding for gun violence research.
  • We asked that the House and Senate provide $260 million in funding for a new social and emotional learning initiative as well as report language which clarifies funds can be used to develop educator competencies in supporting student academic, social and emotional development and disseminating evidence-based strategies to a broad range of stakeholders.
  • We asked that the House and Senate maintain the funding level of $98.31 million for Personnel Preparation under IDEA as included in the House passed bill.
  • We asked that the House and Senate provide $670 million for the Institute for Education Sciences in the FY2020 Appropriations Bill and we asked for $14.5 million dollars in funding for the School Leader Recruitment and Support Program (SLRSP)—the only federal program specifically focused on investing in evidence-based, locally-driven strategies to strengthen school leadership in high-need schools.
  • We supported a one-time infusion of $1 Billion funds into the Impact Aid Construction program to address the significant backlog of facilities needs at federally impacted school districts.

  • We were one of 113 organizations to support of no less than $15 million in funding for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs) grant program in the FY 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (L-HHS-ED) appropriations bill, a $5 million increase over FY19.

TAKE ACTION via the Council for Exception Children Legislative Action Center

People interested in policy and legislative items may wish to check out these other websites:

 

CASE Comments on Regulations - August 2017

This letter represents the thinking of CASE concerning the TASK force at the Department of Education on regulations. It should be remembered that IDEA regulations are very different and actually protected by statute from other regulatory items at the Department.

Download Letter on DOE restructuring Aug 3, 2017.pdf

Endrew v. Douglas County School District Supreme Court Case

CASE joined AASA, the School Superintendents Association, and 5 other education organizations to file an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case Endrew v. Douglas County School District. This was the lead amicus representing groups in the K-12 space—it was actually mentioned twice in the actual hearing. The organizations submitting the brief were, AASA, the CASE, NAFIS, ASBO, AESA, NAESP, NASSP, and NREA. The AASA lawyers, Ruthanne Deutsch of Deutch Hunt and Chris Borecca of Thompson & Horton did a commendable job outlining the concerns of school administrators and why Congress, not the Courts, should determine what changes, if any, are needed to IDEA's educational benefit standard.

This case is considered the most important IDEA case the Court has decided since Rowley as it could redefine the concept of educational benefit in the context of providing FAPE in the LRE. Despite losing in the lower courts, the Petitioner (Endrew) has support from the Obama Administration (among others) and it is not at all clear how SCOTUS will rule. You can read the brief here to better understand the massive implications for districts (financial, procedural and administrative) if the Court rules in favor of the Petitioner.

Every Student Succeeds Act: Summary of Key Provisions!

The CASE Policy and Legislative Committee has worked closely with our Legislative Consultant, Myrna Mandlawitz, Esq., to develop "Every Student Succeeds Act: Summary of Key Provisions! We hope you find this document beneficial as stakeholders working closely with your state officials. This document addresses key provisions of the act that directly impact students with disabilities and the work of special education directors.

Every Student Succeeds Act_CASE (2).pdf 

CASE Discusses Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia

On July 24, 2015 CASE sent a letter to OSERS [click to view letter] urging them to use caution in issuing new guidance relating to the identification of students with disabilities; more specifically utilizing new terms for eligibility under the IDEA. CASE is opposed to creating more compliance requirements for special educators and believes the focus should be placed on instructional outcomes for students and professional learning for special education staff.

The following organizations also signed the July 24, 2015 letter: AASA, The School Superintendents Organization, Association of Education Service Agencies, Learning Disabilities Association of America, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, National Education Association, National Rural Education Association and National School Boards Association

CASE's letter was written in response to a letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) [click to view letter] sent to OSERS on June 30, 2015.

CASE Policy chair Phyllis Wolfram, Myrna Mandlawitz, CASE legislative consultant, and Luann Purcell, Executive Director have subsequently had discussions with the policy department at NCLD and have begun working together to develop guidance for both parents and LEA personnel as they work collaboratively to better meet the needs of students.

 

CASE Sends Comment on SPP/APR Friday December 16, 2011

Once again, CASE leadership has taken a stand and sent comment on an important issues to our members. The OSEP proposal to change IDEA State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) had a deadline for comments on December 16. The CASE Legislative Committee under the direction of Christina Lebo, along with the CASE Executive Committee and Legislative Consultant, Myrna Mandlawitz, studied the proposal as well as the comments from other disability community leaders and associations to craft the CASE position. Thank you to all of these hardworking professionals for being our ACTIVE VOICE on all issues on the programing, education, and service to students, parents, and community in the area of Special Education!
Click Here to download a copy of the letter.


CASE 3-21-12 response to S2020 "Keeping All Students Safe Act" (Restraint and Seclusion Bill)
Restraint And Seclusion Legislation Letter (September 13, 2011)
CASE ESEA Recommendations (July 2011)
CASE Response to Senate Legislation on Physical Restraint and Seclusion in Schools 

School Districts' Perspectives on the Economic Stimulus Package: Teaching Jobs Saved in 2009-10 But Teacher Layoffs Loom for Next School Year

Today, the Center on Education Policy released the results from a spring of 2010 survey of a nationally representative sample of school districts. The purpose of the survey was to learn about districts' fiscal situation and how American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds have impacted them over the last year. CEP found that while the federal funds helped districts save or create teaching jobs and stabilize budgets, most districts expected to layoff teachers in the 2010-11 school year. The report also addresses districts' efforts to carryout ARRA's four reform areas, district uses of State Fiscal Stabilization Funds and supplemental Title I and IDEA funds, and problems faced by districts in implementing ARRA. School Districts' Perspectives on the Economic Stimulus Package: Teaching Jobs Saved in 2009-10 But Teacher Layoffs Loom for Next School Year is posted on the CEP Web site (www.cep-dc.org) under "What's New" and can be downloaded free-of-charge.

Click Here to view the PDF Document