Edutopia Shares: Ideas to Get Classroom Supplies for Free

I don't know about you, but budgets are growing thinner and thinner as we finish up the end of the school year here soon. In light of the economic struggles that are hitting all of our programs, Edutopia, from the George Lucas Foundation, has a great article that gives you ideas on how to get supplies for your classroom free. I extended it a little further by thinking that many of these strategies could help fund AT equipment for classrooms.
Why don't you check out the ideas and see what might help you...
"Free Classroom Supplies Through Funding and Donations"
All the best to you!
Lon



Bookmark this on Delicious

IDEA Funding Levels Challenged in U.S. Senate

This is an action alert from the Council for Exceptional Children:

Opposition Threatens to Derail Historic Funding Increases for IDEA Tell Your Senators How IDEA Funding Will Save Special Education Programs, Jobs!
"This week, the Senate is will vote on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, legislation which would provide unprecedented funding increases for IDEA programs for school aged children/youth as well as for infants and toddlers with disabilities. This funding comes at a time when states are struggling to provide programs serving children/youth with disabilities. On January 28 the House of Representatives passed similar legislation.

However, opposition to this legislation has been steadily increasing. And while the measure passed the House, opposition continues to grow:

At a Capitol meeting last Thursday night with Senate Democrats, White House Budget Director Peter Orszag questioned the level of education spending in the House and Senate bills. And by all accounts, the $26 billion provided for Title I and special education programs is close to double the administration’s request. – Politico

We know that this infusion of resources for IDEA will help deflect job layoffs, help ensure program continuation, and free up resources for other critical initiatives.

But we need YOU to explain to your Senators how budget cuts have impacted you,your school or your early intervention program! "

There is an email or printed letter engine that has a prepared text. You can customize it and send it to all U.S. Senators from the bottom of the article.
Let our leaders know we need their continued support for funding IDEA.

Other links on the page:
See how much money the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would bring to your school district in the areas of Title I, school construction and IDEA Part B.
Click here for background information, including a chart of education funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

All the best to you!
Lon

Lon Thornburg is an assistive technology specialist and professional development trainer who lives in Oregon and serves 12 districts in 7 counties. He hosts the No Limits 2 Learning Blog and The No Limits 2 Learning Live Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio. He is sharing as a contributing writer on LD LIVE!



Bookmark this on Delicious

Will Stimulus Package Benefit Special Education Programs?

Stimulus Plan could Reshape U.S. Education Policy to a Stronger Fed Voice.
Saving jobs and programs could result in loss of state and local control.
The federal investment in education would more than double under a proposed stimulus package pending in Congress. It includes $150 billion in new education spending, which would change the federal government's role in education. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the money will prevent hundreds of thousands of teachers' layoffs and money also will go to support early childhood education, repair aging school buildings and improve special-education programs. The pocket of money for disabled children would increase from the current $11 billion to $17 billion. The question is, what strings or requirements will come with this money and will it be what care-givers and educators deem best?
Read the article at the International Herald Tribune.
Taiwan News, I read Sunday night, where it was already Monday, gives us a glimpse of Obama's bi-partisan White House Super bowl party Sunday and the struggles in passing the stimulus package under intense scrutiny this week. This is an interesting article too.

All the best to you!

Lon

Lon Thornburg is an assistive technology specialist and professional development trainer who lives in Oregon and serves 12 districts in 7 counties. He hosts the No Limits 2 Learning Blog and The No Limits 2 Learning Live Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio. He is sharing as a contributing writer on LD LIVE!



Bookmark this on Delicious

Economic Crisis and IDEA Mandates: Where Are We Headed?

The recent federal money bail-outs of financial institutions and the subsequent stock market slide, deemed an "Economic 9/11", has me asking some serious questions about where our funding sources for schools and special education are headed. As I drove to work, Public Radio had a piece on the Secure Rural Schools program and efforts to get it re-authorized.
In the past, rural schools in Oregon and Washington State have been able to qualify for supplemental federal support through the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act passed in 2000. The financial support amounted to over 200 million dollars to Oregon rural schools where there were a lack of other economic factors to offset costs, i.e. closed lumber mills, federal lands without industry surrounding a community. It also provided support to many other rural programs in the states that qualified.
Congresss did not feel the Act should be permanent and final legislation closed/terminated the program in 2006. Blue Oregon posted a guest column by Congressman Peter DeFazio, (D- Eugene, Oregon) about the battle to re-authorize the Act. The challenge has been coming up with the resource avenue that will fund the program. As the program has been tried to be re-authorized through write-ins on energy bills, evidently big oil and energy has resisted and lobbied against inclusion. The column by DeFazio takes us through the maze of attempt after attempt to get this funding resource back into the hands of our rural schools.
What does this have to do with assistive technology?
While polticians play their games and work for or against re-authorization, school programs falter. Through IDEA 2004, we have a mandate to provide assistive technology to students. Some of the districts in my region do not pay into a pot for AT services because they don't have a budget to pay for it. They bring me in on a case by case basis - which doesn't happen very often. I have had visits with district SLP's that will "wish" I could help and I can't. I can refer them to OTAP (Oregon Technology Access Program) for an AAC device, but I can't loan equipment from my center or do evaluations, etc.
As our economic situation worsens nation-wide, I ask myself, "Where are our funding priorities going to fall as budgets tighten? What ramifications will this have on special education and the staff number, assistive technology support etc.?" Just because the feds mandate something, doesn't mean it will get funded. Our schools are burdened with all kinds of mandates when there is no money to support them. My job security is not determined by the fact that what I do is federally mandated somewhere. The dire needs of individuals with disabilities will not necessarily be met because of mandates either - when push comes to shove. This makes our advocacy efforts more important than ever.
My only answer right now is to stay involved. We need every federal and state program we can get to support schools right now. We also need administrators in school districts that will allocate dollars to keep our special education and support services running. Let's work together to continue to push and be vocal for our students with disabilities.

All the best to you as we "hang in there!"

Lon

Lon Thornburg is an assistive technology specialist and professional development trainer who lives in Oregon and serves 12 districts in 7 counties. He hosts the No Limits 2 Learning Blog and The No Limits 2 Learning Live Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio. He is sharing as a contributing writer on LD LIVE!