• What’s the Big IDEA? Understanding IDEA 2004 Regulations: CEC Workshops
• Congress to Adjourn Without Addressing Education Funding Legislation; Special and Gifted Education Programs Face Severe Under Funding
• Join CEC in Opposing Elimination of Medicaid Reimbursement of School-Based Services

What’s the Big IDEA? Understanding IDEA 2004 Regulations: CEC Workshops

The IDEA 2004 Regulations are out – all 300 pages! But rather than you sifting through this mountain of paper – The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has done the work for you and are bringing the knowledge right to your backyard! The calendar is set to visit 9-US cities to share with you Understanding IDEA 2004 Regulations Workshops. These one-day workshops will break down the formidable regulations into easily digestible information by three of CEC’s policy experts. Check out the complete list of scheduled stops and make sure not to miss us when we arrive in your area! Space is limited so register now!

More information.

Congress to Adjourn Without Addressing Education Funding Legislation; Special and Gifted Education Programs Face Severe Under Funding

With the mid-term Congressional elections just 39 days away, the Congressional leadership has decided to adjourn this weekend to allow members of Congress to return back to their home districts and states to campaign for re-election. As members of Congress leave Washington, they are leaving behind education funding legislation that addresses vital programs such as IDEA and the Javits program for students with gifts and talents. CEC has been actively urging Congress to provide additional funding for both of these programs and to uphold its 31-year commitment to fully funding IDEA.

While the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have passed inadequate education funding bills -- which drastically under fund IDEA and slash the Javits program -- the Congressional leadership has been reluctant to bring the legislation to the full House and Senate for a vote. This hesitance in addressing domestic spending legislation has led Democrats and moderate Republicans to band together in calling for additional funding for labor, health and education programs included in the Labor-HHS fiscal year 2007 appropriations legislation. CEC has actively supported an initiative led by Senators Specter (R-PA) and Harkin (D-IA) who are soliciting the support of their Senate colleagues for additional funding for the Labor-HHS appropriations bill. Ask your Senators to co-sign the Specter-Harkin letter.

In their respective bills, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees voted to slash the only Federal initiative that supports the education of students with gifts and talents -- the Javits program. In fact, the House Appropriations Committee voted to eliminate the Javits program, while the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to drastically cut the program by nearly 50 percent!

The Javits program for students with gifts and talents is the only federally funded program that supports research on gifted education as well as individual grants to provide gifted education. Last year the program was cut by $1.3 million, and as a result no new grants have been made available. This year’s proposed cut of nearly $5 million will limit expansion, growth and sustainability of the program. CEC is deeply disappointed that the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have voted to slash the only Federal program that benefits students with gifts and talents and remains committed to actively advocating on behalf of students with gifts and talents.

All CEC members are urged to tell Congress that funding for the Javits program is critical to supporting and advancing students with gifts and talents in our country. Take action now!

Members of Congress are also leaving behind legislation that, if passed, would fully fund IDEA by the year 2011. The Mandatory IDEA Full Funding Compromise Act would establish a timetable that Congress would abide by to ensure full funding for IDEA is reached by 2011 and would establish IDEA funding as a mandatory program. CEC has encouraged members of Congress to show their support for students with disabilities by co-sponsoring this legislation. To date, 26 Senators and 79 Representatives are listed as co-sponsors. Click here to see if your Representative and Senators are co-sponsors. Click here to urge your members of Congress to support full funding for IDEA

Visit CEC’s Legislative Action Center to take action today!

Join CEC in Opposing Elimination of Medicaid Reimbursement of School-Based Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering eliminating reimbursements that school districts receive for administrative and transportation expenses from the Medicaid program at a cost of $9 billion over the next 10 years! Ask your members of Congress to object to this elimination!

Under current law, Medicaid reimburses school districts that provide health care services delivered by health professionals to students with disabilities. Dennis Smith, director of CMS, told state Medicaid directors in June that expedited rule making will be issued soon to eliminate schools’ administrative and transportation reimbursement claims. The elimination of this reimbursement would inevitably shift the financial responsibility of medically necessary related services to individual school districts across the nation.

CEC has been working with other advocacy groups to prevent CMS from taking this regulatory action, and we need your help. CEC has asked members of Congress to object to this elimination by co-sponsoring legislation and voicing their opposition to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Visit CEC's Legislative Action Center to take action now! -- http://capwiz.com/cek/home/