Keep Eanes Informed                                                                                               

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The truth is like the sun.  You can block it out for a time but it ain't goin' away.

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No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.
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Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.

 - Robert Louis Stevenson

All children deserve an equal playing field.

- Ed Allen, Westlake Picayune April 2008

Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.

- Albert Einstein

All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure. - Mark Twain

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.

- Harry S. Truman

January 19, 2004

-----Original Message-----
From: Dianna Pharr
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 7:21 PM
To: 'Cynthia Martin'
Subject: RE: CLT, DLT

Thank you.

Dianna

 -----Original Message-----

From: Cynthia Martin [mailto:CMartin@eanes.k12.tx.us]

Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 3:07 PM

To: dpharr@

Subject: Re: CLT, DLT

I will research it and get back to you.

Cindy

>>> "Dianna Pharr" <dpharr@1/18/04 3:38:08 PM >>>

From: Dianna Pharr
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2004 3:38 PM
To: 'Cynthia Martin'
Subject: CLT, DLT

Hello Cindy,

I considered sending this email to the board or even the new superintendent.  However, experience has taught me that would be like tossing it out of my car window somewhere in Utah.

Board policy and the legal requirements of the Texas Education Code regarding Campus Leadership Teams require the participation of one special education parent.  I’ve heard that at least one elementary school does not have a special education parent on the team.  I have not confirmed this personally. 

Further, I believe that there should be a special education parent on the District Leadership Team, as well.  Board Policy does not specifically call for this.  In fact, unless you are the Booster Club President-Elect, you are not allowed to serve on the District Leadership Team. 

According to BQA LOCAL policy:

<<<The committee shall include nine parents of students currently enrolled within the District. Each school shall have one parent representative and that representative shall be the president-elect of the respective school booster club.>>>

That seems to stack the deck against those of us who are not the fund-raising, best-friend-of-the-principal sort.  It certainly rules out those of us who advocate for gifted and special education children, genuine parental involvement, and respect for the law.   I checked the Texas Education Code and snipped the following requirement:

<<<<<§ 11.252. District-Level Planning and Decision-Making

(a) Each school district shall have a district improvement plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in accordance with district policy, by the superintendent with the assistance of the district-level committee established under Section 11.251. The purpose of the district improvement plan is to guide district and campus staff in the improvement of student performance for all student groups in order to attain state standards in respect to the academic excellence indicators adopted under Section 39.051. The district improvement plan must include provisions for:

    (1) a comprehensive needs assessment addressing district student performance on the academic excellence indicators, and other appropriate measures of performance, that are disaggregated by all student groups served by the district, including categories of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sex, and populations served by special programs, including students in special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 29;

    (2) measurable district performance objectives for all appropriate academic excellence indicators for all student populations, including students in special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and other measures of student performance that may be identified through the comprehensive needs assessment;>>>>>

I believe that board policy should be revised to include a special education parent and a gifted parent, for that matter.  Gifted children are also a “special population”.  As special education parent on the Bridge Point CLT and SECAC chair and Eanes TAG officer, I would welcome the opportunity to participate on the DLT.   

Let me know what you think.

Dianna

ONE YEAR, three months later - April 26, 2005

From: Dianna Pharr
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 6:08 PM
To: 'cmartin@eanes.k12.tx.us
Cc: 'nwellman@eanes.k12.tx.us
Subject: FW: From Cindy Martin, Re: SECAC

Cindy,

Glad my input was helpful (see my email from January 19, 2004 below).  I am sure that EISD special education families are looking forward to learning more about your efforts to include their children and concerns in EISD planning committees for the 2005-2006 school year.  Please keep us posted.

Dianna

April 26, 2005

Cindy Martin, Eanes ISD Special Education Director wrote:

I believe that in order to promote an inclusive environment throughout the structure and culture of the district, parents of special needs students should     be represented on the same decision making and advisory committees as other parents. Your children's interests should be considered in the regular process of decision making and I encourage all of you to participate on the campus and district committees in place. I intend to put my efforts to making this happen and coordinating this effort as these committees form for next year.

Sound Familiar?
 

TWO YEARS and three months later - April 2006

Change in Eanes ISD board policy reflecting my advocacy over two years earlier in January 2004

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