NEAT - info about SPPS budget: http://tinyurl.com/3gt66 _________________________________________ I don't pretend to be an expert in the larger special education costs discussion - but as a consumer of services for nearly five years now, I can tell you some about what everyone is paying for. And why I think it's worth the continued investment.
My son has a working diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). It's an Autism spectrum disorder and really manifests in speech and language difficulties, a different pattern of abstract thinking (read: math problems are very hard) and social and transitional problems. I could write a dissertation about what all this means, but I'll spare everyone the long version. Starting with Early Childhood Special Education and continuing on to support services from Battle Creek Elementary, school district staff have been working with my family to find learning techniques and coping mechanisms to allow my son to be a success - and let me tell you, it ain't been easy. Let me also tell you, it's been worth every penny and every tear shed. The early thoughts were touch-and-go on how much my son would be able to accomplish and how, but with some very patient effort and creative work plans (Individual Education Plans or IEPs for those in the know) my son is succeeding in a mainstream classroom in second grade and *reading at grade level*. Early intervention and sound planning, with a lot of support at home, is making the difference. While we still have serious challenges my son is closing the gap between himself and his peers. What does that get you, concerned Saint Paul tax-payer? A really good shot at a productive, tax-paying worker when he graduates from the Saint Paul Public Schools. He'll kick back in taxes every single dime spent on his education and then some. And what is your alternative, dear tax-payer? Don't intervene early when it can make a difference, and you get an adult that *isn't* paying taxes for his 50 working years, and maybe would need to consume some additional services that someone else would have to pay for. Do the math, folks. We can't be short-sighted about giving all our kids an equal chance when they are young enough to make a difference. (BTW, that window does close, you know. Brain patterns develop when we're young - so we have to work toward success early or we'll never get as far.) We seem pretty focused on only today's buck these days, not the implications over the long haul. Investing in kids is where we make money hand over fist, but we need to be focused past the next election to do it. Steve Boland Payne/Phalen __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools _____________________________________________ SPPS Budget Reduction Forum - Feb. 23-27 Co-Sponsored By NEAT: http://www.stpaulneat.org/ _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
