By Karla Phillips
Just this year, lawmakers have introduced nearly 100 bills in 28 states to increase funding for special education students, according to The Education Commission of the States. And my home state of Arizona was one of them.
As the mother of a child with a disability, I can attest to the need for more resources for special education students. However, I’m also hoping states seize these opportunities to rethink the funding mechanisms themselves and question underlying assumptions.
For example, part of Arizona’s education funding system uses a census method which assumes that similar percentages of students with disabilities are evenly distributed throughout the state. (Yet, there is a growing recognition that both public and private school choice programs have changed this paradigm. Open enrollment, charter schools and scholarship programs have empowered families to find the right environment to fits their children’s needs, but the programs have also disrupted previous attendance patterns across districts.)
The state also uses a weighted, per-pupil method—generally referred to as the “Group B” weights—within its funding system for special education students.
Arizona’s underlying school finance system provides a statutory, base-level amount per pupil. This amount is multiplied by special education funding weights correlated with specific disability categories. This system was designed to fund the needs of students with specific disabilities, with weights being adjusted over the years in response to cost studies.
Whether or not these amounts are sufficient will always be debated, but one thing should be obvious: the diversity of students’ disabilities and the assumption that all children identified with a certain disability require equal types of services is antiquated. It is time to fund students based on the services and levels of intensity they need to succeed rather than a disability label.
One of the most pervasive and pernicious myths of special education is that if a student is identified with a disability, we can assume that child is unable to achieve at similar levels as typically developing students. This myth is due, in part, to a misunderstanding of the diverse array of disabilities recognized by federal law as well as long-held misperceptions about the limitations these students may have.
Most special education students have no cognitive impairments that would prevent them from reaching the same learning achievement levels as other students. Yet, both national and state level data demonstrate that significant achievement gaps persist. Determining the supports that students with disabilities need to be college and career ready should be the goal of any funding system.
It is time for special education funding systems to be truly student-centered and see beyond a student’s diagnosis. There will always be debate over funding amounts, but the focus must shift to funding services and supports with college and career readiness in mind for ALL students.
Contact:
FNS Communications
(703) 305-2281
(Washington, D.C., April 18, 2019) – For the first time, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants will be able to select and pay for their groceries online, during a two-year test (pilot) launched today in New York State. In making the announcement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue highlighted online purchasing’s potential, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) commitment to program integrity by looking carefully at the pilot. Lessons learned from this pilot are expected to inform future efforts to expand online purchasing in SNAP.
“People who receive SNAP benefits should have the opportunity to shop for food the same way more and more Americans shop for food – by ordering and paying for groceries online. As technology advances, it is important for SNAP to advance too, so we can ensure the same shopping options are available for both non-SNAP and SNAP recipients,” Secretary Perdue said. “We look forward to monitoring how these pilots increase food access and customer service to those we serve, specifically those who may experience challenges in visiting brick and mortar stores.”
The system is developed to allow online purchasing only by SNAP households with electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards issued by New York for this start of the online pilot project. Online retailers will be limited to delivery in the pilot areas in New York only. Information regarding expansion will be available after this launch is determined successful and other pilot states indicate their readiness to implement.
Amazon and Walmart will participate in the initial pilot launch today with ShopRite joining early next week. ShopRite and Amazon are providing service to the New York City area and Walmart is providing online service in upstate New York locations. Additional retailers are slated to participate in the pilot in coming months. The pilot will eventually expand to other areas of New York as well as Alabama, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington.
The pilot will test both online ordering and payment. SNAP participants will be able to use their benefits to purchase eligible food items, but will not be able to use SNAP benefits to pay for service or delivery charges. For more information, please visit the SNAP Online Purchasing pilot webpage.
The 2014 Farm Bill authorized USDA to conduct and evaluate a pilot for online purchasing prior to national implementation. The pilot phase is intended to ensure online transactions are processed safely and securely. USDA anticipates all eligible and interested retailers who can meet the requirements to process online SNAP transactions will eventually be able to take part, though the timeline is dependent on the progress of the pilot and any regulations which may need to be issued.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to reduce food insecurity and promote nutritious diets among the American people. The agency administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provide science-based nutrition recommendations and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy.
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Dear Friends,
You know how important good literature and storytelling is when it comes to fighting for the landscapes we love. Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang. Amy Irvine’s Desert Cabal. Terry Tempest Williams’ Refuge and The Hour of Land. Jacqueline Keeler’s Edge of Morning: Native Voices Speak for the Bears Ears. Books like these expand hearts and minds, exploring a particular cultural moment and inspiring action in support of our natural world.
Now, you can support the publication of new books by two writers from the next generation of environmental thinkers and activists who are moving the climate conversation forward with urgency, skill, and passion. Shaped by Snow: Defending the Future of Winter by Ayja Bounous and Confluence: Navigating the Personal & Political on Rivers of the New West by Zak Podmore are slated for publication this fall from nonprofit publisher Torrey House Press. But we need your help to bring these books into the world.
Make a tax-deductible donation on our Kickstarter page and directly support the publication of these new voices for the land. We’ve set an ambitious goal of $25,000 by May 10 and every donation, big or small, helps us reach our all-or-nothing goal.
We are currently 15% of the way to our goal of $25,000. By donating to our Kickstarter campaign, you will be supporting emerging voices on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
For words & wildness,
Kirsten Allen
Kathleen Metcalf
Anne Terashima
Rachel Davis
Michelle Wentling
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Kurt Travis
Announces New Solo Album
There's A Place I Want To Take You
Out May 17th, 2019
Available for Pre-Order: www.esquerecords.com
Watch New Video "Easy Peasy": youtu.be/cZZwAdVHnc0
MAY 21ST | THE LOADING DOCK | SALT LAKE CITY, UT
Sacramento, CA - Kurt Travis is thrilled to announce his brand new solo record, There's A Place I Want To Take You, out May 17th via Esque Records and Blue Swan Records. Travis has also shared the first single and music, "Easy Peasy," streaming now at youtu.be/cZZwAdVHnc0 . Fans can pre-order the album at www.esquerecords.com.
"This song is one of my favorites on the album. It's very playful and light hearted," shares Travis. "The song is about how I don't like waking up in the morning, and also, how I have hard time falling asleep."
He continues: "I called it 'Easy Peasy' because the song is repetitious and the structure is simple, but while tracking guitars for it, was actually quite difficult to record."
Additionally, Travis will be supporting the album with a full US headlining tour starting on May 17th. The run kicks off with an album release show in Placerville, and includes stops in Salt Lake City, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, and more. For a full list of dates, please see below or visit www.facebook.com/kurttravismusic.
Kurt Travis is a singer, songwriter, and musician from Sacramento, California. He is best known as the former lead vocalist for the post-hardcore bands Dance Gavin Dance and A Lot Like Birds.
As a solo artist, Travis has released a number of albums, including: Wha Happen? (2012), Kurt Travis (2013), Everything Is Beautiful (2014), and Kurt Travis/Paul Travis Split (EP) (2016). Over the years, he has also lent his vocals and talents to math rock trio Eternity Forever, posthardcoreduo Push Over, and, most recently, rock band Royal Coda.
Travis will release his brand new solo record There's A Place I Want To Take You on May 17th via Esque Records and Blue Swan Records. Fans can pre-order it now at www.esquerecords.com.
For More Information, please visit:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kurttravismusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kurttravis
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kurttravis
WHO: Kurt Travis
WHERE: The Loading Dock | 445 South 400 West | Salt Lake City, UT
WHEN: Tuesday, May 21st | 6:30pm
INFO: https://bit.ly/2D4rsac | $15 | All Ages
Upcoming Tour Dates:
5.17 - Placerville, CA @ The Nugget Campgrounds *
5.18 - Redding, CA @ The Dip *
5.21 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Loading Dock
5.22 - Denver, CO @ Moon Room
5.24 - Minneapolis, MN @ Whiskey Junction
5.25 - Berwyn, IL @ Wire
5.26 - Indianapolis, IN @ Citadel
5.28 - Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room
5.29 - Manchester, NH @ Bungalow
5.30 - Brooklyn, NY @ Kingsland
5.31 - Amityville, NY @ Revolution Bar & Grill
6.1 - Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage
6.2 - Norfolk, VA @ Charlie's
6.3 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
6.5 - Greenville, SC @ Radio Room
6.6 - Orlando, FL @ Soundbar
6.7 - Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
6.8 - Margate, FL @ O'Malleys
6.10 - Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
6.11 - Nashville, TN @ The End
6.12 - Memphis, TN @ Canvas
6.13 - Little Rock, AR @ Brewski's Basement
6.14 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links
6.15 - McAllen, TX @ Yerberia Cultura
6.16 - Austin, TX @ Come and Take it Live
6.17 - Houston, TX @ Secret Group
6.19 - El Paso, TX @ Rock House
6.20 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Pub Rock
6.21 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
6.23 - Fresno, CA @ Strummers
-With Adventurer 5.21-6.5 (* - no Adventurer)
-With Makari 6.6-6.23
