School Voucher Program Defunding Public Schools

February 26 at 10:16am · New York House Bill 610 will start the school voucher system to be used by children ages 5-17, beginning the process of defunding public schools. In addition, the bill will eliminate the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, which is the nation's educational law and provides equal opportunity in education. It would repeal ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act). ESSA, which was set to replace NCLB, is a comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, AP classes, ESL classes, Rural Education, Education for the Homeless, School Safety, programs to address children living in poverty, Monitoring, Compliance and Accountability Programs. The Bill also abolishes the Nutritional Act of 2012 (No Hungry Kids Act) which provides nutritional standards in school breakfast and lunch. The bill has no wording whatsoever protecting Students with special needs, no mention of IDEA and FAPE. Some things ESSA does for Children with Disabilities: -Ensures access to the general education curriculum. -Ensures access to accommodations on assessments. -Ensures concepts of Universal Design for Learning -Includes provisions that require local education agencies to provide evidence-based interventions in schools with consistently underperforming subgroups. -Requires states in Title I plans to address how they will improve conditions for learning including reducing incidents of bullying and harassment in schools, overuse of discipline practices and reduce the use of aversive behavioral interventions (such as restraints and seclusion). Please call your representative and ask him/her to vote NO on House Bill 610 (HR 610) introduced by three representatives. PLEASE copy and paste. Thank you.