Stephanie Hunter

 

"Nothing about us, without us!"
October 18th, 2012 Testimony for Oregon Education Investment Board
I would like to share regarding special education in Oregon. First, I want to say that this process of statewide community forums is important but that you must also go to the parent communities that are underrepresented here tonight. It is very difficult for parents of kids with disabilities to find childcare and being a minority those families do not always feel comfortable in these forums. I also want to add that the rating list the OEIB distributed is good because special education is actually represented with language around achievement but it also feels like we are voting on my kids civil and federally mandated rights to be educated equitably. Please ensure that you make the effort to engage the disability community directly on these issues. You need to go to them and hear their stories.

My daughter receives special education services and I have the blessing of knowing how to advocate for my child and a flexible schedule to make things happen. Many families do not have this privilege and their kids are not being supported and this is contributing to the lowest graduation rate and highest unemployment rate of a minority population. Much of what I learned about how to advocate for my child happened in the wonderful EI/ECSE programs that have been cut dramatically. There has been a 57% decline in level of services to children with identified disabilities ages birth to 2 and a 34% decline in services to children with identified disabilities 3 to 5. Thanks to early childhood special education my daughter entered school ready to learn and succeed. Those early years are the most crucial for keeping kids in school. We must not only adequately fund early childhood education because it is the right thing to do but also because it keeps kids in school when they can enter Kindergarten with school skills already in hand.
We started Kindergarten at what was termed a “failing” school. What we found was a wonderful and diverse community rich in social culture and my daughter thrived. The teacher worked with Libby and her challenges and communicated with me about how to support Libby. One day she asked me, “The kids want to know why Libby is not in trouble when she hides under the table. What should I tell them?” I said, “Tell the kids that they know the rules and you expect them to follow the rules but that Libby is still learning the rules and needs their help to learn how.” Instantly the kids took charge in showing Libby how to follow the rules and why it was important. They.........

 

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competed to be her “buddy” and relationships blossomed. Libby did not need expensive services in her IEP, she just needed a general education teacher with the willingness to understand how to guide the kids to provide natural supports to my daughter. Everyone benefited from this but especially my daughter.

Fast forward to 4th grade and we had to leave this wonderful social environment because she was indeed being failed academically due to poor leadership in the building and the district. My daughter is now struggling in school because of the move and I recently asked her if she could have 3 wishes to help her in the classroom what would they be. She told me, “I wish I had a better brain that was good at thinking.” I hope this makes you feel as distraught as it made me feel; it is not OK for our kids to ever think they are not excellent learners every single day with or without a disability. Her teacher is great but in nearly 30 years she has never had any autism training provided to her. I talked to an administrator about getting her help and this person coached me to ask for a paraeducator and to be demanding about it. I am not going to play games and I do not think it is fair that I am being told the only way to get my daughter the help she needs is to play into the stereotype of the “angry special ed parent” demanding the sun and the moon for my kid. My daughter does not need really need a paraeducator; her disability is viewed as a golden ticket so they get another adult in the building. I should not have to play those games and neither should they. At the same time so many other kids can’t get the support they need because they do not have “enough” disability to get help in time and they become another drop out statistic. It all comes down to how special education is funded and what we are spending the money on. We could pay for an extra adult my kid does not need or just provide her teacher with some autism training and consultation before there are challenges. Universal Design for Learning or UDL is the future I hope this board considers for all learners in Oregon schools as a solution to funding and achievement challenges for special education. UDL is crucial for kids with disabilities and enhances the education of their peers. UDL is student-centered and is only as much support as the child needs for academic achievement. You can learn more about UDL at www.cast.org and will close by thanking you for your time and hope you consider these recommendations.
Stephanie Hunter
Stephanie.c.hunter@gmail.com
503-810-5192