Re: ADA's 9th Anniversary & new Advancement guidelines
jay.thal (jay.thal@TCS.WAP.ORG)
Fri, 23 Jul 1999 20:25:15 -0400
Pam Glidden wrote:
>
> --- "jay.thal" <jay.thal@TCS.WAP.ORG> wrote:
> In the case of a mental disability, an evaluation statement by a
> certified educational administrator should be submitted stating the
> ability level of the
> Scout.
NO PAM, Jay Thal did not write that! ;-) That's a direct quote from the
new BSA policy. The policy is written in a more elegant or
understandable way BUT that doesn't mean that one shouldn't have a
delphic oracle on retainer. National, in this case, is taking a
non-confrontational position and leaving it up to the locals to figure
out what they mean.
People with disAbilities find that overcoming attitudes and prejudice
are often their greatest problem. (Did anyone see Bill Maher's
"Politically Incorrect" the last two nights? ;-( )
What you describe (below) sound like an "educational hierarchy" that
hasn't changed since the advent of Public Law 94-142. Way back then
they fought inclusion because they didn't want to absorb the educational
costs of inclusion, when and where the costs of exclusion would be
picked up by some other agency's long term budget (welfare, mental
health, etc.). In many places where such shortsighted behavior existed
it was stopped by class action lawsuits.
I would submit (beyond lawsuits) that there are competent and caring
certified educational administrators in the alternative educational
arena (schools which serve those which public facilities (in your case)
will not handle who might be entreatied to serve on the council
advancement committee to help with such questions.
These, as you know Pam, are the types of questions which the WWSWd
website was designed to provide a forum for:
<http://www.boyscouts-marin.org/wwswd/wwswd.htm>
YiWWSWd,
Jay
***************************
> Hi Jay,
>
> Can you please get a clarification of who would be acceptable as a
> certified educational administrator? In my local area, school
> administrators are the least sympathetic people to AD/HD kids. The
> problem being that if they admit that the kids have problems and have
> special needs then the school district is financially responsible for
> providing them with what they need. It has been my experience that the
> administrators here even fight giving parents the appropriate testing
> results to show ability levels. They (the administrators) often even
> resist giving testing to find out what ability levels are!
>
> I see this as a roadblock for many parents and Scouts. Having myself,
> paid for such testing for my daughter several years ago; I can vouch
> for the fact that it is very expensive. We paid just over $800 to have
> it done privately. I imagine it is probably even more expensive now.
>
> Thanks,
> Pam Glidden
> Green River District
> Chief Seattle Council
>
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