Federal Budget Update

Nearly three months after the start of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, Congress and the White House have reached an agreement on spending bills and begun to move forward with approving the measures. The 12 spending bills have been broken into two packages, or “minibuses.” The deal honors the $49 billion in increased funding that was agreed to under a bipartisan budget deal signed into law in July. Education spending will get a $1.3 billion increase, reaching a total of $72.8 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

All of the programs that CASE and CEC advocates on behalf of saw an increase. Details are as follows:

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Grants to States Program (Part B) will receive a $400 million increase, for a total of $12.76 billion.
• IDEA Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program (Part C) will receive a $7 million increase, for a total of $477 million.
• IDEA Preschool Program (Part B Section 619) will receive a $3 million increase, for a total of $394 million.
• IDEA National Activities (Part D) will receive a $6.5 million increase, for a total of $250 million.
• National Center for Special Education Research, within the Institute for Education Sciences will receive a $500,000 increase, for a total of $56.5 million.
• Title I will receive a $450 million increase for a total of $16.3 billion in funding.
• Title II-A will receive an increase of $76 million for a total of $2.1 billion in funding.
• Title IV-A will receive an increase of $40 million for a total of $1.2 billion in funding.

Additionally, the bill includes language that instructs the ED and other agencies on matters pertaining to CASE and CEC’s policy priorities. A few examples are:

Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Program: Congress requests ED to use funds to “increase the number of grants that assist schools in the identification of, and provision of services to, gifted and talented students who may not be identified and served through traditional assessment methods, such as children with disabilities, English learners, children of color, and economically disadvantaged students.”

Special Education Teacher Shortages: Congress requests a report from the Government Accountability Office on “…factors contributing to school districts' challenges with teacher recruitment and retention.” The report is to also include a review and analysis of challenges with recruitment and retention of “special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and teacher aides; the extent to which licensure requirements are waived or modified to address shortages; and geographic and demographic characteristics of districts facing the greatest challenges or shortages, including rural and urban areas,” and to make recommendations on “potential Federal interventions to improve teacher recruitment and retention.”

Medicaid: Congress advises the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to coordinate with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide technical assistance to reduce administrative barriers for providing health services in coordination with schools.

On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced the two minibuses. The Senate is expected to clear the spending measures and President Trump is expected to sign them into law before the current spending deal expires at midnight on December 20.

Congratulations to the field for its continued pressure on appropriators to increase spending for students with exceptionalities. Your ongoing advocacy is critical, and we thank you for your hard work.

Read the Labor-H bill here.
Read the Labor-H report here.

CASE and CEC: Principles for SLD Eligibility: Practice & Policy Considerations for States and School Districts

On Monday, CASE and CEC jointly released Principles for SLD Eligibility: Practice & Policy Considerations for States and School Districts. The resources in this three-part series highlight policy and practice considerations that can support the implementation of previously released joint principles and encourage districts to move toward high-quality identification and evaluation processes. The topics include:

A Comprehensive Evaluation for a Child Suspected to Have SLD
Selective Use of Data on Cognitive Assessments Within an Evaluation
Effective Use of Instructional Response Data in an Evaluation

The resources offer strategies to states for improving identification of specific learning disabilities (SLD), without endorsing a single method. Regardless of the model they use, the papers encourage states and districts to engage in continuous evaluation and improvement of their practices and policies in an effort to eliminate inconsistency, decrease frustration, improve collaboration, and better serve students.

Other organizations collaborating on the papers include the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Council of Administrators of Special Education, Divisions for Learning Disabilities, the Council for Learning Disabilities, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education.

The new resources can be found here.

ACTION: Federal Funding Call In Days - Thursday and Friday

CASE is a member of a coalition, Committee for Education Funding (CEF) and they are wanting all of our members to call the House on Thursday, Dec 5 and the Senate on Dec 6. There are several great resources from them for you to use. Script and directions, and Twitter addresses. I have also added images on Education Funding Chart and Poll on Public opinion that may be helpful. At a minimum, you should call in to the House and Senate, but it would be really great if you could at least get your executive committee/board/officers to do the same!

CASE and CEC Name New Executive Directors

As most of you know, our two national organizations, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Council for Administrators of Special Education (CASE) have had searches underway for the position of Executive Director in their organizations.  The two organizations recently made announcements about these positions.

 CASE Names Phyllis Wolfram as Executive Director Beginning March 1, 2020

It is with great pleasure that we announce the next Executive Director for the Council of Administrators of Special Education, Phyllis Wolfram. Please join me in congratulating Phyllis as she assumes this important leadership role within our organization. She will leave her position as the Executive Director of Missouri CASE and assume this new role on March 1, 2020.  As many of you know, Phyllis has been at the heart of CASE's leadership for many years and also comes to us with many years of leadership experience at the local, state and national levels. 

Phyllis was selected as the next leader of CASE through a rigorous and competitive process facilitated by the Executive Committee of CASE.

This new appointment for Phyllis comes as  Dr. Luann Purcell announces her retirement after serving as the Executive Director for CASE for 17 years. While Luann leaves great shoes to fill, we have no doubt Phyllis will carry our organization to new heights into the future.  Her expertise in special education, professional development, non-profit association leadership, and organizations are essential to our future and she brings energy and dedication unmatched in our field.

CEC Names Chad Rummel as Executive Director Beginning January 1, 2020
As key leaders and volunteers in the field, it is my sincere pleasure to share with you the exciting news that Chad Rummel, M.Ed, CAE, a leading association executive, thought leader, and long-time member of the education community, will become executive director of the Council for Exceptional Children, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

Chad comes to us from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, where he has been executive director since 2013. You can read more about his distinguished career and professional credentials in our official press release.

ACTION NEEDED: Federal Appropriations

Last week, the U.S. Senate made the first procedural move to advance a number of non-controversial spending measures for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 as early as this week. At the moment, the grouping, or "minibus," includes Commerce, Justice, Science; Agriculture; Interior and the Environment; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs. While those bills are taking center stage, we learned that negotiations are active behind the scenes on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) bill, which includes federal funding for education programs. A current likely scenario [in a fast-changing climate] is that the top-line number for the Labor-H bill will land somewhere between the Senate's level-funding approach and the House's proposed major increase, leaving some additional money for FY 2020. The most likely outcome is that the bulk of extra Labor-H funding would go toward the National Institutes of Health. Any other excess could go toward education and may likely increase the major formula grants to states, including special education.

CEC has developed a Call to Action so members can engage in a final push on FY 2020 spending through a letter-writing campaign. The template letter calls for spending increases to the following programs:

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Grants to States Program (Part B)
• IDEA Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program (Part C)
• IDEA Preschool Program (Part B Section 619)
• IDEA National Activities (Part D)
• National Center for Special Education Research, within the Institute for Education Sciences

To join in this call to action, please follow this link.

Educator Shortages in Special Education - Facilitators Guide

The Educator Shortages in Special Education Toolkit is organized around the guiding principle that short-term strategies to meet immediate demand must be intentionally paired with long-term, systemic strategies to attract, prepare, and retain effective special education teachers to create comprehensive shortage solutions. The Toolkit is organized around a Facilitator's Guide and three supporting sets of tools. The Facilitator's Guide is designed to lead state teams through a collaborative process to develop a comprehensive approach for addressing special education teacher shortages. Aligned with current efforts from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, this process intentionally examines shortages across the entire career continuum — from attracting to preparing to retaining teachers — so that all students with disabilities have access to effective teachers.

CASE & NCLD Partner to Release Eligibility for Special Education Under a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Classification

Our national organization, CASE, has been working with several other organizations and the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), and we’re excited to announce that their efforts have officially been released as of July 31, 2019!

Together, 11 national organizations (including CEC, the Council of Administrators of Special Education, and the Division for Learning Disabilities) developed Eligibility for Special Education Under a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Classification, which features 8 joint principles to guide the evaluation process for identifying students who have SLD and are eligible for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) .

Visit NCLD’s website to learn more about this exciting work and help improve policies and practices—whether for your own child or for those you serve.

A Few Great Conference Opportunities

There is certainly not a shortage of great professional development coming up in the 2019 - 2020 school year!

CASE/NASDSE Joint Conference

October 27-29, 2019 - Louisville, KY

Join your special education administrative colleagues from the state and national level for the annual CASE conference in Louisville, KY.  We will partner with our National Director Colleagues (NASDSE) for a fantastic event.

Keynote Speakers include Marilyn Friend and Johnny Collett.

Hotel blocks and registration are filling quickly!  Register now at this site (link opens in a new window). 

CEC Annual Convention 

February 5-9, 2020 - Portland, OR  

The CEC Convention is the largest meeting of special education professionals in the world!  You will not want to miss this great event in Portland, OR!  Register by September 30, 2019 to receive a discount on registration! 

Keynote speakers include Sady Paulson and Randy Sprick!

Get registered now at this link.

Take Action Now: IDEA Full Funding

When our team was in Washington, DC a few weeks back, one of the things we were talking with people about was IDEA Full Funding.  The video below was put together by Senator Bernie Sanders with the help of CASE President-Elect, Erin Maguire to talk about the need for a fully funded IDEA.

There are two bills that are currently working their way through the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate - HR 1878 and S. 866.  Illinois currently has the following Members of Congress signed on as co-sponsors of HR 1878:

• Rep. Robin Kelley
• Rep. Dan Lipinski
• Rep. Chuy Garcia
• Rep. Mike Quigley
• Rep. Sean Casten
• Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi
• Rep. Jan Schakowsky
• Rep. Brad Schneider
• Rep. Mike Bost
• Rep. Rodney Davis

And while we have asked for their support, the following Members of Congress have not yet signed on in support of the measure:

• Rep. Bobby Rush
• Rep. Danny Davis
• Rep. Bill Foster
• Rep. Lauren Underwood
• Rep. Adam Kinzinger
• Rep. John Shimkus
• Rep. Cheri Bustos
• Rep. Darin Lahood

We also have asked for the support for Senators Durbin and Duckworth on S. 866, but have not heard back about whether they support the bill.

08/01/2019 - UPDATE:  We are thrilled to announce that Senator Duckworth has signed on as a co-sponsor of S. 866!

We need your assistance.  You can send a letter to your Member of Congress about this important issue by clicking here (link opens in a new window).  Imagine more money coming into local schools for special education.  That dream can become a reality.

CASE Executive Director Set To Retire - Search Initiated

For Immediate Release
Contact: Dr. Luann Purcell (lpurcell@casecec.org)
478-333-6892

Warner Robins, GA - April 26, 2019 - The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) Executive Director Dr. Luann Purcell has announced plans to retire at the end of February 2020. A search for Dr. Purcell’s replacement is underway.

Dr. Purcell leaves CASE as a robust and vibrant organization of leaders, with a membership of nearly 4,000 Directors of Special Education internationally. The organization provides leadership in policy, professional learning and special education leadership. Phyllis Wolfram, President of CASE, shared that “it has been an honor and a privilege to work with Dr. Purcell. She is admired and respected across the nation and has contributed significantly to the field of special education. Her dedication and commitment to local special education administrators in unmatched! Thank you cannot begin to express our appreciation for all that Dr. Purcell has brought to this organization.”

Dr. Purcell cites the positive culture of leadership as one of the association’s greatest strengths. “When I started in 2002, one of my main goals was to constantly look at what our membership needed and how CASE, through support of our subdivisions, could meet those needs. Strong CASE and state/provincial leaders were the critical factor in meeting those needs!” Dr. Purcell’s passion for CASE has been clear through her consulting and advising administrators on best practices for leadership and development of quality programs for students with disabilities; assisting members in developing networking systems through state, provincial, and country units in order to provide better services to members; advocating at the governmental level to assure appropriate legislation to facilitate the development and maintenance of quality programs for students with disabilities; and providing Keynote/breakout sessions/etc at state/provincial and regional conferences on leadership, legislative/policy updates, attitude adjustment, the passion in compassion, and other current education issues.

As a colleague and leader, Purcell will be deeply missed. Past President Gary Myrah reflects that “Luann has worked tirelessly to have CASE be a champion for children with disabilities and their families. She has built an incredible network of partner organizations that have a similar mission to provide the best opportunities for individuals with disabilities. She may be retiring from being the executive director, yet she will continue to be a leader in the field of education.”

President-Elect Erin Maguire adds, “Luann is an incredibly strong leader and has brought CASE to a point of national recognition for expertise and knowledge in the field of special education. She is a compassionate leader who has supported our organization tirelessly. CASE is supported through a network of volunteers and passionate educators who Luann fully supports and elevates to ensure local directors have a voice at the national level.”

Purcell came to CASE after 30 years in education. She has been a leader at the local and state unit level within the Council for Exceptional Children and the Council of Administrators of Special Education throughout her career. Dr. Purcell has had a variety of experiences in public education including experience as a general education teacher at both high school and middle school level, teacher of students with emotional and behavioral disorders, coordinator at a regional educational service center, and assistant superintendent for pupil services for 18 years in a local district with 27,000 students. She has keynoted and led sessions in 47 states, 3 Canadian provinces, and 4 foreign countries on various educational issues and the development of proactive leadership skills in times of change.

CASE has benefited tremendously from her experience and will continue to benefit from her leadership for years to come.

The organization plans to initiate a search for the next executive director in the coming weeks with President-Elect Erin Maguire chairing the search team. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Mrs. Maguire at emaguire@ewsd.org or via phone at 802-857-2018. 

A copy of the job posting is available by clicking here.

###

Update on Significant Disproportionality - Court Rules Against Department of ED

CASE has been hard at work on behalf of its members on the issue of disproportionality.  After gathering feedback at the Board of Directors meeting in November, CASE submitted comments regarding the issue to Johnny Collett, the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).  Many of you completed the survey we sent out and our Significantly Disproportionality Ad Hoc committee is taking all of that into consideration. 

Meanwhile, on Thursday, March 7, the US District Court for the District of Columbia announced its decision ruling the US Department of Education engaged in "illegal delay." CASE did immediately released a statement concerning this development.   

We are committed to continue working together on this very important issue through our AD HOC committee to figure out next steps for our members across the country. 

Here is an article from our legislative consultant that may help to clarify! 

Court Rules Regulation Delay Violates Federal Law

Myrna Mandlawitz, CASE legislative Consultant

Implementation of a 2016 regulation related to significant disproportionality in special education, promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education at the end of the Obama Administration, was put on hold by the current Administration in early 2017. The regulations would require states and local school districts to examine, report on, and address disproportionate identification and placement into more restrictive settings of students of color, as well as examining disciplinary actions for students with disabilities, including higher rates of suspension and expulsion.

After delaying the original regulation, the Department initially said it would issue a new proposed regulation in February 2019. That date came and went. While waiting for Department action, in July 2018 the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), represented by the National Center for Youth Law, filed suit against the Department of Education alleging the Department's delay violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Specifically, the suit alleged the Department had taken actions that interfere with its obligation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure students with disabilities receive needed education services in the most appropriate setting without regard to students' race.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia announced its decision on March 7, ruling the U.S. Department of Education engaged in "illegal delay of a legal regulation." The court's ruling requires immediate implementation of the original regulations. Interestingly, a number of states continued to move toward implementation of the 2016 regulation, even though the Department suspended the regulation, so many states will not to have change their current activities.

In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) on April 15, 2018, CASE stated "we strongly support addressing the issue of significant disproportionality, with special education eligibility as one factor. However, we also recognize this is a much larger systemic education issue that cannot be resolved solely through these regulations. That said, we are aware several states have made significant progress toward implementing these rules, with the original deadline close at hand. We do not want states that have followed the timetable to be penalized, while those that did not plan for the deadline are allowed greater flexibility than those that did. In addition, we believe delay may cause greater confusion in the field and continued wide variability in practice, exactly what these regulations are designed to avoid."

We are now waiting to see if the Department of Education will appeal the decision, or what their next move will be regarding this important regulation. In fact, this decision could have farther reaching consequences, since the Department has been moving to roll back other regulations across the various education programs they administer. It will be interesting to see if other organizations or stakeholders challenge other regulatory actions.

You can read the full decision in Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. v. DeVos, Collett, U.S. Department of Education at https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2018cv1636-31.

Share Your Knowledge - Lots of Upcoming Opportunities

We know that our IAASE Members are talented presenters and professionals.  Several upcoming conferences have calls for programs currently available including the following:

CASE/NASDSE Joint Conference – October 27-29, 2019 The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) are excited to be hosting our 2nd joint conference that reflects the desired collaboration between local and state special education directors and their stakeholders. Click here to find the call for programs and more information about this conference. 

Illinois Statewide Transition Conference - OctoberThe Illinois Statewide Transition Conference invites submissions of proposals to present at the 2019 Illinois Statewide Transition Conference, Stepping Stones of Transition to be held October 17-18, 2019 in Collinsville, Illinois. Each of you brings hope, education, and inspires change in people to find the courage to help those you work with fulfill their potential. Join a myriad of others interested in doing this and also gain new skills at innovative workshops. Submit a proposal to present and also network with colleagues, experts in other fields and families at this year’s Illinois Statewide Transition conference.  Click here to get started. 

Council for Exceptional Children - February, 2020The International Council for Exceptional Children will host its Annual Convention in Portland, Oregon in February, 2020.  Interested in submitting a workshop? Please use this link that will take you to the 2020 CEC Workshop Call for Proposals. Workshops provide practical, evidence-based information and are full- or half-day workshops.

IAASE Members Encouraged To Register for CASE/CEC Special Education Legislative Summit

Be an advocate | Registration Options | Hotel & Travel

2019 Special Education Legislative Summit The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) invite you to the 2019 Special Education Legislative Summit, the premier advocacy event of the year for special educators and early interventionists. During this event, advocates from across the country gather to educate our nation’s policymakers about: Protecting and increasing IDEA funding for its intended purpose. Ensuring no policy restricts public education’s ability to deliver a free appropriate public education and early intervention services. Safeguarding the rights of children and youth with exceptionalities. You know what children and youth with exceptionalities and professionals need, so raise your voice and advocate with us during the 2019 Special Education Legislative Summit this July! Hurry to register at Early Bird rates! Be an advocate!

Council for Exceptional Children 2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22202

CASE/NASDSE - Call for Proposals

Proposals Now Being Accepted The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) are excited to be hosting our 2nd joint conference that reflects the desired collaboration between local and state special education directors and their stakeholders.

The conference will include six keynote sessions, five of them to be followed by break-out sessions related to the keynote topic. Please select the track your presentation best fits when you submit. You may select more than one track.

Proposals for break-out sessions will be prioritized according to the conference goal of collaboration among SEAs, LEAs, and other stakeholders. Single presenter sessions will also be considered, but receive a lesser priority during the selection process. Sessions will be 1 to 1 1/2 hours long.

The five keynote topics are:1. Recruitment and Retention of Special Education Personnel Examples of breakout sessions under this topic include:

• Examining district data and auditing your hiring practices
• Engaging staff
• Examples of SEAs and LEAs efforts 
• Improving working conditions
• Pay and benefit initiatives
• Mentoring; support; training
• Grow your own program

2. Leadership and Being an Agent of ChangeExamples of breakout sessions under this topic include:

• Leading by Convening
• Collaboration
• Parent involvement and engagement
• Working effectively with legislators and school boards
• Communicating policy with media
• Advocacy

3.  Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and IDEA
Examples of breakout sessions under this topic include:

• Dyslexia;  behavioral issues;  and/or other learning issues
• Universal Design for Learning
• Fidelity of implementation 
• State and Local Advocacy

4. Specially Designed Instruction
Examples of breakout sessions under this topic:

• Defining SDI
• Writing SDI into defensible IEPs
• Models of providing SDI 
• Using data to implement SDI
• Progress monitoring 

5.  State and Local Directors Collaborative Panel: Understanding each other’s role in making a difference for kids and families.  

Examples of breakout sessions under this topic:

• Discipline and the use of home/hospital placements
• Joint SEA/LEA projects that provide sustainable change to improve student achievement
• Strategies for communicating state and federal policies to school districts and schools

Note: ALL presenters and co-presenters will have to register for the conference by June 30, 2019. Conference fee cancellation policy: Written requests for refunds, minus 20% administrative costs, will be honored only if postmarked no later than October 2, 2018. Refunds will be mailed after the conference. Substitutions may be made after Oct 2nd.

The call for proposals closes March 31, 2019.

We look forward to seeing you in Louisville!

Update from CASE/ CEC Conference - IAASE Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

At our CASE Board of Directors meeting in Indianapolis, IAASE has, once again, been recognized for its outstanding work! This year, we have achieved the award for Outstanding Achievement in the area of Policy and Legislation.

This award is thanks to our tracking of bills, legislative advocacy, continued and ongoing presence in Springfield, well-developed relationships with legislators, legislative roundtables, conference events, and strong delegations each year at the Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS) in Washington, DC. We have done so much work in this area during the past several years including adding a full-time lobbyist (Shannon Miller Bellini) and reconstituting the Legislative Committee with representatives from across the state thanks to Melissa Taylor and Judy Hackett. Really, however, this award is for all of us who work so hard on an every day basis to help every legislator understand schools (and why special education matters).

We also received recognition for increasing our membership year-over-year in CASE by 3%. It was a small increase, but an increase nonetheless. A few people who should be recognized here. First off - Melissa Taylor had the idea to create a more "unified" membership a few years back and we have increased our membership every year since then. Second - Christine Putlak and our region reps have been working hard to increase our membership in IAASE as well and we are currently at 1215 members - the highest point we have been at the end of January - EVER! Finally - we are growing because of all of you. THANK YOU for helping us to be better.

For those of you who are CASE regulars and are curious - these were the other award winners:

• Outstanding Award - Arizona
• Outstanding Communication - Minnesota
• Outstanding Member Development - Michigan
• Outstanding Professional Development - Missouri
• Highest Membership Growth - Mississippi CASE
• Exemplary Unit - Indiana CASE

2019 CASE Winter Hybrid Conference

I hope you have already signed up for the 2019 Hybrid Conference. It is going to be amazing!  It will be held on March 7-8. Here are the HINTS for virtual sites. We would love for every one of our 43 affiliates to make sure there are at least 3 virtual sites in every state and province. Except for the very first 3 hours, this conference will very much be applicable to our members to the North-Canada!  We know school safety, trauma sensitive schools knows no boundaries!  Please promote this conference...it is definitely more than a special education professional development. It is appropriate for principals, assistant principals, school psychologists, counselors, teachers, parents, community, just about anyone concerned for the education of our students!  And if you would love to join us in Albuquerque, NM, we would love to have you! For more details on the sessions, look at this document! 

CASE Activities at CEC

We hope you are planning on attending the CEC Convention in Indianapolis, January 29-February 2. Here is a preliminary CASE Events document to help you with planning your schedule. If you are attending, be sure you  arrive in time to attend our Member breakfast, sponsored by eLuma ...I don't have the room yet but it will be in the JW Marriott. The member meeting following the breakfast will be full of information and the opportunity to provide input. We will be giving our Unit Awards, sponsored by Master Teacher in the afternoon.  Please encourage all your members who will be attending CEC to join us for the member meeting-it is open to ALL CASE members! Houghton, Mifflin, and Harcourt will be sponsoring Julie Weatherly's 90 Tips in 120 minutes on Thursday.  We are so excited about CASE Night this year! It will once again be sponsored by StarAutism and it will be at the Hall  of Champions--which is in walking distance of the convention! So, if you haven't gotten your tickets yet, be sure and do that today!

Comments Needed - Public Charge

Regulatory Comments on "Public Charge"

Please weigh in by DECEMBER 10, 2018!

Background: In mid-October, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed regulation known as "public charge." You can read the proposal in full at

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-10-10/pdf/2018-21106.pdf .

 

Here's the BOTTOM LINE:  For over a 100 years "public charge" has been part of immigration law.  In the past it has been used (as it seems intended now) to keep out certain groups of immigrants (Irish, Jewish, disabled, etc.).  The real gist of these rules is to screen out who will be a "public charge," i.e., dependent on public services/benefits.  These benefits include, among others, Medicaid, SNAP, and housing assistance.

 

This proposal broadens the definition of "public charge" to someone who receives just one benefit/service.  The new proposal would have DHS scrutinize each of a long series of factors that could weigh against letting the immigrant in -- for example, pre-existing health conditions, ability to get a job, and disability or having a child with a disability.

 

FOR SCHOOLS:  If you opened the link above, you saw immediately the complexity of these rules. There is an exemption for Medicaid in schools. However, many immigrant families will not understand that and will be afraid to give consent for IDEA services, for fear of the effects on their immigration status. In fact, some CASE members have already reported this happening, including parents asking to withdraw their children from current services.

 

ACTION: CASE has developed comments and requests that each CASE unit also send comments as well as individual members. See below for details.

 

DEADLINE:  December 10.

 

TAKE ACTION:

1.  Use the  template link and fill in State and/or district-specific information in the highlighted areas. Personal stories are critical. DHS has already indicated they will not read "form letters!" By "personalizing" the highlighted areas, you will be making it a more individualized letter! This is a critical part of the directions!

 

2.   To submit your comments:

• Format your response as a Word/PDF document (use organizational letterhead if possible)..
• Go to https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=USCIS-2010-0012-0001.
• In the 'Comment" box, type "(name of unit) is pleased to submit the following comments on the proposed regulation on "Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds."
• Below the comment box:
  • Upload your file.
  • Enter your first and last name.
  • Click 'continue.'
• Review the information on this page, including a check to ensure your document is attached.
• Click the 'I have read and understand' item.
• Click 'Submit Comment.

3.  NOTE:  You can also send a copy of your comments to your Senators and House members.  We recommend attaching to an email and indicating that the proposed regulation is of deep concern to your members