LD 1772 a bold Maine IDEA

The National Research Council Institute of Medicine, “From Neurons to Neighborhoods,” reflects that “the time is long overdue for state and local decisions makers to take bold actions to design and implement coordinated, functionally effective infrastructures to reduce … fragmentation of early childhood education policies and programs.”

LD 1772 is a bold proposal for a seamless, cohesive implementation of the special education responsibilities of IDEA, the federal law for special education. The reorganization will ensure quality services in locations that are easily accessible to

eligible children and their families, working in partnership with other state and community agencies.

This proposal dovetails with one of the objectives of the Maine Task Force on Early Childhood and the Governor’s Task for a Seamless System pre school through college; to develop public-private partnerships for infrastructure and quality supports, primarily via “hubs,” such as schools and community agencies, working together to maximize services and access for families.

The bill does propose the repeal of the existing CDS statute, reducing a layer of bureaucracy, alignment of state statute with federal law and removes barriers from the creation of a seamless system for education. The name change is intended to reflect the fact that the early childhood section of the federal law being implemented is one program within the special education system in Maine.

A recent op-ed in the Bangor Daily News (“State education plan imperils young children,” Jan. 20) misstated components of the proposal:

. CDS sites will remain in place as of July 1, only the governance boards will be eliminated. Instead of 16 boards there would be one state board with an expanded membership. Local sites directors may continue to have an advisory board.

. The article assumes the commissioner of education’s goal is to make CDS sites more uniform by reducing the number. This is not true. The true purpose is to insure compliance with federal law, streamline administrative functions, create a seamless educational system and recognizes the ultimate responsibility for the services for children within special education birth to age 20 rests with the Department of Education.

. It states the mission of the commissioner of education is to tighten eligibility and serve fewer children. Absolutely not true. As commissioner of education, Susan Gendron has an obligation as directed by the newly revised federal law, IDEA, to ensure Maine’s statutes are aligned with federal law and to develop a rigorous definition for developmental delay. The proposal for definitions is the result of a task force that has met for over a year. The goal is to serve all eligible children, regardless of number.

. It assumes children will not be served. It is important to recognize that the CDS system is one program in a comprehensive system. The Early Childhood Task Force, Children’s Cabinet, Departments of Education and Health and Human Services all recognize the importance of expanding services to our children pre-natal to age 5. The governor announced several additional initiatives in his State of the State and the Children’s Cabinet works diligently to identify resources across state agencies to maximize services to families. Our job is to think outside the box to provide quality cost-effective services to families.

. It also assumes the proposal would eliminate the choice of an Individualized Family Service Plan for parents |of 3- to 5-year-olds. This choice will continue and is not recommended for elimination.

. The department takes the transition process seriously. Therefore, in addition to the Early Childhood Special Education Board included in the proposal, the report to the Joint Committees on Appropriations and Education and Cultural Affairs reflected the Department’s commitment to develop a Commission to Study Special Education Birth through Age Eight to advise the commissioner on effective steps for a successful transition of jurisdiction for 3- to 5-year-olds and the possible frameworks to ensure the provision of services to 0- to 2-year-olds in a seamless fashion.

Both the commission and the Early Childhood Special Education Board will serve to facilitate careful examination of the implementation of services consistent with the federal IDEA, while beginning the sequential steps to meet the vision of a seamless system. The transition period, as proposed in the bill, is two full school years, not the one year reflected in the article.

LD 1772 is consistent with the focus of the Children’s Cabinet to ensure the provision of quality services to Maine’s children.

Unfortunately the article misrepresented the intentions of LD 1772, which was written to ensure compliance with federal statute and to achieve efficiencies in administrative functions.

This commentary was signed by Karen M. Baldacci, Maine’s first lady; Susan A. Gendron, the commissioner of education; and Brenda M. Harvey, acting commissioner of Health and Human Services.