Congrats Third Day!

For the first time ever, a Christian band graces the cover of Billboard Magazine.

Bill Update-AB 2717

CLICK HERE FOR LATEST INFO

YOUR SUPPORT MADE THE DIFFERENCE!

May 29, 2008
AB 2717 Passes late in the Afternoon -

SACRAMENTO (CDCAN) – Legislation pushed by parent and family advocates of children with disabilities, AB 2717, that deals with special education due process hearings and assigning “burden of proof” on school districts in certain cases, passed the Assembly late this afternoon (May 29) by a vote of 42 to 14. The bill heads to the Senate for further action.

Spirit West Coast-Del Mar CA

Went down last Sunday to Del Mar California for the Spirit West Coast festival. My wife and I took our daughter and her friend. We also dragged along my wife’s 17-year-old nephew who had no idea what he was in for. I don’t think he was ready for the loud energy of Barlow Girl, Kutless or Third Day. I think it surprised him to see a bunch of Christians rockin out. Especially his “old” uncle jumping up and down.

There isn’t a statue of a critic

Came across this on another blog and it really hit home for me.

OK, as part of Positive Post Tuesday, this is supposed to be about somebody specific. And I guess it is. It’s about YOU:

There will never be a statue of a critic. Try me – go to your town square. There might be a war hero or a Civil Rights activist or a boll weevil*, but no critic.

Please Help Children with Special Needs

UPDATE: Bill Passed Assembly. Click link for more info.

Budget Crisis

This Wednesday, I am flying to Sacramento to visit with Long Beach district area State Senators Alan Lowenthal, Jenny Oropeza, and Assemblymember Betty Karnette on behalf of children in special education. As a parent of a son with autism this is something I have done for the past four years. For the first time in state history, the Governor is proposing a real cut—$189 million—to federally mandated special education programs for the nearly 700,000 students with disabilities in our state. Because special education is a federally mandated program, services are still required to be provided to students with disabilities so the cost will have to be backfilled by a school agency’s general funds which are also proposed to be cut. It comes at a time when the number of children with disabilities has risen dramatically. The number of children with autism has increased 480% over the past 15 years. One in 166 children born today will have autism. The level of cuts proposed will cause tremendous pressure on school districts and could result in teacher and staff layoffs and/or hiring freezes. The Long Beach board of education recently voted to close an elementary school to save the district about $1 million. So if you have a child in school, not just special education but all children, please contact your representatives. This budget flunks the basic test of good government: It hurts our children. Our children did not create this financial crisis and they should not have to pay for it.