Missouri House Interim Committee on Education Hearings | Missouri Learning Standards

Missouri House Interim Committee on Education Hearings | Missouri Learning Standards

The Missouri House of Representatives Interim Committee on Education is holding a second round of hearings about a number of education issues facing the state. The Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education encourages parents, teachers, administrators and community members to attend these hearings and make your voices heard. This is your chance to provide input on the priorities for lawmakers leading up to the 2014 legislative session.

Topics will likely include:

• Common Core State Standards
• Foundation formula for education funding
• Student transfers from unaccredited to accredited districts
• Teacher tenure
• Educator evaluation

Interim House Education Committee Hearing dates and locations: 

• Monday, October 21, 3:30-6:30pm at LaGrange College, 2800 Palmyra Rd, Hannibal, MO 63401
• Tuesday, October 22, 1:00-4:00pm at Northwest Missouri State University, Student Union Board Room, 800 University Dr.  Maryville, MO 64468
• Tuesday, October 22, 7:00-10:00pm at UMKC – Atterbury Student Success Center – Pierson Auditorium Room 245 – 5000 Homes, 5110 Rockhill Rd., Kansas City, MO 64110
• Wednesday, October 23, 1:00-4:00pm, University of Central Missouri, Elliott Union, Elliott Room #237A/B, 511 South Holden, Warrensburg, MO 64093
• Wednesday, October 23, 7:00-10:00pm, University of Missouri – Columbia, 319 Jesse Hall, Columbia, MO 65211

55 years in prison for e-mails and phone calls? | The Daily Caller

55 years in prison for e-mails and phone calls? | The Daily Caller

The criminalization of mental illness — i.e., the imprisonment of individuals with a mental illness for behavior that is a symptom of their illness — is a damaging, and increasing trend. Daniel Jason is just one of tens of thousands of individuals trapped by it.

Handsome, with an athletic build but a gaze that can make him appear lost, Daniel has Asperger Syndrome. A developmental disorder (on the autism spectrum), Asperger Syndrome makes it difficult for Daniel to communicate and socialize normally with others. Individuals with Asperger Syndrome want to form strong and loving relationships with others but don’t know how to do so. Their focus on something can become obsessive.

Those with Asperger Syndrome usually have normal or above average intelligence. In December 2005, Daniel graduated early from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s Degree in finance. The next year he entered the university’s graduate school of business. Daniel took $2,000 of his bar mitzvah money and made $120,000 by trading options online.

Unfortunately, Daniel’s first time dating did not go well. In late December 2005 or early January 2006, after about 11 months of dating, his girlfriend, a fellow student, ended their relationship. In emails, phone calls, and text messages, Daniel alternated between begging his ex-girlfriend to get back together and threatening to reveal personal secrets if she didn’t.

Arrested on March 30, 2007 for violating a protective order that his ex-girlfriend obtained against him, Daniel has spent most of his time since then in prison, even though he hasn’t committed any violent crimes.

On May 29, 2008, after unsuccessfully representing himself at trial, Daniel was sentenced to five years in prison for violating the protective order and two years for witness tampering. On December 1, 2010, Daniel was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for mailing a threatening communication to his lawyer from prison.

On November 5, 2012, Daniel was charged with one count of stalking while restricted by a protective order (he sent several email and Facebook messages to his ex-girlfriend) and two counts of extortion (in two voicemail messages left at his ex-girlfriend’s place of employment, he threatened to disclose “embarrassing information” about her). If convicted at his trial, scheduled to begin October 22, Daniel can be sentenced to up to 55 years in prison. Prosecutors offered a 10-year sentence if Daniel agreed to plead guilty but have withdrawn their offer.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/18/55-years-in-prison-for-e-mails-and-phone-calls/#ixzz2iMhJ8MGo

Lee's Summit R-7 School District: "The #1 mistake people make when working with those with Asperger's"

Lee's Summit R-7 School District: "The #1 mistake people make when working with those with Asperger's"

Thank you so much for checking us out, we know that you'll be thrilled with what you see.

You can watch the video we promised you "The #1 mistake people make when working with those with Asperger's" by clicking here: Watch the video

Here at Asperger Experts, we come from an insiders perspective, and teach parents, teachers, therapists and those with Asperger's to live better lives, understand why they do what they do, and unlock the potential of themselves, and everyone around them.

The basis of everything we teach is contained in this video, so make sure to watch it.

If you ever need anything please email us at expert@aspergerexperts.com

Talk soon,

Danny & Hayden
Asperger Expert

Jeff Grisamore Not: New Day, Same Flip Flopping

Jeff Grisamore Not: New Day, Same Flip Flopping

If you follow my blog you won't be surprised to learn that Grisamore has once again flipped flopped.  He said that he might vote against the veto override to protect Missouri's most vulnerable citizens.  He was absent on the day that they voted on the original bill.  He voted in favor of the veto override.

It brings back memories of him voting present on an important bill for abused women.  He also emailed legislators and said that he would resign if his bill didn't pass.  He didn't resign.  Do we see a pattern here.

Petition | Create a law that protects children from bullying by teachers | Change.org

Petition | Create a law that protects children from bullying by teachers | Change.org

Dnj - N.J. legislation aims to stop teachers who bully students

Dnj - N.J. legislation aims to stop teachers who bully students

N.J. legislation aims to stop teachers who bully students

Posted 5/18/2012 9:30 AM ET

E-mail | Save | Print

By Bob Jordan, The Asbury Park (N.J.) Press

TRENTON, N.J. — Secret school recordings posted on YouTube by a father, with an adult being caught calling the man's 10-year-old autistic son "a bastard," have helped spur an effort to speed the disciplinary process for teachers and other school employees who bully students.

New Jersey GOP Sen. Diane Allen introduced a bill Thursday to expand anti-bullying laws to cover incidents where teachers are the aggressors.

Allen said she was motivated by several recent publicized teacher bullying incidents, including the recordings made by Stuart Chaifetz, who documented what he says was torment of his son for at least six months by public-school special education teachers and support staff at the Horace Mann Elementary School.

"Schools are supposed to be fertile ground where our children can grow into healthy individuals. In those few places where staff members, for whatever reason, treat them with disrespect and disdain, like they did to my son, they can really destroy lives," Chaifetz said at a State House news conference hosted by Allen.

Allen was also joined by 15-year-old Julio Artuz and his parents. Artuz last fall made a cellphone video of an incident where he said was bullied by a Bankbridge Regional School teacher.

Artuz said of the incident, "I really have a hard time talking about it, but I just want this to stop. I don't want anybody else to feel the way it made me feel, the lowest I'd ever felt in my whole life."

Allen said her legislation would speed the disciplinary process for teachers and other school officials, including those with tenure, found to have engaged in bullying, intimidation, or harassment of students.

Under the proposal, reported incidents of bullying by teachers must be investigated by the school's anti-bullying specialist within 10 days.

New Jersey Education Association spokesman Steve Wollmer said Allen's proposal eliminates due process rights, making it unlikely to survive a legal challenge, "because it would allow no more appeals to a neutral third party," he said.

"We all agree bullying is unacceptable by a student or a school employee or anybody and should be dealt with immediately," Wollmer said.

He said the union has proposed that the state could provide better flexibility in disciplinary actions by borrowing from practices in Massachusetts, where action on dismissing a teacher is in the hands of outside employment arbitrators.

"Everyone has a right to due process, but that process must be timely in fairness to both the student and the school employee," Allen said.

Artuz was allegedly bullied by teacher Steve Roth. Administrative Law Judge Jeff Masin said in a new ruling Roth had engaged in "conduct that was intimidating and bullying" but said that removal of his tenure wasn't warranted, ordering instead that Roth should forfeit 120 days pay.

The local school board responded to the ruling Thursday, releasing a statement that it "respectfully disagrees with the recommendation of Judge Masin to permit Steven Roth to retain his job after serving a suspension for the remainder of the school year."

The school board will file exceptions to the judge's decision with state Education Department in a bid to terminate Roth's employment.

When the School Says No, How to Get the Yes!: Securing Special Education Services for Your Child: Vaughn Lauer: 9781849059176: Amazon.com: Books

When the School Says No, How to Get the Yes!: Securing Special Education Services for Your Child: Vaughn Lauer: 9781849059176: Amazon.com: Books

When planning a child's Individualized Education Program (IEP), it is vital that parents and educators are involved in collaborative decision making. This book offers parents of children with autism and other disabilities a unique way of approaching and tackling the problems that can arise relating to the provision of special education services.

Taking a structured, cooperative approach to IEPs, the easily applicable six question process enables parents to determine the needs of their child and obtain the services required by asking key questions during IEP meetings. Explaining the approach through real life scenarios and issues, this book demonstrates how to achieve effective collaboration with school personnel, ensuring the child receives the appropriate and necessary educational program and services.

Providing a practical, structured approach to IEP planning for parents and offering insight into the parental perspective for educators, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in IEP meetings.