[nfbmi-talk] FNews Article Reveals Public Policy Dynamics and Lessons

[Terry D. Eagle]

The article below excellently points out the dynamics that career
bureaucrats and politicians have on the lives of citizens, and in
particular, the impact they have on persons with disAbilities, and in this
case the lives and special needs of children in the educational system.

 

Moreover, it clearly demonstrates the impact and outcome that a person with
the knowledge, a vested interest, and intervention,related to disAbilities
can have on any given public policy involving impacting the lives and future
of persons with disAbilities.  In this case the article spotlights the
impact Lt. Governor Calley's vested interest and intervention has had in the
special education system and the state administrative rule-making process.

 

As the article points out, were it not for the vested interest and
intervention by Lt. Governor Calley, I am certain the outcome described in
the article would not be the same outcome.  I am confident in my conclusion
based on my meeting and interaction with one of the persons mentioned in the
article, Mike Zimmer, Director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory
Affairs.      

 

Having directly heard Mike Zimmer's philosophy on his faith and reliance on
the professionalism, opinions, and actions of the career bureaucratic
professionals under his charge, it is most likely that Mike Zimmer would not
have written the letter to the state superintendent of education, putting
the brakes on the administrative rule-making process for the proposed
special education administrative rules, were it not for the vested interest
and intervention of Lt. Governor Calley.

 

Equally interesting and revealing, is that the article points out, the
emphasis mmade by the department of education spokesman, that the department
actually exceeded the public input requirements in the administrative
rule-making process, despite concerns raised and expressed by the public,
advocates for children with special needs, and now theLt. Governor, about
the public policy soundness of the proposed rules.  What does that say and
communicate about career bureaucratic professionals concern for the care and
best interest of the citizens they serve, in this case the children with
special needs in education, when those professionals place more interest and
emphasis on the process than the needs and lives and future of our children
and persons with disAbilities?   

 

Finally, I believe it also demonstrates the positive impact that results
when politicians are knowledgeable about any given disability, and the vital
importance of the NFB's role of education about blindness, and equally, that
given the appropriate training, adaptive tools, and equal opportunity, that
we the blind can function, compete, and productively contribute along side
and like our sighted peers in all areas of life and community.

 

Over the 75 years of NFB, I firmly believe our effort and action in the role
of education about blindness and our abilities as blind persons, has had the
greatest and far-reaching impact leading to the monumental advanements we
have collectively achieved toward equally in so many areas of life.  We, the
NFB in Michigan, need to refocus the attention and action of the
organization, on our role of education about blindness and the true
abilities we possess, so we can recapture and advance the gains of the past,
and stop the trend that is eroding and causing past gains to  slowly slip
away. While the law of non-profit organizations prevents lobbying, it
certainly promotes and encourages education as a means to influence and gain
favor and positive action from politicians and policy-makers within
government, and it is with such influential persons and governmental bodies
that we can have the greatest impact, as demonstrated by the past actions in
NFB history.  We need not invent new tools and methods to achieve gains in
equality, we need only repeat the proven historical successful actions of
the past.  

 

What do you think?

 

Respectfully,

Terry

 

 

Contentious special education proposal halted The Michigan Department of
Education will have to take its controversial plan to change the rules that
guide

the teaching of special education students back to the people if it wants to
get the plan approved. MDE was informed this week that those proposed
changes

? which have been under intense debate in Michigan for more than a year ?
won't move forward because more feedback is needed from the public.
"Families

and those affected by special education programs from all over the state
deserve the chance to tell their story and give personal feedback," Mike
Zimmer,

head of the state Office of Regulatory Reinvention, said in a letter to
State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. Zimmer must forward the proposed changes
to

the legislative Joint Committee on Administrative Rules in order for them to
have a shot at approval. The issue: The MDE had proposed changes that the

department said will simply align Michigan's rules with federal rules. But
some advocates for special education students have raised concerns, saying
the

changes would have an adverse effect: among them, giving districts
flexibility to overload classes and giving parents less input. MDE officials
have said

those conclusions are based on misinterpretations of the proposed changes.
Martin Ackley, a spokesman for the MDE, said the department exceeded the
requirements

for seeking public input when changing rules. "We conducted very broad
outreach to parents, advocates, and educators across the state and received
some

1,900 comments that were considered and used in the development of the final
set of proposed rules," Ackley said. Ackley said the department is weighing

its options. Marcie Lipsitt, an advocate for children with special education
needs who actively fought against the proposed rules, said she believes
Zimmer's

letter marks the death of the package. "These rules were not in the best
interest of children with disabilities. It would not have improved the
outcomes

of children with disabilities. This week's development was the second
setback for the proposed changes. The plan actually made it to that
legislative committee

in December, but Lt. Gov. Brian Calley intervened, asking the lawmakers to
not approve the changes. They acquiesced. But last week Flanagan asked that

they be resubmitted. Calley, Lipsitt said, has been a "significant
influence. Calley said during a Feb. 3 interview that he believes the state
needs to

take a step back. He said his office has heard from thousands of parents
across Michigan who were "concerned, confused and outright opposed to the
proposed

rules changes. He said that while the state's system for changing rules may
work for corporations and such, "it doesn't work very well for our families

that have kids in the special ed system. Calley has a vested interest in the
special education system in Michigan ? his daughter has autism and receives

special education services in Portland Public Schools. He wants to reach out
to parents statewide ? possibly through a series of hearings or town hall

events ? to hear about their experiences. "I think we're going to find areas
that are very challenged and areas that are doing an amazing job," Calley

said. "We're going to see ... a lot of variation and will be able to learn
from the good examples and be able to improve in areas where our results
aren't

up to where they should be. Contact Lori Higgins: 313-222-6651,
lhiggins at freepress.com or @LoriAHiggins