[nfbwatlk] Fw: [Fw: Senate Bill 6491 - Transferring the stateschool forthe blind and the state center for childhooddeafness andhearing loss to the office of the superintendentof publicinstruction.

[dmackenstadt at comcast.net]

I am considering going to Olympia tomorrow. If you live between Everett and Olympia I am willing to pick up along the I 5 corridor. I have room for 3. First come first serve. 
Denise Mackenstadt
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

-----Original Message-----
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:02:29 
To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List<nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [nfbwatlk] Fw: [Fw: Senate Bill 6491 - Transferring the state
	school forthe blind and the state center for childhood
	deafness andhearing loss to the office of the superintendent
	of publicinstruction.

Fellow NFBW members:

As you see, the message below comes from the Washington Council of the Blind and is, in turn, a forwarded message announcing a public meeting on SB-6491, the bill to place WSSB under OSPI. It may be inconvenient for you to make the meeting/hearing which will be held at ten o'clock in the morning on Saturday, January 23, in Hearing Room A in the John L. OBrien Building on the Capital campus in Olympia. I will be there representing the NFB of Washington and opposing the bill (maybe I'll get to read my testimony then). But others (including, most especially, parents) are encouraged to come if possible. I realize this is short notice (some senators and representatives put this together) so I am not trying to organize a mass effort. But if anyone isn't doing anything else and can get there and raise a rumpus against the bill, by all means consider it. But rest assured I'll be there to carry the flag.

Mike Freeman, President
NFB of Washington


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Berl Colley 
To: CCCB Mailing List 
Cc: WCB-L ; Denise Colley (E-mail) 
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 10:29 AM
Subject: [Wcb-l] Fw: Senate Bill 6491 - Transferring the state school forthe blind and the state center for childhood deafness andhearing loss to the office of the superintendent of publicinstruction.


 
>From Rick Hauan and Jane Mulholland....

 

Important:  Please send this information out using your dissemination lists that were used to announce the stakeholder meetings.

 

This morning the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K-12 Education heard SB 6491-the bill from the Governor's office that would move WSD and WSSB under OSPI.  According to the  report we heard, a number of people from both the deaf and blind communities attended and  testified against the bill.   No one testified in support of the bill.

 

Kathleen Drew from the governor's office indicated the two reasons for the bill were cost efficiency and improved government service to the public.  She said that they expect cost efficiencies, but it will take time to identify them.  The fiscal note that has been prepared refers to $14 million dollars (the cost of the two schools), but Drew stated that was not savings but rather simply a transfer from the current budget position to OSPI.  She said that both schools need to be integrated more fully into the K-12 service delivery system in order to better serve all deaf and blind students.  The transfer would help to do that she said

 

The Governor's office is hosting a public forum this Saturday, January 23, 2010, in Olympia from 10:00 a.m. - noon.  It will be in Hearing Room "A" of the John L. O'Brien Building on the Capitol Campus.  Interpreters will be provided.  Anyone interested in expressing an opinion on SB6491 is welcome to attend.  We are providing information about the public meeting to WSD parents and stakeholders, and you may feel free to pass this on to interested persons.   

 

Here is the link to SB6491:   http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6491&year=2009.

 



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