[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 135 (Saturday, November 20, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2103-E2104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               STATEMENT REGARDING IDEA CONFERENCE REPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 19, 2004

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, as a former teacher and principal, the issue 
of special education is very personal to me. I know firsthand that too 
many children in the United States are deprived of a quality education 
because the federal government has not met its commitment to special 
education.
  That is why I give my qualified support to the conference report on 
the Improving Education Results for Children With Disabilities Act of 
2003 (H.R. 1350). Above all, this legislation reaffirms that all 
children have right to a high quality education tailored to their 
needs, and that the federal government has an obligation to ensure that 
school districts and educators have the appropriate resources to 
provide it. Indeed, this conference report is a step in the right 
direction.
  Every child learns at his own pace and our educational system must be 
able to accommodate the needs of each individual student. Accordingly, 
this legislation allows students, schools, parents, and teachers to 
focus more of their time and energy on the individualized education 
programs (IEPs), and less on paperwork and procedure. The effect will 
be a more stimulating and constructive environment for students.
  The IDEA reauthorization conference report increases parental 
involvement in the education of children with disabilities. Parents 
will have more opportunities to consult with teachers to deal with 
problems in an early and effective way, without the need to go though 
formal due process channels. It provides Parent Training Institutes, 
where parents can learn to use the resources available to them when 
working with schools to get the best education for their child. 
Additionally, in fifteen states IDEA will implement a pilot paperwork 
reduction program to help expedite the development and execution of 
IEPs.
  This bill contains provisions for early intervention for students 
with special needs and mandates ongoing updates on student progress. It 
allows students to stay in the same, specially tailored program 
throughout their entire educational career, even if they switch 
schools. This provision is especially

[[Page E2104]]

critical for the over one million children who find themselves homeless 
every year. Homeless children are four times more likely to suffer from 
disabilities. Allowing children to carry over their IEPs when they 
switch schools will go a long way in helping these children get the 
best education possible.
  The IDEA reauthorization bill improves the handling of discipline and 
safety issues for students with learning disabilities. It requires 
schools to determine if a special-needs student's behavior is the 
result of the disability itself or of poor IEP implementation when 
determining proper disciplinary action. Further, children who are 
subject to discipline cannot be put into alternate placement for 
indefinite periods of time and cannot have their educational program 
suspended altogether. This is another important step forward in the 
education of special-needs students.
  Although I support this conference report, I am disappointed that it 
does not fully meet the commitment made by the federal government to 
our schools. The federal government has promised to cover 40 percent of 
the cost of IDEA. In reality, federal funding has consistently fallen 
short by as much as half. When we in Washington fail to fulfill our 
pledge to children with special needs, our federal mandates roll the 
burden over to state and local entities that are often forced to divert 
money from other crucially important programs to keep promises that we 
have not. This is unacceptable and cannot continue.
  Nevertheless, this conference report represents an important step 
forward in securing basic educational rights for children with special 
needs. I support the bill and I urge my colleagues to do so as well.

                          ____________________