CCOSD

Need to Change Federal Laws about Education for the Deaf!

From Ed Peltier, Executive Director, American School for the Deaf & Board Member of CEASD

                                                   CEASD Child First Campaign  

The Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD), the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), the American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) and other organizations have established a plan to try to make some changes to the federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Listed below is a summary of what we, including ASD, are trying to do (excerpts taken from The Maryland Bulletin, Winter 2010-2011 edition): 

• CEASD launched the “Child First” Campaign.  Its goals are:
  •  to educate the U.S. Congress, the White House, the U.S. Department of Education and the general public about the original intent of IDEA
  • To raise issues related to the misapplication of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) clause for certain groups of students (including deaf and hard of hearing students)
  • To affect changes in the IDEA language during its upcoming reauthorization
• CEASD has posted two different vlog entries on their website, to inform the Deaf Community about the project.  You can view the vlog by going to their website:
  • http://www.ceasd.org/idea
• To view CEASD’s position paper on the upcoming reauthorization of IDEA, go to their website:
  • http://www.ceasd.org/idea/downloads/ConceptPaperChildFirstIEP10-19-10.pdf
• CEASD has hired Ms. Connie Garner, Policy Director in the Government Strategies Practice Group, as their chief strategist for the “Child First” Campaign.
• CEASD has asked NAD and ASDC for support.
  • NAD declared the upcoming reauthorization of IDEA to be their number one priority when delegates met at their national conference in the summer of 2010.
• Hopefully, the campaign will also encourage parents of deaf and hard of hearing children who have experienced frustrations with the misapplication of the LRE rule with their children.
  • Parents and guardians who wish to share their stories may contact Mr. Joseph P. Finnegan, Jr., Executive Director of CEASD at NationalOffice@ceasd.org
• If you would like to donate to the cause (donations are tax deductible), checks made payable to CEASD – “Child First” Campaign may be mailed to:

CEASD – Child First Campaign  P.O. Box 1778   St. Augustine, FL 32085-1778 

You will hear more about this project in the fall.  However, we need the Connecticut Deaf Community to be informed and aware of this project.  We will need your help.  Please look for more information on the ASD website and the CEASD website.  Please also plan to attend one of the meetings we will be having in the fall.  If you have any questions, please see  or contact Ed Peltier at ed.peltier@asd-1817.org    (Editor:  CCOSD is planning to have 2011 CCOSD Forum on September 17, 2011, and one of the topics is CEASD’s focus on the change in federal regulations regarding deaf education.. More details to be announced soon.)