Urgent!!  Please  Read

• In Michigan our children have reaped the benefits of the Michigan Rules for Special Education.
• These rules have ensured that our children receive an education far superior to what is federally mandated.
• Michigan Rules for Special Education have been rewritten.
• If these rules go into effect it will be left up to individual Intermediate School Districts to decide what services our children receive that are not federally mandated.
• It was parents’ voices that caused the Rules to be put into place.

• Parents voices can keep them in place. 

Hearings have been held throughout the state.  A new rules package has been submitted.

Information Leading to the Current Situation      
We are very concerned that crucial services to children with special needs will be cut. Reform can be a change for the better reform does not have to mean a reduction of services for children.

• July 13, 1994 - "The Special Education Delivery System Task Force Final Report"

• February 5, 1996 - "Report on the Staff Analysis of the Recommendations Contained in the Special Education Delivery System Task Force Final Report"

• April 13, 1998 - "Potential Revisions to the Revised Administrative Rules for Special Education" This draft document which suggests many drastic cuts was submitted to the State Board and tabled. This document is available under The Administrative Suite directory in the Office of Special Education web page SITE INDEX.

• Special Education Administrative Organizations (these are the three we are aware of) began drafting position papers that suggested drastic cuts in services:

"Tri-County Alliance for Public Education" (Oakland, Wayne, & Macomb) -submitted to Tri-county legislators December 15, 1998*

"MAISA Special Education Proposal" (ISD Superintendents) February 11, 1999 -Draft (There is written documentation that this is not a draft)*

Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education (MAASE) Position Paper on the MAISA document. *

*In all three of these documents it is recommended that waivers to Michigan's Rules for Special Education be implemented throughout the state.

• February 16, 1999 - Senator Majority Leader Dan L. DeGrow asks "...Senator Leon Stille (R-Spring Lake), as chair of the Senate School Aid (K-12) Appropriations Subcommittee, to examine school infrastructure and special education issues in Michigan."

• May 14, 1999 - Testimony given by Donna Tinberg, Director of Special Education, Novi Community Schools suggests that educating certain populations of special education students is wasteful.

• Senator Stille held 5 hearings throughout Michigan on Special Education. The primary focus seemed to be the rapid rise of children being identified as Learning Disabled. Senator Stille has provided us with a report that recommends early intervention for children with reading difficulties.

• The final draft of the proposed Michigan rules has been completed by a committee delegated by Jacque Thompson:  Lynn Beekman, Larry Campbell, and Bob Shaw.

• Hearings were held throughout the state of Michigan.

  

The following is an anticipated sequence of events leading to new administrative rules for special education in Michigan.  Some events are driven by the Administrative Procedures Act, some procedures are at the direction of the Office of Regulatory Reform and some activities are planned by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) toward the purpose of maximizing opportunity for public involvement in the rulemaking process. A specific timeline is not given since many of these activities and events are not under the control of the MDE.

1. MDE completes a working draft of proposed rules which is reviewed internally and approved by the MDE Administration.

2. The Office of Regulatory Reform (ORR) reviews the draft of proposed rules and grants approval for the MDE to proceed to public hearings/comment.

3. Both the Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (OSE/EIS) and the ORR publish the proposed rules on their websites. The formal comment period begins.

4. Public hearings are scheduled.

5. Official notice of public hearings and period of public comment is communicated statewide. Access to copies of the proposed rules is provided.

6. Proposed rules are published in the Michigan Register at least 30 days prior to the public hearings.

7. Written public comments are accepted by the MDE and public hearings are held.

8. An analysis of public comments is prepared.

9. The analysis of public comments is presented to the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). The SEAC advises the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Superintendent) on any aspect of the proposed rules.

10. The OSE/EIS makes  recommendations on the proposed rules to the Superintendent.

11. The Superintendent submits the proposed rules (with a synopsis of the changes made to the rules since the original proposal) to the ORR.

12. ORR approves changes to the rules.

13. The Superintendent submits the rules to the Legislative Service Bureau (LSB) for formal approval.

14. LSB formally approves the rules.

15. ORR legally approves the rules.

16. ORR files rules with the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) for review.

17. The Superintendent formally adopts the rules.

18. ORR files rules with the Secretary of State.

19. Final rules are printed in the Michigan Register.