I strongly oppose the proposed removal of parental consent for special education services.  As other parents have commented, we parents are the continuity in our child's life.  We take them to doctor appointments and therapy and report back to school. 

My son is diagnosed with dyslexia, disgraphia, ADD and orthopedic impairment.  A wise doctor once told me that throughout my son's life he would be seeing many diffferent speciality doctors and it was my job to gather the information and ensure that all the doctors had knowledge of it so that proper care could be given. 

It is much the same for special education in school.  At the high school level my son has seven different teachers and a case manager.  I communicate with all of them.  It is not uncommmon for the one teacher present at IEP meetings to have a very different view of my son's performance than what his other teachers have.  It is my job to relay information from them all.  Case managers are busy attending meetings and teaching class.  A five minute meeting with each teachers prior to an IEP meeting is not sufficient to have a clear uderstanding of my son's complex special needs. 

After the 5th grade the school administration and special education department believed my son would only be able to read a restaurant menu.  I am proud to say he is on schedule to graduate next year with a standard diploma having passed all the required SOl's including the reading. 

Becky McGee