Winter 2011 • Vol. 34, Issue 1 ACESETTER PA news magazine of PACER Center, Inc. by and for parents of children and young adults with disabilities IDEA marks Ready to Rock? 35 years! Benefit features Sheryl Crow PACER staff joined legislators, rammy Award winner advocates, people with disabilities Sheryl Crow will rock the and federal officials to celebrate G house during PACER Center’s the 35th anniversary of the Indi- 29th Annual Benefit at the Min- viduals with Disabilities Education neapolis Convention Center on Act (IDEA) on Nov. 18 in Wash- Saturday, May 7. ington, D.C. With a solo career spanning Passage of the 1975 federal nearly 20 years and seven al- law—formerly the Education For bums, the singer-songwriter has All Handicapped Children Act— a long list of modern rock hits guaranteed students with disabili- to choose from, including “If ties the right to a free, appropriate It Makes You Happy,” “Every public education. Day Is A Winding Road” and “A Change Would Do You Because of IDEA, America’s 6.7 Good.” million infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities are able Crow’s first smash hit, “All I to achieve educational levels that Wanna Do,” hit the charts in were not possible prior to the law’s 1993, seven years after her enactment. stint as a backup vocalist for Before the law was passed, mil- Michael Jackson’s Bad World lions of students with disabilities Tour. Her latest soul-inspired were denied access to a public album, “100 Miles from education. Until 1969, for ex- Memphis,” was released in ample, one state statute made it a 2010. Along the way, Crow has crime for parents to insist that a earned nine Grammy Awards Sheryl Crow child with disabilities be allowed for her crowd-pleasing music, to attend school if the superinten- including Best Female Rock dent denied access. Vocal, Best Female Pop Vocal and Best Rock Album. Today, 57 percent of students with Benefit tickets include the performance as well as silent and live auctions.A disabilities spend at least 80 per- pre-Benefit gourmet dinner is available by separate ticket, and a post-concert cent of their day within the regular patron party is available for people purchasing Benefit tickets of $140 or more. school environment. In 2007, Proceeds from the Benefit support PACER Center programs for children with nearly 60 percent of students with disabilities and their families. To reserve tickets for the Benefit, see page 2, visit disabilities graduated high school PACER.org or call 952-838-9000. with a regular diploma, compared to 32 percent 20 years earlier. Visit www.PACER.org(Continued on page 4) PACER supporter, symposium founder dies ongtime PACER friend and sup- port the lives of countless children Lporter Roberta Mann-Benson and adults with learning disabilities passed away Oct. 27, 2010. For the and mental health issues have been past five years, Mann-Benson part- changed,” says Paula Goldberg, nered with PACER to provide the PACER’s executive director. “Over Ted and Roberta Mann Foundation the years, thousands of people partici- National Symposium About Children pated in the Symposium, and the im- and Young Adults with Mental Health pact of Roberta’s support will ripple and Learning Disabilities. She found- throughout many generations.” ed and funded this annual educational A sixth Symposium is planned for symposium for parents and teachers. 2011. At the request of her family, “Roberta had a heart of gold. She was memorials in memory of Mann-Ben- Dr. Roberta Mann-Benson a visionary, and through her sup- son may be made to PACER Center. BENEFIT RESERVATIONS To reserve your tickets for the 2011 PACER Benefit on May 7 featuringSheryl Crow, please complete the form below and fax or mail it to PACER Center. Reservations can also be made at PACER.org or by calling 952-838-9000. Benefit Tickets: Name: Please send me: Address: (# of) $651 Friend City: State: Zip: (# of) $901 Supporter Phone: (H) (W) 2 (# of) $140 Patron* E-mail: (# of) $2002 Benefactor* If you wish to sit with friends, the reservations must arrive at the same time. (# of) $2753 Sponsor* (# of) $5503 Champion* I need: Wheelchair seating (number of spaces) Sign language interpretation Total amount: $ Assistive listening device Other Dinner Tickets ($95 per person) My checks, separate for the Benefit and dinner, are made payable to PACER Center and Number of tickets: are enclosed. (Tickets will be mailed April 29.) Total amount: $ Other Contribution/ Total charge $ to VISA Mastercard AmEx Discover Volunteer Opportunities # Exp. Please contact me about: donating I am unable to attend the Benefit. Please accept my gift: check charge (item) $550 $275 $200 $140 $90 $65 Other: to the Silent Auction Many companies match gifts. Please ask your employer for a matching gift form and being a Corporate Sponsor enclose it with your contribution or ticket order. (including ticket package and ad) advertising in the Benefit playbill Names of persons for whom you are purchasing tickets (including yourself): volunteering on a Benefit committee Tax values are listed in the following categories: 1 = $40 value; 2 = $50 value; 3 = $60 value. The ticket price in excess of the value is tax deductible. * Includes post-performance patron champagne and dessert party Please mail or fax to: PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55437-1044 Fax: (952) 838-0199 2 PACESETTER – Winter 2011 Call 952-838-9000 PACER supporter, symposium founder dies Minnesota Supreme Court affirms access to after- school activities for special education students By Julie Holmquist a student’s Individualized Education tivities are required for the education recent Minnesota Supreme Program (IEP) that would allow the of the child.” The Department of Edu- A Court decision affirmed a fifth-grader to participate in extracur- cation then asked the Supreme Court federal law guaranteeing access to ricular activities. to review the Appeals Court decision. extracurricular activities for special The decision “prevented a misread- The Minnesota Supreme Court education students. ing of federal law,” says attorney Dan found that under IDEA: In upholding a Minnesota Department Stewart of the Minnesota Disability • IEP teams must consider special of Education decision on Oct. 7, the Law Center. “This makes it clear that education services for students with Supreme Court affirmed regulations children with disabilities have the right disabilities wanting to participate in of the Individuals with Disabilities to participate in extracurricular activi- extracurricular activities, Education Act (IDEA), the federal law ties and that the IEP team is respon- ensuring services to children with dis- sible to ensure that.” • that those activities are not limited to abilities throughout the nation. ones required for educational pur- The decision stemmed from a com- poses, and The Supreme Court agreed that a Min- plaint filed with the Department of nesota school district violated IDEA Education by the parents of a student. • that a student’s IEP determines which when it refused to consider including The parents had asked their child’s IEP supplementary aids and services are Name: supplementary aids and services in team to determine which supplemen- appropriate and necessary for the tary services their child would need student to participate in the extracur- Address: acesetter to play volleyball and participate in ricular and nonacademic activities. City: State: Zip: P after-school clubs. Published by PACER Center, Inc. “PACER is pleased that the Depart- Phone: (H) (W) Three times a year The Department of Education found Circulation: 120,000 ment of Education appealed the E-mail: ©2011 by PACER Center that the district violated the law when decision of the Appeals Court,” says If you wish to sit with friends, the reservations must arrive at the same time. 8161 Normandale Blvd. it failed to convene an IEP meeting. Virginia Richardson, manager of par- Minneapolis, MN 55437-1044 The district appealed that decision to ent training at PACER. “Children with I need: Wheelchair seating (number of spaces) Sign language interpretation Voice: 952-838-9000 Toll-free: 800-537-2237 (Minnesota) the Minnesota Court of Appeals, argu- disabilities should be free to choose Assistive listening device Other Toll-free: 888-248-0822 (National) ing that it did not have to use the IEP extracurricular activities like all chil- FAX: 952-838-0199 team to determine appropriate accom- dren in school. We believe this legal E-mail: [email protected] My checks, separate for the Benefit and dinner, are made payable to PACER Center and modations for a student’s extracurricu- clarification will be helpful to both are enclosed. (Tickets will be mailed April 29.) PACER Executive Director: lar activities if those activities were parents and school staff.” Paula F. Goldberg not “required for the education” of the Senior Writer-Editor: Julie Holmquist Parents should realize that the law Total charge $ to VISA Mastercard AmEx Discover Writer-Editor: Ashley White student. PACER Center expands opportunities and enhances doesn’t guarantee students the right # Exp. the quality of life for children and young adults with disabilities and their families. The mission is based on The Court of Appeals determined that to participate in any extracurricular the concepts of parents helping parents and working the IEP team should consider whether activity they choose, Stewart says. The I am unable to attend the Benefit. Please accept my gift: check charge in coalition with others. An Equal Opportunity Employer, PACER is funded by grants from the U.S. an extracurricular activity should be IEP team must consider an activity, $550 $275 $200 $140 $90 $65 Other: Departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human included in the IEP, but decided that but it may decide that the activity is Services and other sources, and from foundations, Many companies match gifts.