Sample Letter #1: For parents who have had good relationships with their school district and whose children have received related services.
Date…
Your Address…
Name
(Regent, or NYSED official, or legislator)
Title
(New York Board of Regents, Commissioner of Education, New York State Senator,
etc)
Re: New York State Education Department’s Change of Approach to Treatment of Homeschooled Children with Special Needs
Dear
Mr/Ms __________:
As
parents of a homeschooled child with special needs, we are writing to express
our concern regarding the New York State Education Department’s recent change
of approach to the treatment of homeschooled children with special needs that
has eliminated special services for these children. This was done without any warning
and without public comment after 17+ years of successful application.
[Share
your child’s story and why you chose to ask for related services. Talk about
how the related services coupled with your homeschooling have helped your
child. Talk about how the elimination of
these services will not only cause harm your child,
but how they will cause great hardship for your family.]
We
have heard that this change of approach affects only 450 children. Eliminating these critical services seems to
be a heartless and callous way to save money, if in fact that was the reason
for the change.
By
denying these services to those who need them most, the state is saying that it
doesn’t care about our children. We have good reason to be concerned about how
our children might be treated if we did put them into public school.
Homeschool
families pay school taxes, yet we get very little for our tax dollars. We should be able to access these special
services, be given a tax break to find those services ourselves, or be relieved
of any regulations regarding our children.
It
is our responsibility as parents to raise up our
children to be contributing members of society.
Without the help of these support services, the long-term cost will be
far greater than any short-term savings.
I
urge to use your power to reverse this unwise policy change and restore special
services to homeschoolers who need them and want them.
Sincerely,