Special Parents Confidential Episode 24 MI Lt. Governor Brian Calley

MI Lt. Governor Brian Calley. Michigan, like many states, has been working on changes to laws in special education to make sure that the rules are up to date and following the laws that are set down in the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, which are the main requirements of how special education is to be handled across the United States. Last December in Lansing, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules was going to approve some changes to the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) that would have severely impacted parent participation in their children’s education. The Joint Committee was holding a public meeting to take comments from parents back on December 11th, when an unexpected guest stepped forward.  Michigan’s Lt. Governor, Brian Calley asked that the Committee not approve the proposed changes and take no further action, because he believed that there needed to be more participation from parents in this process. The Committee agreed, and shelved the rules. Since that time, Lt. Governor Calley has embarked on a series of open meetings across the State of Michigan, where he invites parents to talk about their experiences with Special Education in their local districts. He’s also created an online survey for Michigan parents to highlight their experiences, both good and bad, in dealing with Special Education services in their districts. What the Lt. Governor is doing is an extraordinary step in making sure that parents are more involved in determining special education procedures for their children in the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) process. We are very please to have Michigan Lt. Governor Brian Calley on this episode of Special Parents Confidential to talk about what the changes to the MARSE regulations would have meant, and the personal reasons why he’s made special education in Michigan an important priority. Links that are mentioned in the podcast:  Michigan LT. Governor Brian Calley – the official State Website. Lt Governor Calley’s Online Special Education Survey The Lt. Governor’s Facebook Page PR.150610.CalleySpecialEducationSurvey – Press release with detailed explanation of Lt. Governor Calley’s online survey. As always, a reminder that if you like this episode of Special Parents Confidential or any episode we’ve done, please share our site with your friends, family, and all your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons on our website. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, add us on Google Plus, Tumbler, Linked In, Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Reddit, or other social media sites you use. You can also sign up for our email service and have new posts and podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox the moment they’re available online. We’re also on iTunes and Stitcher as a free subscription, and if you have a moment, feel free to write a review about our podcast. Anything you can do to help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential will help us be able to continue these podcasts.