ASAH Needs Members’ Help

Behavior Modification
Physician Consultant Salaries

Regulatory code has had a negative impact on the ability of YOUR school to effectively deliver services to students with disabilities. Now, there is a package of bills making its way through the New Jersey Legislature that is designed to address some of the major challenges.

ASAH CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT ITS MEMBERS

YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED,
EVEN IF THESE TWO ISSUES DO NOT DIRECTLY AFFECT YOUR SCHOOL

 

“Behavior Modification Bill”

Senate Bill 3288 (Troy Singleton) and Assembly Bill A5221 (Carol Murphy) require NJDOE to define expenditures for behavior modification at approved private schools for students with disabilities as allowable instructional cost for purposes of tuition rate setting.

Click here to read the full bill:
https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/S3500/3288_I1.HTM

HOW CAN I HELP?

  • CALL or EMAIL Pamela Lampitt, Chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee:
    • PHONE: 856-435-1247
    • EMAIL: aswlampitt@njleg.org
  • Ask chairwoman Lampitt to kindly post the bill (S3288/A5221) in her committee when it meets on 5/16.
  • Make contact AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
  • When you call Assemblywoman Lampitt, also discuss Assembly Bill A5220, regarding Health Care Consultants used by private special education schools, see below.

TALKING POINTS:

  1. Many school districts place students with complex behaviors in state-approved private schools.
  2. These students need a behavior modification approach in order to learn.
  3. Behavior modification is an important instructional strategy.
  4. Costs associated with behavior modification are considered to be “instructional costs” in the public school, but NOT in a private school.
  5. Private schools serve the most complex and hard to serve students.
  6. Behavior modification costs should be considered “instructional” because THEY ARE.
  7. The current rules HURT children placed by public schools in a state approved private school because NJDOE counts costs as ‘non-instructional’ when they set private school tuition costs.
  8. Funding for children in private schools is treated differently than if the same child were placed in a public school.
  9. Please post the bill for a vote.

HISTORY: This bill has already passed in the Senate by a vote of 35-0.

 

“Health Care Consultants Bill”

Senate Bill 3287 (Troy Singleton) and its companion, Assembly Bill 5220 (Carol Murphy) permit approved private schools for students with disabilities to include in tuition calculation hourly rates for healthcare provider consultants, which equal average hourly rates paid by certain public schools serving students with disabilities.

Click here to read the full bill:
https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/S3500/3287_I1.HTM

HOW CAN I HELP?

There are TWO legislative committees that will consider this bill:

  • CALL or EMAIL Paul Sarlo, Chair of the Senate Budget Committee.
    • PHONE: 201-804-8118
    • EMAIL: sensarlo@njleg.org
  • Ask Senator Sarlo to kindly post the bill (S3287) in his committee.
  • Make contact AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
  • CALL or EMAIL Pamela Lampitt, Chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee:
    • PHONE: 856-435-1247
    • EMAIL: aswlampitt@njleg.org
  • Ask Assemblywoman Lampitt to kindly post the bill (A5220) in her committee.

TALKING POINTS:

  1. Many school districts place students with complex needs in state-approved private schools.
  2. These students may need specialized services from health care provider consultants, such as physicians, psychiatrist, psychologists and others in order to benefit from special education.
  3. Costs associated with hiring such consultants are permitted to be higher in the public school than in a state approved private school.
  4. Private schools serve the most complex and hard to serve students.
  5. Children placed by their local school district in private schools deserve access to the same level of consultant.