August 14, 2008: Action Alert: AB 2783
By David Walrath
Please contact your Assembly Member and Senator and ask them to vote NO on AB 2783 (Plescia). See the following Floor Alert for more information on the legislation:
VOTE “NO” ON AB 2783 (Plescia)
Bad for Foster Youth—Good for Non Public School Operators
Faster is Not Always Better
- Foster youth placed in Level 12, 13, and 14 group homes have serious emotional and behavioral problems. An accurate diagnosis by mental health and education professionals is critical in determining appropriate interventions.
- AB 2783 would arbitrarily shorten state and federally specified timelines to conduct these critical assessments. Mandating faster assessments will result in more errors in determining the appropriate needs of each student.
- Requiring professionals to rush the evaluation puts students at risk of being inappropriately labeled and receiving improper interventions.
- This bill will put a small group of foster youth at risk of receiving an improper diagnosis with real life consequences just so they can be placed in a nonpublic school that may not be appropriate for the child.
- Mental health and education professionals can and do provide expedited assessments when appropriate. In some situations, students are in such crisis that these professionals need to observe the child over time. This bill would eliminate this option.
- Nonpublic schools stand to benefit financially from the inappropriate and rigid 20-day timeline.
- AB 2783 will cost the state of California and school districts $1 million - $2 million in additional funding and is an unfunded state mandate.
- The bill does not contain any evaluation or accountability provisions to assess whether the state’s investment will result in improved outcomes for this narrow group of foster youth students.
- This bill would prioritize the needs of pupils in group homes over other pupils with special needs, which could result in increased litigation on schools!
- A case has not been made that expediting the process will improve services to foster youth students. That is why the Learning Rights Law Center, which represents foster youth, also opposes the bill.
Don’t place a premium on speed over accuracy!
VOTE “NO” ON AB 2783!
