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Dear Friends of Children with Disabilities, LD 632 will have public hearing in the Education Committee Mon at 10 am. It would repeal Kindergarten-CDS choice. Under current law, the IEP Team makes a determination whether it is in the best interests of a child with a disability who has a "late birthday" (July 1 - Oct 15) and who is already receiving CDS services whether to enter kindergarten as one of the youngest children in their class or to stay in CDS for another year. Before about a decade and a half ago, parents of children with late birthdays who didn't have a disability could choose whether their child should enter K as the youngest in their class or whether they should stay out for a year, but parents of children with late birthdays who had a disability didn't have that choice, because they'd lose CDS eligibility as soon as they became *eligible* for kindergarten. But law was changed to allow parents of *all* children with late birthdays to make the choice. A few years ago, the state changed the law from K-CDS *parent* choice to K-CDS *IEP team* choice. Having it be IEP team choice was better than no choice at all, but it would have been better to retain *parent* choice. Now, LD 632 would eliminate choice altogether, returning us to the situation from 15+ years ago, when children with disabilities with late birthdays would be forced into kindergarten as the youngest children in their class. As long as CDS continues to exist, parents of children with disabilities should have the same rights as parents of children without disabilities to choose whether to enter kindergarten as the youngest children in their class. Please contact members of the Education Committee to oppose LD 632. I suggest one of two alternatives: either VOTE AGAINST LD 632 to RETAIN K-CDS CHOICE or AMEND LD 632 to RESTORE PARENT CHOICE. There are three ways you can weigh in:
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