Autism Alliance provides public comment to the State Board of Education on the Special Education Experience Survey (February 11, 2025)
Autism Alliance of Michigan Public Comment
State Board of Education
February 11, 2025
Read here: 2025.0211 Autism Alliance Public Comment_State Board of Ed_Special Education Experience Survey
Good afternoon board members, Superintendent, and department staff.
My name is Heather Eckner. I am the statewide director of education for the Autism Alliance of Michigan.
The Autism Alliance Education pillar advances a Whole Child vision for Michigan by catalyzing advocacy and engagement activities to move an equitable education agenda for children and youth with special education needs focused on funding reform, appropriate identification, access to interventions, system accountability, and decreasing disparities.
I am here before you again this month to continue providing public comment on the findings of the Special Education Experience (SEE) Survey. bit.ly/AAOM-SEE
In January, I shared with you a copy of the Report to the Community and tried to highlight significant concerns for students with disabilities and their families.
The top priority to address:
- School funding and resources – ensuring they are adequate & equitable, delivering services and supports to students with disabilities so that they can succeed on par with their nondisabled peers.
Currently, we have a way to go in providing an education system that produces outcomes for students with disabilities that ensures a pathway to prosperity that any Michigander would desire. We can and must do better.
The material I have shared with you today is a working paper which is the result of more than a year long research process with a national school finance expert who has studied Michigan’s special education finance structure and outlines current challenges and limitations as well as proposes guiding principles that can help move our state toward a more cohesively designed system that is student-centered.
The Autism Alliance asks members of this board to engage with the findings of the Special Education Experience Survey as well as Funding Our Future: The Call for a New Framework in Special Education Finance.
https://tinyurl.com/AAOM-Funding-Our-Future
We want Michigan to move from the bottom to the top in special education access, opportunities, and outcomes. In order to do that, we must align efforts toward reimagining how our system serves kids with disabilities from PreK through post-secondary.
Read the SEE Survey report here: bit.ly/AAOM-SEE
View the February 11, 2025 Michigan State Board of Education meeting –
public comment is at the start of the afternoon session:
- Michigan State Board of Education Meeting for February 11, 2025 – Morning Session
- Michigan State Board of Education Meeting for February 11, 2025 – Afternoon Session
About the Autism Alliance of Michigan
The Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) is a 501(c)(3) organization serving as a trusted ally and partner for thousands of families across the state. AAoM’s mission is to lead efforts to raise expectations and expand opportunities for people connected to autism across their lifespan. The organization’s Education pillar drives initiatives that address systemic barriers to education, focuses on student-centered advocacy, and educates families on related topics – working towards its goal to make Michigan a top 10 state for special education outcomes. For help finding resources, providers and information contact our AAoM Navigators at 877-463-2266 (AAOM) or email at navigator@aaomi.org. More information about AAoM’s Education pillar can be found at www.autismallianceofmichigan.org/education-initiatives.
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