We had to make the gut-wrenching decision to send one of our kids to a therapeutic boarding school a couple of years ago. And, it was the best decision we ever made. I won't go into the details, but things were bad at home and unsustainable.
Kid went to Utah, and over time, learned the skills to deal with the frustrations of life. Kid is back now, and doing great. We did our studying too, and are much better at the parenting part, too.
So, CA, apparently, is trying to pass a law that would make it nearly impossible for Californians to send their kid to out of state therapeutic boarding schools.* Among other things, all out-of-state teachers and instructional staff would be required to hold a California teaching credential or preliminary credential issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
This would be a horrible decision that would do a major disservice to families who truly need this option.
This is the email I received from the school my kid attended:
Contact your California State Assembly Member and State Senator immediately. Remind them that out-of-state placements are a vital lifeline when local districts fail to provide necessary special education services.
Find Your Legislators: Use the official California lookup tool at findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.
Key Message to Share: "SB 685's out-of-state credentialing mandates and waiver restrictions will strip away my child's legally guaranteed FAPE rights under IDEA by restricting out-of-state placements when local California public schools cannot meet their needs."
*I know Paris Hilton has and is bringing a ton of negative publicity to the industry. I'm sure she had a bad experience. But, the spotlight that she and others have put on the industry have created outstanding regulation and oversight. We were quite confident that our kid was in the safest, least restrictive environment. 100%.
Anyway, if you are open to this, I am tremendously grateful!