Here is the beginning and end of Nancy Vernon's accidental findings.
Nancy is a young mother of a son who is blind and deaf resulting from a common virus. Nancy began her advocacy by questioning the school district's claim that they didn't have enough money to educate her child - or other children with severe disabilities. She also wanted to improve the delivery of educational services for children with disabilities. So she applied for membership on the Washington State's Special Education Advisory Council, but she was denied an appointment. She investigated the Council and was shocked to learn that the Council was not legally constituted. The Council lacked in parental participation, therefore, the Council was not meeting federal requirements to receive millions of federal dollars.
I read of Nancy's work in 1998 when it was reported in the Seattle Times of the Council's mis-configuration. This was nothing big to the general public, but I knew it was serious. When parents are purposely left out of the plans and protections of our sons and daughters who are not able to represent themselves, it is then that the special needs of our children are ignored. After reading the story I contacted Nancy, and thus began a mentoring by a senior activist mother which has changed to awe of the former student. Nancy's innocence made her fearless in the wake of denials of records, threatening letters, promise betrayals, and personal abuse. Such defensiveness only increased her curiosity and her research skills, which over a period of 7 years uncovered a growing, deadly, infiltrating system of malfeasance and intended elimination of children with disabilities from Washington State's Public School system. Nancy's courage is humbling to a mentor, as she had gone beyond what I could teach! Her motives are pure; her research uncontaminated; her presentation is given freely to you for your understanding and action. Nancy has no pride of authorship of this sad revelation.
Explore the site to learn the truth about the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, WASL and Alternate Assessment, WAAS
Katie passed away on November 11, 2006. I will never stop missing my friend, confidante, and mentor.
