The Iowa House also approved a bill that would increase penalties for fentanyl-related deaths.
DES MOINES — The state will contract with a suburban Des Moines company to provide instruction to Iowa families with special education students, the state Education Department announced Monday.
The Iowa Department of Education announced it will allocate $1 million to the ASK Resource Center in Johnston for the first year of the program. The contract period began March 1, according to a news release from the Department of Education.
The funding will come from federal funds from the state Department of Education through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which is dedicated to special education services for ages 3 to 21, according to a news release.
Previously, the state had contracted with local education agencies in Iowa for a similar program. The state notified AEA leaders in January that it would no longer contract with the agency for a program called the Family Educator Partners Program. Under this program, AEA coordinators provided families and educators with support, information, and resources regarding special education services at no cost to families. Available to Iowa students with disabilities and their families.
An Iowa Department of Education spokesperson said the state allocated $1.3 million to the program from the same federal funding source during the most recent state budget year.
Gov. Kim Reynolds' press secretary said last week that the state was separating the Family Educator Partners program from AEA due to conflicts of interest (program officials are also AEA employees). He also said this was due to inconsistent support and education being provided. Confusion regarding roles and responsibilities identified in the 2014 report.
New program through ASK Resource Center provides access to family support specialists and other professionals who help families understand their child's right to access what they need to succeed in and out of the classroom, News News It is stated in the release.
Under the new program, ASK resource centers will have 18 full-time staff members, including a family support supervisor, lead family support specialist, nine full-time family support specialists, and additional part-time specialists, according to the state Department of Education. Staff will be assigned. Provide one-on-one support to families of students with disabilities.
According to the state, services provided include helping families understand program requirements and case law, preparing families for meetings with their child's individualized education program team, and working with families to develop IEPs. That includes attending meetings to clarify concerns and assisting in making requests, and helping families navigate the program. Dispute with school.
“The Department of Education remains committed to ensuring that all families of children with disabilities have consistent access to timely, high-quality resources and support that is tailored to their needs,” Iowa Department of Education Director Mackenzie Snow said in a statement. I'm going,'' he said. “Through our partnership with the ASK Resource Center, families across Iowa will have access to family experts, family mentors, and experts focused on accessibility and postsecondary transition when advocating for children with disabilities. You can get support.”
Reynolds names board appointees
Gov. Kim Reynolds has made dozens of appointments to state boards and commissions.
In addition to a number of reappointments, Mr. Reynolds appointed new members to several committees. Douglas Hoisington on the Medical Committee, James Moses on the Parole Board, and Luke Mertz on the Public Relations Committee.
All appointments must be approved by the Iowa Senate.
House strengthens fentanyl death penalty
Iowa House Republicans have passed a bill that would make it a first-degree murder charge if someone sells or provides fentanyl to another person resulting in death.
Anyone convicted of first-degree murder under this bill would receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
The bill, House File 2576, passed the House by a vote of 86-12. It is now eligible for consideration in the Senate.
Republicans argued the bill was needed to address Iowa's historically high rate of overdose deaths and drug trafficking caused by fentanyl.
But some Democrats warned that the bill could affect teenagers and people who share drugs and pills with friends without knowing they contain fentanyl. Under the bill, anyone who distributes drugs, including sharing them in a social setting, could face life in prison.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is often disguised as a prescription opioid or mixed with other drugs sold illegally.
“This is a very harsh punishment because we have a very serious problem in Iowa,” said Republican Rep. Ann Meyer of Fort Dodge. “And I'm here for the parents of the families of people who are taking counterfeit drugs and getting caught for whatever reason.”
Gazette Lee Des Moines Bureau