Stop Hitting Our Kids.  Now.    Top Five Things You Can Do.

Rich La Belle, Executive Director

Family Network on Disabilities

This issue can’t wait.  Not another child with disabilities should experience the kind of things we’ve heard about and seen.  If you want to see this end, these are the Top Five things you can do right now to help end corporal punishment against kids with disabilities in Florida public schools:

 1.      Write the Governor and Commissioner of Education.  Let them know you want them to enact an immediate, statewide moratorium on the use of corporal punishment against students with disabilities.  Here are email and standard mail addresses for both:

The Honorable Charlie Crist, GovernorState of Florida

The Capitol400 S. Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL  32399-0001

charlie.crist@myflorida.com           

The Honorable Dr. Eric Smith, Commissioner

Florida Department of EducationTurlington Building, Suite 1514325

West Gaines StreetTallahassee, FL  32399

commissioner@fldoe.org

This doesn’t have to fancy – you can keep it short and sweet.  Just let them know you want corporal punishment of all children with disabilities to end now and that you want an immediate statewide moratorium.  If you can send us a copy, that would be great:  stophittingourkids@fndfl.org and lfahey@familycafe.net. 

 2.      Write your district superintendent and chair of your school board.  Let them know you want them to pass an immediate moratorium on corporal punishment of students with disabilities for your district.  Under Florida law, the use of corporal punishment is up to the individual districts.  We need to change things locally.  Here’s a link to get the contact info for the superintendents and school board chairs in each district:http://www.fldoe.org/schools/schoolmap/flash/district_list.aspAgain, copies would be helpful:  stophittingourkids@fndfl.org and lfahey@familycafe.net.

Even if your district has a policy against the use of corporal punishment, we want all districts to specifically address the issue of its use against kids with disabilities and specifically ban it to send a clear message.

 3.      Share your story.  You can do this on our Cause page on Facebook (see #4 below) or, if you wish to remain anonymous, email us: Stophittingourkids@fndfl.org and lfahey@familycafe.net.

All stories submitted to these addresses will be shared anonymously, unless you tell us specifically otherwise.  We will not share your personal information or any info that could identify you or your child without your specific permission.

If you have a blog and you want to blog about this issue, please send us a link so we can send it around.  Please send the link to stophittingourkids@fndfl.org and lfahey@familycafe.net.

  4.      Join the Cause/Build the Cause.  Here’s a link to our Cause page on Facebook:  http://apps.facebook.com/causes/341382/71996303#wall.  The best thing we can do is talk this up and get more folks to be aware of the issue and to support us.  If you’re active in any social networks/media, let others know what you’re doing and why and post links to what’s already happened.  If you’re active in other organizations, get them to endorse an immediate moratorium, followed by a change in the law.  On the web, we’re posting updates on the FND website, www.fndfl.org, and on the Family Café website, at www.familycafe.net.  If you’re on twitter, we’ll be sending updates out through @fndfl and @richlabelle.   

5.      Write your legislator.  Let them know you want the law changed.  The specific section of the law that allows this is Sec. 1003.32, Florida Statutes.  Write them and let them know you want a change to this section of the law prohibiting the use of corporal punishment against any child with a disability covered under IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  We need to raise awareness now – specific language will come later.  Don’t know who your legislator is?  Here’s handy links to find him/her:

Florida House: 

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/representatives.aspx

Florida Senate:

http://www.flsenate.gov/Legislators/index.cfm?Mode=Find%20Your%20Legislators&Submenu=3&Tab=legislators&CFID=161936385&CFTOKEN=23487834