-. ..--.~. Parents disappointed, say new plan doesn't offer more By IRENE GENTLE 7h. Champion A special education draft plan has some parents fearing thse Halton District School Board cooked a fancy dinner but forgot to add the meat. Parents are looking for guarantees, not wish basts, said Milton's Linda Norton. _____ Ms Norton has a 14-year-old daugbter who suffers from a 'n la4 learning disability and attention odbtf deficit disorder. "Tie plan looked really good gaate but they have no guarantees th "u they'll have the resources," site said. 'l don't know how î-nuch to knw ô believe at this point." bleea The purpose of the board's raft .......... plan is to make more efficient use Um of existing funds by dsviding ~ Halton into dmre areas. These areas - which translate into Oakville, Burlington and north Halton - would each bave their own special services teams. These would include a senior psyehologist, psycho-educational consultant, child and youth counsellor and social worker. The aim is to have consistent care throughout Halton while allowing students to access a programn close to home. The plan allows for a single point of access into spe- cial nieeds services, titrougis the Singleton Education Centre on Guelpht Line in Burlington. Currently, Halton has almost 42,000 full time stu- dents. About 3,700 of these have been identifled as having special needs. A final plan must be handed to the Ministry of Education by May 15. At present, Ms Norton's daugister aplits her time between a self-contained classroomn with other special needs kids and an integrated classmoom, where she's helped by an instructional assistant (IA) at her Brookville scitool. [As work with special needs kids to help themn cope in a regular classmoom environent. It's a good system, but one Ms Norton had to battle for herself. "I went and fougbt for what we wanted for our child," said Ms Norton. "We went in and demanded she had a 3oked eally classroom where she could Ms Norton said she launched th11 have hier attack after her daugitter Ces.1 do It reached Grade 5 without learning V 4ht Without built-in guarantees, bis pince Ms Norton worried that the I.... ..... ... board's plan is mostly smoke and "The plan looked good but it wasn't necessarily believable," she said. "They couldn't guarantee that thse resources would be Usere for Use ida who need them." Sharon Gross, Use mother of a 12-year-old developý mentally delayed cbild, left Use meeting where the new plan was outlined feeling that parents may have just witnessed a card trick. 1I guess we were dreaming. We were looking for some kind of magic," she said. "Wbat we Saw with this report was just a shuffling of boundanies." Instead of satellite teams, achools need more lAs in Use classroom, said Ms Grosa. Past budget cuts drastically wbittled down Use num- ber of TAs in Use system. Since Usen, many parents have been lobbying to bring them back, said Ms Gmoss. "Ile assistance in Use classroom just isn't Usere any- more. What we once had, we don't." Her own son learned in an integrated classroom with Use support of an IA right up until Grade 4, said -se WORRIED on page 10 One owner. alack/Neutral leather. Fuily Auto, air, V6 crulse, catss, only 55,000 ioaded lncluding power sunroof. kms. Was $1 3,295 Ontsj 57,00OOkms $2 3m995 NOW 811u995 or '217so I '98 rH v MAÀ&SIIo~Pima-<rAnA REGION 0F HALTON NOTICE 0F A PUBLIC MEETING Proposed Amendment No. 6 to the Officiai Plan for the Region of Halton The Council of the Regional Municipality of Halton, through its Planning and Public Works Committee, is holding a Public Meeting to provide interested indMvduals an opportunity to comment on propoaed Halton Region Official Plan Amendment No. 6: paiki Wednesday, March 24, 1999 9:30A.M. Halton Room Halton Regional Centre 1151 Bronte Road OakviIIeON L6M3Ll Region of Halton Amendment No. 6 To Get More Information: Proposed Amendment No. 6 may be viewed at the Office of the Regional Clerk, between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. weekdays, or a copy may be obtained by calling Susan OYBrien. Ext. 7180 at ose of the numbers below. Those wishing to address the Committee are requested to telephone Use Regional Clerk, Joan Eaglesham, attxt. 7237, priortoWednesday, March 17,1999,4:30 P.M. Purpose of Amendment: The purpose is to permit an expansion to an existing golf course. The site, which is the sublect of this amendment is approximately 38ha and located east of Regionai Road 25, north of No. 5 Side Roed. The property islegallydlescribed as Partof Lot 7, Concession 2, 9503 Dublin Line, Town of Halton Hilîs. Nota: If you wish to be notified of the adoption of Use prnposed Official Plan Amendment, you must make a written request to Use Regional Clerk at Use address noted above. If a person or public body Usat files a notice of appeai of a decisîon of Use Regionai Municipality of Halton in respect of Use proposed Officia Plan Amendment does not make oral subraissions at a public meeting or make written submission to the Regional Municipaiity of «Haiton before the proposed officiai Plan Amendment is adopted, Use Ontarounicipal Board may dismiss ail or part of Use appeai. To phone Use Region of Halton frors: Aldershot (905)639-4540 Acton (51 9) 853-0501 Georgetown (905)878-8113 Burlington, Oakville, Milton (905)825-6161 Wieb Site: www.region.halton.on.ca Legislated Notice has been provided to those neighbours affected by the proposaI, as required under the Planning Act. This is provided for any other interested parties. AUtO. air, power everytning. aiîoy rims, o pass, air, pwr winaows, PWr IOCKS, tilt, V6, iow kms. cruise, cassette, rear heater, dutch doors. 2 ocoseio 1 7,995 Only 67,000kms $ 1 7e495 One owner. Navy blue/leather, fully Fully loaded, 4 door. 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