Tag: Government Policies

  • The Government is Going Down

    The government shutdown! What does that mean? The government facilities has suspended their service due to an executive order given by the president. This means services like passport distribution, tax refunds, financial aid, and social security services are no longer running. This by far has been the longest on record in American history. The government has shut down for 22 days, and counting, yet no one knows specifically why this is happening. Trump announced in his public service announcement on January 8th, that he is very concerned about the borders. So until people consider raising money for a wall to be built to protect Americans from “drug smuggling….criminals.”, shutting down the government disables the border from allowing people into the country. Making the issue of immigrants and refugees less problematic for the President.

    The most important issue that interferes with the government shutting down is the impact on the community. The community’s need government assistance for public reconstruction, facilities that are government profit. Workers are not getting paid, so people are not showing up to work, which will sooner or later have a huge impact on government runned systems.

    How doe this affect you? In the long run, important services could stop all together due to lack of funds. The government supplies money each year to the district of Long Beach if the government postpones taxes, that could cause a Domino Effect of events that could lead to insufficient funding for schools. Not only schools, but financial aid for college students as well. The voices of the people are not being heard and California is suffering the consequences.

    A news report from NBC explains how a tree in Yosemite Park, that was one of the oldest, was cut down. Even though it may not seem like a big deal, the need to keep nature reservations is essential to keep a balanced ecosystem. Without these reservations, we would not be able to protect wildlife and essential resources for survival. The rangers blame the government shut down for not doing anything about it. This shutdown is affecting the US on a large scope. This allows the president’s agenda to go unchecked, meaning the voice of the people is not being heard. Corrupt businesses and capitalists are taking advantage of the shut down because there is no order. If this proceeds any longer than it has to, will our government truly be considered a democracy?

  • R-Word Gets Re-evaluated

    R-Word Gets Re-evaluated

    Currently, Poly’s intensive studies program and Best Buddies club are making changes to the terminology and protesting against current government policies in special education. Tonia Schwichtenberg, an intensive studies teacher, explained that the new Secretary of Education, Betsy Devos, has revealed plans to repeal bills and programs that place a large importance on least restrictive environments.

    As Schwichtenberg explained, least restrictive environments are climates where students are “able to participate in general ed classes and being able to be with their typically developing peers.” Potential policy is threatening these rights and opportunities.

    In special education, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, known as IDEA, guarantees the rights Schwichtenberg stated and protects schoolchildren with any kind of disability.  Thus with more researching, it was found that current President Trump and Devos, do not realize the importance of IDEA and are willing to repeal it, replacing it with something else, possibly for personal gain. Poly’s special education programs are making it a priority to speak out against these potential repeals.

    As for the Poly community, special education classes are standing up for all students with disabilities in the “spread the word to end the word” movement. Schwichtenberg explained, “We don’t want to use the word ‘retarded.’ ‘Special needs’ or ‘intellectual disabilities’ is what we say to spread the word to end the word.”

    The main purpose of the movement, explained the Best Buddies club vice president and senior Zephyr Zimmerman, is to “raise awareness of our societies’ use of the r-word and educate people that it is an offensive term used to label people with IDD, or intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

    In the future, Poly’s RSP teacher of strategies for success, Mr. Smith said, “When we hear students saying the ‘r-word,’ we say ‘hey we don’t say that, it’s not nice to say,’ and just keep preaching that message.”

    Overall, the inspiring triumph of the “spread the word to end the word” movement is successfully impacting and leading the fight for Poly’s special education community.