Special Education Law and Advocacy
In the districts in which I taught as a Special Educator as well as in the districts where my own children attended school, parents would always advocate for certain teachers; “the good ones” —the ones whom everyone respected and the ones who always got good results. It’s hard to say whether there is a correlation […]
Recently, I have heard (far too many) stories from parents that the schools are taking away services from their child and/or denying providing services because the school does not believe the child’s diagnosis. This is wrong and illegal on so many levels, but I will adress the three (3) most important reasons why schools should […]
School board attorneys have managed to turn special education due process hearings into all-out, scorched Earth lawsuits, as if it was Microsoft vs. IBM. In fact, they have convinced administrative hearing officers and judges that this is the way it should be. But Due Process cases are not supposed to be full-blown litigation. Here are […]
An Open Letter to the Williamson County (TN) School Board and Williamson County (TN) Commission from a Concerned Parent . . . [Reprinted with permission. Names withheld to protect the identity of the child.] Dear County Commissioners and School Board Members, I am writing regarding a resolution that both the Williamson County School Board […]
A client recently told me they received a notice for an “evaluation meeting”. Huh? I asked, do you mean an IEP meeting? The client wasn’t sure because the notice said just that – evaluation meeting. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN EVALUATION MEETING! Since I figured school districts are trying to confuse parents by […]
A new tactic being used by schools against parents of children with disabilities is to require / funnel all communications with the school through one person, usually the case manager. We’ve seen numerous questions by parents if this is illegal or whether parents can request two-way communication be listed as an accommodation in the IEP. […]
You pay federal taxes. You have schools in your town. Those schools have special education programs. If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably a parent of a child with special needs. Well, guess what? If you have a dispute with your school about your child’s IEP or otherwise not meeting your child’s special education needs, […]
Recently I was asked to explain what a “reasonable accommodation” is. The person put the question in some context: Their child’s “special education school thinks a table in classroom with curtain is a reasonable accommodation for his bathroom needs. The class is coed teenagers with different cognitive and physical abilities.” I doubt this is a […]
Under IDEA, transportation is a “related service” that must be provided to kids with an IEP.1 Transportation must also be provided to infants and toddlers as part of Early Intervention Services.2 Transportation includes travel between home and school; between schools (if the child attends more than one campus); travel within and around school buildings (if […]
According to the American Psychological Association, 40-50% of marriages in the United States end in divorce. Of all children born to married parents this year, 50% will experience the divorce of their parents before they reach their 18th birthday. (Patrick F. Fagan and Robert Rector, “The Effects of Divorce on America,” Heritage Foundation Backgrounder, May 2000.) […]
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