By Lateefah S. Williams, Esq. Imagine walking into the school where you’ve taught for the last decade and half your colleagues (teachers, aides, and support staff) are no longer there. You are told it will not affect student learning because all your remaining colleagues can do twice the amount of work in the same time…
Don’t get me wrong, this is NOT one of those op-ed pieces railing againist DEI or an attempt to take society back over 50 years prior to the historic development of PL 94-142. In fact, we need to secure and support landmark laws in support of special education and students with special needs as the…
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By Lateefah S. Williams, Esq. If your child receives special education services, you probably have heard numerous legal terms being used. One of these fundamental legal terms that you are likely to hear repeatedly is PWN or Prior Written Notice. Sound intimidating? Well, hopefully I can simplify it. What is a Prior Written Notice (PWN)? …
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If nothing else, the early days of the Trump administration 2.0 have been a whirlwind of legal activity. Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have of course been at the forefront and on February 14, 2025 the federal Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a new Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) making abundantly clear…
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By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 As students have been pushed to online learning by Coronavirus, everything may outwardly seem very safe and innocent to parents, with kids attending distance classes quietly. However, online school creates new opportunities for students to be disciplined by their school, and even suspended or expelled….
Stress-Free IEP® with Frances Shefter, Episode 88 The Power of Peer Support In this episode of Stress-Free IEP®, host Frances Shefter welcomes Amanda Levin, founder of NeuroSpice Girls, a peer support and social group for moms of neurodivergent children in the greater Washington area. NeuroSpice Girls offers a private WhatsApp group, a Facebook community, and…
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By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 School expulsions can be devastating for students, emotionally and otherwise, ending up with kids sent to a continuation school and damaging college entrance chances. It is important to know what NOT to do when parents are fighting for their child’s future at an expulsion hearing. Here…
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By Lateefah S. Williams, Esq. One of the most dramatic proposals in recent history is President Trump’s renewed push to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. On February 12, 2025, he announced his desire to shut down the department “immediately,” calling it a “big con job” that wastes taxpayer dollars while failing to improve U.S….
By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 Schools and students are in turmoil in California, with all pushed to distance education for fear of the “invisible enemy” aka Coronavirus. But what about the upcoming fall and the 2020-21 schoolyear? How will students return to school in the Coronavirus “new normal” and how…
By Lateefah S. Williams, Esq. For families of students with disabilities, school isn’t just about grades or report cards—it’s about access, support, and the chance to thrive–whether alongside their general education peers, in stand-alone special education classes, or in nonpublic or private schools. For decades, laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and…
