Category: Education Law

By Lateefah S. Williams, Esq. In today’s diverse classrooms, cultural competence is mandatory for students to thriveand it is a critical component of an effective special education program. Byunderstanding and respecting cultural differences, educators can improve educationaloutcomes for students with disabilities. Cultural competence is not just for “politicalcorrectness.” Rather, it is essential to building a…

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By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 College punishment can come swiftly and harshly, ending with a suspension or even an expulsion for minor activities.  Even in the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) college systems, the discipline can be unfair and result in an unjust outcome.  As such, a…

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By Lateefah S. Williams, Esq. In a post-pandemic world, helping students deal with mental health challenges in K-12schools has taken on new urgency. An increasing number of students face difficulties,such as, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among others.This has caused teachers and administrators to seek out effective ways to support theirstudents’ emotional well-being….

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By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 Talk to many in our culture today about nicotine products and the public schools and you may hear:  “So what, the kid’s smoking, isn’t that something every teen does?”  Not really, and if they do, it should not be at school or involving school.  Tobacco or…

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CHILD FINDAll children with disabilities, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State – and children with disabilities attending private schools – regardless of the severity of their disabilities, and who are in need of special education and related services, must be identified, located, and evaluated and a practical…

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By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 School expulsion is traumatizing and awful.  Once the worst happens and an expulsion is imposed, do students just get automatic reentry into their local school when the time period is over?  How do they return?  Are there steps?  The terms of the expulsion determine what…

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At the end of November, the short-life working group on Co-ordinated Support Plans (CSPs) released its Final Report. The purpose of the report was to identify barriers to the effective implementation of the CSP legislation and to make recommendations to support progress. The report begins, as these things often do, with a statement of principles….

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Stress-Free IEP® with Frances Shefter, Episode 73 In this episode of Stress-Free IEP®, Frances Shefter, principal of Shefter Law, speaks with Laura Goldstein, LCMFT, founder of Montgomery County Counseling Center and Theracourses. Laura Goldstein earned her Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Franklin and Marshall College and her Master’s degree in family therapy from Thomas Jefferson…

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  Child Find  Lori Kirsch-Goodwin, Esq. and Hope N. Kirsch, M.A.Ed., Esq. Kirsch-Goodwin & Kirsch, PLLC 8900 East Pinnacle Peak Rd., Suite 250 Scottsdale, Arizona 85255 (480) 585-0600 www.azspecialeducationlawyers.com All children with disabilities, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State – and children with disabilities attending private schools…

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It has been two months since the August 1, 2024, implementation date for the 2024 Title IX regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education (“Department”), and schools across the country still face uncertainty from the court cases challenging the regulations. Since their publication, the new regulations have faced strong opposition by states and national…

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