Do not do it ALONE! There are a few things in life which the DYI model suits the project well; however, navigating your child’s IEP or 504 Plan is NOT one of those situations. Trust me on this. Yes, I am an Education Advocate. And I have provided this service to parents since 1998. I…
Stress-Free IEP® with Frances Shefter, Episode 67 In this episode of Stress-Free IEP®, Frances Shefter speaks with Polly Mayer, Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Masters of Arts in Educational Therapy Program at Notre Dame de Namur University. Polly brings a wealth of experience, having spent 25 years as a classroom teacher and…
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By: Ruhani K. Aulakh, Law Clerk Editor: Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev, Esq. On October 5, 2023, the New Jersey Appellate Division in A.B. v. Board of Education of the City of Hackensack affirmed that the Hackensack School Board (“Board”) was required to disclose information of a former employee’s sexual misconduct to the employee’s future employer under…
Arizona Education Lawyers The IDEA protects students with disabilities in disciplinary proceedings that may result in long term suspension or expulsion. Suspension over 10 days in a school year requires a Manifestation Determination Review (“MDR”). A student with a disability (with an IEP) may be suspended for up to 10 school days in a school…
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On November 15, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education’s (“Department”) Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) released new civil rights data from the 2020-2021 school year, as well as seven data reports and snapshots which provide an overview of that data. OCR also launched a redesigned Civil Rights Data Collection (“CRDC”) website that includes public-use data…
By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995 Many parents envision expulsion hearings are mini-trials where their child has full rights to object and exclude things, like in regular court. However, public school expulsion hearings, as hearings governed by administrative law (the law relating to government agencies), have different rules from regular courts. …
Response to Consultation on Prescribing the minimum annual number of learning hours The Scottish Government are seeking views on the prescribed minimum learning hours for primary and secondary pupils in local authority schools in Scotland. Sadly, for many pupils the number of hours prescribed will be largely irrelevant as the statutory exemptions provided will allow…
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First off, so many don’t really have a good sense of what “extended school year” is all about. Specifically, there are students supported by an IEP, who tail off during breaks; often referred as “regression”. And in these situations, the IEP Team needs to consider the prospect of extending the school year into the period…
Stress-Free IEP® with Frances Shefter, Episode 68 In this episode of Stress-Free IEP®, Frances Shefter speaks with Dr. David Palmiter, a licensed and board-certified clinical psychologist and the Clinical Director at the Chesapeake Center, one of the largest ADHD specialty clinics in the country. Dr. Palmiter is also on the Board of Directors for…
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Don’t Press Send: Dangers of E-Mail, the “Inadvertent Meeting” and Updated FOIC Guidance One of the many worries that I have as a school attorney is when school board members use their e-mail account to discuss board business. As you may know, such conduct can run afoul of Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”). The…
