tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16912050785000838812024-03-16T14:52:42.373-04:00Special Education Law BlogA fresh look at special education law-mostly in understandable English.
Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.comBlogger1313125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-31902435862987554462018-07-30T17:11:00.003-04:002018-07-30T17:11:43.411-04:00This Blog Is No Longer ActiveEffective July 29, 2018, this blog is no longer active.<br />
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Previous posts have not been deleted and may be searched with the search box on the left hand side.<br />
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Jim Gerl is no longer associated with this blog.Please see previous posts for further details. Thank you.</div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-23759737006910179642018-07-28T00:27:00.000-04:002018-07-28T00:27:45.273-04:00This Is The End #SpecialEducationLawBlog #jimgerlIt was a good run! This blog <span style="text-align: justify;">will cease to exist at the close of business on Monday.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><br />
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This blog is coming to an end. Since May 9, 2007, we have done much to advance our goal of increasing knowledge of special education law among people who are involved in special education.</div>
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Thank you to the adults and children with disabilities who have followed us. Thank you to the parents, teachers, administrators and staff who have enjoyed this space. Thank you to the lawyers and advocates who represent parents and districts who have complimented us. Thank you to the rating services that gave us awards {like best education blog on the internet!} and other positive reviews. Thank you to the scholars, academics and other experts who have cited us in law reviews, textbooks and other works. Thank you to those of you who came up to me at conferences and meetings and said that you enjoyed the blog. Thank you to all of our readers.</div>
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As a part of this effort, we also started Special Education Law Groups on Facebook and a LinkedIn . Some people misused the groups by posting inappropriate language or attacking individuals or trying to peddle your books or services. I tied to eliminate those things when brought to my attention. But for the most part the "archived" Facebook group members and the 28,000 plus members of the LinkedIn group were well behaved. Thank you for that.</div>
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Along the way, stuff happened. We twice got to interview various <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/alexa-posny-interview-index-of-posts.html">Assistant Secretary</a>s of <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/exclusive-interview-of-michael-yudin.html">OSERS</a>. We were quoted in the <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/almost-famous-we-are-cited-in-scotus.html">influential SCOTUS</a> blog. We once referred to Section 504 as the redheaded stepchild of special education, on the other hand, and had to <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/apology-to-stepchildren.html">apologize to both redheads and stepchildren</a>. We had some <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/perils-of-air-travel-gerls-rock-summer.html">perilous</a> travel <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/perils-of-modern-travel-part-v-no.html">experiences</a>. We had the awesome experience of <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/oral-arguments-at-u-s-supreme-court.html">witnessing live oral argument</a> at the U. S. Supreme Court in a special education case. We ran a number of periodic series of posts on <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/index-to-series-bullying-of-children.html">bullying</a>, <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/special-education-law-101-index-to.html">special ed law 101</a>, and <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/index-to-procedural-safeguards-series.html">IDEA procedural safeguards</a>, among others. We analyzed <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/breaking-new-law-review-article-by.html">law review</a> articles and <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2017/02/new-supreme-court-special-education.html">high court</a> <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/breaking-news-supreme-court-clarifies.html">decisions</a>. A lot of stuff happened.</div>
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At the end, we tried to sell the blog and related enterprises. Lack of time and technical expertise eventually caught up with us and prevented us from processing the offers of some interested persons. So instead of living on, this blog and the groups and related items will cease to exist at the close of business on Monday. Thanks for the interest; it just didn't work out.</div>
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So to all of our readers- thanks for everything! It has been a good run! I will miss you.</div>
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Who better to play us out than B. B. King and some very impressive friends? </div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-28101449973785683592018-07-23T23:25:00.000-04:002018-07-23T23:25:32.395-04:00Hey -The Who- Tell Me Again The Remedy When You Feel Low in The Summer Season #Summertime Blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
CAVEAT: This post does not directly involve special education, or does it?</div>
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Correct Answer: There Ain't None! My powers are beyond your comprehension.<br />
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More info on this <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summertime_Blues">Eddie Cochran classic</a> available here.<div class="blogger-post-footer">-------
Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-72260829663093522772018-07-19T23:17:00.000-04:002018-07-19T23:17:02.763-04:00Blog For Sale! #SpecialEducationLawBlog #MailingLists.SpecialEducation<div style="text-align: justify;">
After more than eleven years, my time with the special education law blog will soon be drawing to a close. I'll explain all of this in detail later. For now, I'll just say that I'm gong to miss this place.</div>
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Rather than let it let it just fade away though, I wondered if anybody out there would be interested in purchasing the blog and continuing our tradition of providing valuable information to the many stakeholders on all sides of special education, our cherished readers.</div>
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In addition to the blog with our approximately 1,300 regular subscribers, you would also acquire the LinkedIn special education Law group with its 28,000 plus members, and the Facebook special education law group with its 1,600 plus members. Not to mention the Tumblr mini-blog. You would be able to communicate directly with a lot of people involved in special education. You could of course also consider placing ads on the blog. The possibilities are many.</div>
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If you would like to make an offer to buy the blog and all of the related mailing lists, please contact me as soon as possible at jimgerl@gmail.com. Let me know what you think.<br />
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Pleased stay tuned for further details....<br />
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-84753858354146960092018-07-15T20:11:00.000-04:002018-07-15T20:11:34.459-04:00Sometimes My Job Is Pretty Cool #WhereIsJG?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRsxoRqcb4RBGrWqFW-TXs7j2195m4yjDPfNycea2Ml_FOZfNP_IlvLF8M_3wlz2xXK0EX8mfq7IJ74GmM8juJm6tn2o-8VXD49iuGAuMpamUMmPRpEEJyBYteLhRzjLtXuNGzy2Ig2U/s1600/20180714_090953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRsxoRqcb4RBGrWqFW-TXs7j2195m4yjDPfNycea2Ml_FOZfNP_IlvLF8M_3wlz2xXK0EX8mfq7IJ74GmM8juJm6tn2o-8VXD49iuGAuMpamUMmPRpEEJyBYteLhRzjLtXuNGzy2Ig2U/s320/20180714_090953.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-45622934076259069312018-07-03T22:47:00.001-04:002018-07-03T22:47:47.533-04:00Independence Day #independence day<span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"><b>Happy Independence Day!</b></span><br style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;" /><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></span><br style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; font-weight: 700;" /><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"><b>We have had many requests to restate a post from our archives that expresses our feelings on this holiday. Here goes:</b></span><br style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;" /><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #063e3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
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The <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29" rel="wikipedia" style="color: #e1771e;" title="Independence Day (United States)">Fourth of July</a> is a big holiday for our country, and these days we really need a big holiday. I have always loved this day; what other country believes in an inalienable right to pursue happiness! Independence Day is also a time to reflect on the concept of independence. Independence Day is also a time to reflect on the concept of independence. </div>
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For people with disabilities, independence is an important goal. Congresshas stated that encouraging <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_living" rel="wikipedia" style="color: #e1771e;" title="Independent living">independent living</a> for people with disabilities is the policy of the United States government. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individuals_with_Disabilities_Education_Act" rel="wikipedia" style="color: #e1771e;" title="Individuals with Disabilities Education Act">IDEA</a>, Section 601(c). Indeed, one of the purposes of special education is to prepare children with disabilities for independent living. IDEA, Section 601(d)(1)(A). </div>
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Before passage of the EHA, the predecessor of the IDEA, in 1975, education of children with disabilities, who were then called "handicapped," was iffy at best. According to the legislative history of the EHA, which is quoted in the seminal Rowley decision by the Supreme Court, (which remains good law even after Endrew F) millions of children with disabilities were then either totally excluded from school or were warehoused until they were old enough to drop out. <em>Bd. of Education v. Rowley</em>, 458 U.S. 176, 191, 103 LRP 31848 (1982). At the time, it was estimated that of the eight million children who required special education, only about 3.9 million were receiving an appropriate education. <em>Bd. of Education v. Rowley</em>, 458 U.S. 176, 191, 103 LRP 31848 (1982). </div>
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These numbers are shocking. 1975 was not long ago. Yet we have made real progress since then. Special education may have its detractors, but it is now pretty widely accepted. Very few children with disabilities are now excluded from school. Some still do not receive an appropriate education, but there are now remedies available when that happens. We have come a long way!</div>
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I realize that we are not finished. But as we look forward on this Independence Day to how we can do a better job of educating children with disabilities and preparing them to live independently, let us also look back for a moment and congratulate ourselves on the excellent progress we have made in what in public policy terms is truly a very short time. </div>
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Happy Independence Day.</div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-61854131972534972662018-07-02T09:00:00.001-04:002018-07-02T09:00:31.251-04:00Weekly Question!Now that the Endrew F decision by the Supreme Court has been around for a while, has it made any difference in the education of children with disabilities? #FAPE
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-88219381074108532892018-06-28T23:06:00.001-04:002018-06-28T23:06:23.005-04:00Sometimes My Job Is Pretty Cool #WhereIsJG?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7F_jrY1xDgIDp4FyXfJVcjyXzKrlU0zqNUEo8TpKcslHWZPvZOp5Bd46xZV4340ZYIiEGW6kcUDIzhAIekjQXOrFInYKikr4slgVfc62k1e8B3AUDH27HK6Zgz3LoX9U7L7hxxHJ64xQ/s1600/20180618_162440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7F_jrY1xDgIDp4FyXfJVcjyXzKrlU0zqNUEo8TpKcslHWZPvZOp5Bd46xZV4340ZYIiEGW6kcUDIzhAIekjQXOrFInYKikr4slgVfc62k1e8B3AUDH27HK6Zgz3LoX9U7L7hxxHJ64xQ/s320/20180618_162440.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-45768682752700535992018-06-25T09:00:00.001-04:002018-06-25T09:00:53.657-04:00Weekly Question!Now that the Endrew F decision by the Supreme Court has been around for a while, has it made any difference in the education of children with disabilities? #FAPE
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-26397637516340314942018-06-21T17:26:00.002-04:002018-06-21T17:26:43.591-04:00Breaking: White House Plans To Merge Education and Labor Departments #Department of Education.<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Trump administration plans to merge the federal departments of Education and Labor. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;"> The proposal is part of a </span><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Government-Reform-and-Reorg-Plan.pdf" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5076b8; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">132-page document</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;"> outlining a broad restructuring of the federal government. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;">The consolidation would create, within the new department, four subagencies, including one called the American Workforce and Higher Education Administration.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;">The proposal would also create subagencies devoted to K-12 education, research/evaluation/administration, and enforcement.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;"> Here is an <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/06/21/622189097/white-house-proposes-merging-education-and-labor-departments?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education">NPR story</a> about the proposal.</span></div>
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Here is <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/government-reform/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=">the plan</a>. Here is <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/statement-secretary-devos-government-reform-plan?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=">statement by Education Secretary</a> DeVoss about the plan.<br />
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So what do you think? Is this a solid policy decision to eliminate duplication, or a cynical attempt to lead to the elimination of one or both federal agencies, or something else?</div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-67014027593421434832018-06-18T09:00:00.001-04:002018-06-18T09:00:37.740-04:00Weekly Question!Now that the Endrew F decision by the Supreme Court has been around for a while, has it made any difference in the education of children with disabilities? #FAPE
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-19441725591596273382018-06-17T17:02:00.002-04:002018-06-17T17:02:32.554-04:00Children With Disabilities and Absenteeism #school attendance<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has released a report on Students with Disabilities and Absenteeism</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">. The brief provides information about chronic absenteeism and possible implications for students with disabilities when a state selects it as a measure of school quality or student success under ESEA.</span></div>
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Here is an excerpt from the report:<br />
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The 2013-14 national data showed that elementary
school students with disabilities served by IDEA were
1.5 times as likely to be chronically absent as elementary
school students without disabilities. High school students
with disabilities served by IDEA were 1.4 times as likely
to be chronically absent as high school students without
disabilities. Across subgroups, only Native students
(American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian
or other Pacific Islander) exceeded the rates of chronic
absenteeism for students with disabilities.
This disparity is echoed in more recent data collected
by states. For example, Connecticut’s (2017) data for
the 2015-2016 school year showed that students
with disabilities served by IDEA continued to exhibit
substantially higher chronic absenteeism rates than their
general education peers despite statewide prevention and
intervention efforts. Eighteen percent of Connecticut’s
students with disabilities were chronically absent compared
to 9.6 percent overall. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The report analyzes the legal implications of the problem and makes a number of recommendations concerning the topic- including recommending an IEP Team Meeting when absences are connected to the student's disability.</div>
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You can read the eight page <a href="https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/NCEOBrief15.pdf">report</a> here.</div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-49862739094874916782018-06-11T09:00:00.001-04:002018-06-11T09:00:17.044-04:00Weekly Question!Now that the Endrew F decision by the Supreme Court has been around for a while, has it made any difference in the education of children with disabilities? #FAPE
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-32020464258970790472018-06-06T17:58:00.000-04:002018-06-06T17:58:22.629-04:00Groups Sue OCR Over Changes to Processing Manual #discrimination<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) recently filed a suit against the U.S. Department of Education over changes to the Education Department's rules for civil right investigations.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #e1e0e0; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">In March 2018, the federal Department of Education amended the office for Civil Rights Case Processing Manual unilaterally. The changes include new provisions to require dismissal of certain complaints and the elimination of complainants’ right to appeal OCR decisions.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> OCR has a Case
Processing Manual specifying how its offices respond to complaints. In changes made recently,
ED mandates that complaints by anyone who has previously filed a pattern of complaints will be
dismissed without investigation. The changes also eliminate the appeals rights of complainants. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <a href="https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.copaa.org/resource/resmgr/docs/2018_documents/nfb_et_al_v_dept_of_educatio.pdf">actual complaint</a> filed in the U S District Court fro the District of Maryland is available here.Here is a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/naacp-special-education-advocates-sue-betsy-devos-over-her-departments-handling-of-civil-rights-cases/2018/06/01/bb8d8e44-65b7-11e8-99d2-0d678ec08c2f_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5520311937a6">Washington Post article</a> on the lawsuit. This is a post by our friends at the <a href="http://www.policyinsider.org/2018/06/civil-rights-groups-sue-us-department-of-education-over-ocr-investigation-changes.html">Council for Exceptional Children.</a></span></div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-26186436991826663672018-06-04T09:00:00.001-04:002018-06-04T09:00:19.880-04:00Weekly Question!Now that the Endrew F decision by the Supreme Court has been around for a while, has it made any difference in the education of children with disabilities? #FAPE
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-74698621400481316822018-05-31T22:36:00.002-04:002018-05-31T22:36:43.258-04:00Key Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 #does special education make a difference? #transition<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">The recent report of the National Longitudinal Transition Study indicates that, although the engagement and use of school supports have increased over the past decade (2003-2012), high school youth with an IEP are more socioeconomically disadvantaged and less likely to have experiences and expectations associated with success after high school than were other students in 2012. Among the disability groups in 2012, youth with intellectual disability, autism, deaf-blindness, multiple disabilities, and orthopedic impairments were found to be most at-risk for not transitioning successfully beyond high school.</span></span></span><br />
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<br />
Here are some very discouraging highlights from the executive summary of he first volume:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Youth with an IEP are more likely than their peers to be socioeconomically disadvantaged and to face
problems with health, communication, and completing typical tasks independently. For example, they are
12 percentage points more likely to live in low-income households (58 versus 46 percent), and less likely to
have parents who are employed or have a college education. Although, according to parents, 70 percent of
youth with an IEP are in very good or excellent health, nearly 30 percent have chronic physical or mental
health conditions or use prescription behavioral medication (about three times more common than among
youth without an IEP). Parents also report that 44 percent of youth in special education have trouble
understanding what others say to them (versus 8 percent of their peers) and that they are less likely to perform
each of several activities of daily living without help, such as using an automated teller machine (ATM) (37
versus 55 percent) and getting to places outside the home (85 versus 95 percent). However, on average youth
with an IEP are no more likely than their peers to face other challenges, such as limited English proficiency
or attending an academically lower-performing school.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Males represent a larger share of youth with an IEP than of youth without an IEP. Policymakers and
educators have long been concerned that some groups of students might be identified for special education
services at different rates. Although the study cannot unravel the mix of factors that could be responsible for
this pattern, two-thirds of youth with an IEP are male, compared with about half of their peers.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">The vast majority of youth with and without an IEP feel positive about school, but those with an IEP
experience bullying and are suspended at higher rates, and are less engaged in school and social activities.
Like their peers, more than 80 percent of youth in special education report that they are happy with school
and with school staff. However, not only do youth with an IEP more commonly experience some types of
bullying (for example, 37 versus 28 percent for being teased or called names), but their parents also indicate
they are more than twice as likely to be suspended (29 versus 14 percent) or expelled (8 versus 3 percent)
from school. In addition, they report having lower participation rates in school extracurricular sports and
clubs than their peers (64 versus 81 percent), and are less likely to get together with friends on a weekly basis
(52 versus 66 percent). </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Youth with an IEP are more likely than youth without an IEP to struggle academically, yet less likely to
receive some forms of school-based support. Half of all youth with an IEP report they have trouble with
their classes, about 15 percentage points more than reported by their peers. However, they are 6 percentage
points less likely to report receiving school-based academic help before or after school (72 versus 78 percent).
On the other hand, parents of youth with an IEP report being more likely than other parents to help their
children with homework weekly (62 versus 54 percent) and to attend a parent-teacher conference (84 versus
65 percent). </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Youth with an IEP lag their peers in planning and taking steps to obtain postsecondary education and
jobs. Nearly 20 percentage points fewer youth with an IEP expect to enroll in some type of postsecondary
education or training, compared with youth without an IEP (76 versus 94 percent). The gap is nearly 30
percentage points for those expecting to obtain a four-year college degree (51 versus 80 percent). Reflecting
these gaps, youth in special education are almost half as likely as their peers to report taking college entrance
and placement tests (42 versus 70 percent). Forty percent report having recent paid work experience,
compared with 50 percent of youth without an IEP. In addition, parents of youth with an IEP are less likely
than other parents to anticipate that their children will live independently as adults (78 versus 96 percent).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Youth with a 504 plan face fewer functional, social, and educational challenges than do youth with an
IEP, but more than other youth without an IEP. On several indicators examined, youth with a 504 plan
fare better than youth with an IEP but worse than other youth without an IEP. These indicators include
communication and performance on some activities of daily living, involvement in school activities, being
suspended from school, and expectations about obtaining a four-year college degree. For example, the
proportion who participate in a school sport or club (76 percent) is between that of youth with an IEP (64
percent) and other youth without an IEP (81 percent). However, youth with a 504 plan have more advantaged
backgrounds than these other groups and are less likely to attend lower-performing schools. </li>
</ul>
</div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">There is a lot of data in this report. Here is a <a href="http://www.policyinsider.org/2018/05/preparing-for-life-after-high-school-key-findings-from-the-national-longitudinal-transition-study-20.html">summary</a> by our friends at the Council for Exceptional Children. All </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">volumes of t</span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">he report of the </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">National Longitudinal Transition Study</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"> are available </span></span><a alt="https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20184007/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001DkwVB3MaSgE7Cfbotax_OWPTYYzmgsdGQoZsKhc_c2y_ZJTJbEPZ1llB_Nbsj4Y1aUf9uwlkjNGvK3CG-V0v3SmASea_WbWcV2OCxs5yxbr3DqZyzc8D5AvoNpqi2gJThXaKteyL6HrMQ6Llwpr_2RLUR4IzrVAQjqrNbyiGCQ543zNHwpq7pjjYEn0eKB4_2sMujmGp7T8%3D%26c%3Du_Bil9dF2aoN3AXT935SCIA3VqbjFVwEu_xhGr98Z8Xckn2HAQVgdQ%3D%3D%26ch%3Dl_IjMdigVjJGIgbcqgcn36jevyCD45pWnhOHOZgUr2BIiMj8V7ajPA%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1527820215777000&usg=AFQjCNF1_YiS6zAx_KaEubHgaSDS7Qns1w" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DkwVB3MaSgE7Cfbotax_OWPTYYzmgsdGQoZsKhc_c2y_ZJTJbEPZ1llB_Nbsj4Y1aUf9uwlkjNGvK3CG-V0v3SmASea_WbWcV2OCxs5yxbr3DqZyzc8D5AvoNpqi2gJThXaKteyL6HrMQ6Llwpr_2RLUR4IzrVAQjqrNbyiGCQ543zNHwpq7pjjYEn0eKB4_2sMujmGp7T8=&c=u_Bil9dF2aoN3AXT935SCIA3VqbjFVwEu_xhGr98Z8Xckn2HAQVgdQ==&ch=l_IjMdigVjJGIgbcqgcn36jevyCD45pWnhOHOZgUr2BIiMj8V7ajPA==" shape="rect" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;" target="_blank" wotdonut="true">here.</a></div>
</div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-19589656398535570242018-05-28T09:00:00.001-04:002018-05-28T09:00:36.034-04:00Weekly Question!Now that the Endrew F decision by the Supreme Court has been around for a while, has it made any difference in the education of children with disabilities? #FAPE
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-71926857361479750842018-05-25T17:48:00.001-04:002018-05-25T17:48:41.188-04:00Former ED Secretary: Pull Kids Out of School Until Gun Safety Laws Are Passed #safe schools<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gun violence in schools affects both general education and special education. We have written here before about <a href="http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/how-to-keep-students-with-disabilities.html">keeping children with disabilities safe during school crises</a>, for example.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan retweeted recently that his family will follow a suggestion that parents should keep kids out of school until gun safety laws are passed. The theory is that lack of attendance from a school boycott would force legislatures to act on gun violence.</div>
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This is brilliant, and tragically necessary.<br />
What if no children went to school until gun laws changed to keep them safe?<br />
My family is all in if we can do this at scale.<br />
Parents, will you please join us? <a class="link customisable" data-expanded-url="https://twitter.com/pcunningham57/status/997498464542978048" data-scribe="element:url" data-tweet-id="997498464542978048" data-tweet-item-type="23" dir="ltr" href="https://t.co/Yo4wsFuJI5" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2b7bb9; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="https://twitter.com/pcunningham57/status/997498464542978048"><span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;">https://</span>twitter.com/pcunningham57/<span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;">status/997498464542978048 </span>…</a></div>
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Here is an<a href="https://the1a.org/shows/2018-05-22/dealing-with-another-school-shooting?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education"> article</a> about the idea. Here is the <a href="https://twitter.com/pcunningham57/status/997498464542978048">original tweet</a> and the reaction tweets. {Ten years ago, I would never use the phrase "reaction tweets!"}</div>
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Your thoughts?</div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-40275374013012889862018-05-21T09:00:00.001-04:002018-05-21T09:00:04.769-04:00Weekly Question!Now that the Endrew F decision by the Supreme Court has been around for a while, has it made any difference in the education of children with disabilities? #FAPE
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-36752095364894388972018-05-18T10:46:00.001-04:002018-05-18T10:46:34.230-04:00Breaking: Illinois Imposes Independent Monitor for Special Education For Chicago Public Schools #CPS #SpEd<div style="text-align: justify;">
On Wednesday, the Illinois State Board of Education took the extraordinary step of imposing a special monitor to oversee special education for my alma matter, the Chicago Public Schools. The corrective action comes after an investigation that found new policies delayed and denied students services that they were entitled to under IDEA. </div>
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Here is a quote from the Sun Times article:</div>
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"The Illinois State Board of Education on Wednesday voted to appoint an independent state monitor to oversee Chicago Public Schools’ under-fire special education program.</div>
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“The corrective action and recommendations we offered today are the right first step to helping CPS fully serve all children and families,” State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith said in a statement. “The common good requires uncommonly good public schools. With the State Board’s action today, the Public Inquiry process concludes, and the road to transformation begins.”</div>
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The unanimous vote comes just days after state board officials said CPS has violated federal law protecting special education students.</div>
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Last month, ISBE officials found that some of CPS’ special education reforms made during ousted CEO Forrest Claypool’s tenure with help from consultants he’d known for years, “delayed and denied services to individual students” under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act."</div>
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Here is the Sun Times <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/state-board-of-education-approves-a-monitor-for-cps-special-education-program/">newspaper article</a>. Here is an <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/05/17/612082663/illinois-imposes-state-monitor-on-chicago-special-education-program?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=education">NPR story</a> on the appointment of the monitor.</div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-58660992630848575922018-05-14T09:00:00.001-04:002018-05-14T09:00:30.918-04:00Weekly Question!Now that the Endrew F decision by the Supreme Court has been around for a while, has it made any difference in the education of children with disabilities? #FAPE
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-89142387288102332772018-05-11T21:03:00.001-04:002018-05-11T21:03:25.868-04:00Sometimes My Job Is Pretty Cool #WhereIsJG?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjOdMOxydP__b9q0Ijkq21m7O3ExfT8YLVEiKph2hQa0KGvy68cBh4FzxNRc7Cf08JJm-rPSDIlUvt-70vIFOleRcqqOewDs5eEIPbpSivoRLZR1AsowdaZTEOsLpEw4LfVkur3XOOY4/s1600/20180511_072631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjOdMOxydP__b9q0Ijkq21m7O3ExfT8YLVEiKph2hQa0KGvy68cBh4FzxNRc7Cf08JJm-rPSDIlUvt-70vIFOleRcqqOewDs5eEIPbpSivoRLZR1AsowdaZTEOsLpEw4LfVkur3XOOY4/s320/20180511_072631.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-73910407809756441882018-05-08T22:32:00.001-04:002018-05-08T22:32:47.649-04:00Children With Disabilities Continue To Suffer Disproportionate Seclusion & Restraint and Discipline #seclusion and restraint<br />
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Recently released data on nearly every public school in the nation shows that students with disabilities continue to be disciplined and experience restraint and seclusion at far higher rates than others. Here is a quote from an article in <a href="https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/04/24/feds-restraint-seclusion-schools/25015/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">disability scoop</a></div>
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The figures come from the latest data collection from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. It reflects the experiences of more than 50 million students at over 96,000 public schools across the country during the 2015-2016 school year.</div>
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The Education Department found that 12 percent of students were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and another 2 percent under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.</div>
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However, students with disabilities were affected by various disciplinary procedures disproportionately. These children accounted for 28 percent of referrals to law enforcement or school-related arrests, 26 percent of out-of-school suspensions and 24 percent of expulsions, the report found.</div>
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Meanwhile, the vast majority of the estimated 122,000 students restrained or secluded at school had disabilities, the Education Department said. Children served under IDEA represented 71 percent of those restrained and 66 percent of kids subject to seclusion.</div>
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Even with the high number of reports of restraint and seclusion of students with disabilities, concerns have come to light in recent months that schools may be underreporting the practice.</div>
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“I am aware of this issue, this claim,” U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos told lawmakers during a March hearing on Capitol Hill. “We’ll certainly look into ways that we can continue to insist and ensure that states are appropriately addressing and reporting these situations.”</div>
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Separately, the latest civil rights data also indicated that just over 1 in 10 allegations of harassment or bullying that schools received were based on disability, while students with disabilities accounted for a quarter of those disciplined for harassment or bullying.</div>
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Denise Marshall, executive director of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, said the findings from the civil rights data are concerning.</div>
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“(It) seems clear that our kids continue to be harmed by the failure of the Department (of Education) to take action to address the gross inequities and disparity in treatment,” she said. “How many more generations will it take?”<br />
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You can review the <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-2015-16.html" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">OCR Civil Rights Data Collection</a> here. Here is the <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-2015-16-civil-rights-data-collection" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">OCR press release</a></div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-84833719312509908712018-05-07T09:00:00.001-04:002018-05-07T09:00:28.906-04:00Weekly Question!Now that the Endrew F decision by the Supreme Court has been around for a while, has it made any difference in the education of children with disabilities? #FAPE
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1691205078500083881.post-49115860339191070632018-05-01T22:51:00.001-04:002018-05-01T22:51:32.774-04:00The Endrew F Supreme Court Decision A Year Later #FAPE #FAPE Standard<br />
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An article in Education Week takes a look at the impact of the Endrew F decision a year after it was decided. The article notes that the results of cases hasn't changed much- school districts still generally win. The article notes that the high rate of settlements in special education cases muddies the analysis. {I have been making this point for some time...}</div>
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You can read the <a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/05/02/a-year-ago-the-supreme-court-raised.html">Education Week article</a> here.</div>
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Also note this very cool cartoon of the Endrew F oral argument from the article:</div>
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<img alt="Jeffrey L. Fisher argues at the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of a higher standard for whatâs required on behalf of students with disabilities in the case of <i>Endrew F.</i> v. <i>Douglas County School District.</i> The high court ruled unanimously last year in favor of that position." src="https://www.edweek.org/media/2018/04/27/x29-spec-ed-scotus-hearing-endrew-600.jpg.pagespeed.ic.SvxfOVQX3C.webp" /></div>
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Thanks for subscribing! Jim Gerl</div>Jim Gerlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12482331907215552507noreply@blogger.com3