by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Features
For students with disabilities — roughly a quarter million in New Jersey and 7 million nationwide — AND their parents and teachers, the COVID-19 pandemic has been scary. Because such a circumstance is unprecedented in our lifetimes, much of what we know is what we are...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Parents
By: Rory Panter, Psy.D. and Rebecca Schulman, Psy.D., BCBA-D Behavior Therapy Associates | Somerset, New Jersey The last several weeks have resulted in significant changes for families, as parents and children are now spending most of their time together in the home....
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Better IEPs
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the midst of IEP season has left parents and school districts with significant challenges in conducting regular IEP meetings. Federal law has always allowed IEP teams to meet remotely by video conference or telephone. Section...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Parents, Q&A
By Adam Wilson, Esq. | Hinkle Prior & Fischer, Attorneys at Law 1) My child is turning 21 and is scheduled to graduate in June. After being out of school since mid-March, I don’t think he is ready, and his post-secondary program is not ready for him. He...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Watch This
A virtual roundtable exploring how to serve the needs of special education students in a changed landscape. While this video is longer than our usual Watch This features, this NJ Spotlight virtual roundtable is a must see. With remote learning having become the norm...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Letters
April 30, 2020 Dear Editor, We are writing on behalf of the New Jersey Association of School Psychologists (NJASP) and school psychologists practicing across the state of New Jersey. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially given the considerable impact on...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
USDOE Supplemental Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities This Supplemental Fact Sheet reaffirms the rights of students to receive educational instruction and related services...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Capitols
On April 30, 2020, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) issued a memo to New Jersey Directors of Special Education responding to instances in which school districts sought to require parents or guardians to waive certain legal rights or give written consent...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Capitols
The $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in March charged US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to consider waiving key special education rules as school districts struggle to teach students online. The Secretary was required to report back to Congress by late...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Capitols
Governor Murphy signed A.3904 (now P.L. 2020, Chapter 27), authorizing school districts and APSSDs to educate students remotely in emergency situations that require school facilities to be closed for more than three days. A day of remote instruction will be considered...
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