by Common Ground | Oct 29, 2019 | Parents, Professionals, Teachers
On any given school day, New Jersey students line up and leave the building as part of mandatory emergency drills. These drills are a good thing. Students, staff, and emergency responders need a plan and need to practice it so they are safe and ready in the event of a...
by Common Ground | Oct 29, 2019 | Capitols
The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD) released a comprehensive report, School Safety Issues Affecting Students with Disabilities: A Call to Action. The report includes tangible school safety solutions for students with disabilities. While most...
by Common Ground | Oct 29, 2019 | Better IEPs
By Jennifer Kuhr Butterfoss Here are 5 things a school principal can do before, during, and after IEP meetings to leverage relationships with staff and further your bigger school-wide efforts: 1. Visit the student in class a day or two before the meeting It can feel...
by Common Ground | Oct 29, 2019 | Q&A
Q: Can I ask for time off from work to attend my child’s IEP meetings? A: Yes In August, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued a letter clarifying that parents and guardians are allowed to use the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) intermittently to attend...
by Common Ground | Oct 29, 2019 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
There are many “myths” surrounding special education. Here are 5 we are “busting.” Myth #1: If parents say they can only attend an IEP meeting on a weekend, the school has to schedule it at that time. Fact: IEP meetings should be held at a “mutually agreed upon time...
by Common Ground | Oct 29, 2019 | Capitols
Led by New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, and Senator Robert Menendez, D-NJ, Congress has authorized $1.8 billion in spending on autism in the coming years by extending the Autism CARES Act (Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support), which was...
by Common Ground | Aug 12, 2019 | Capitols
New legislation in Washington, DC would help ensure that students with disabilities have the information they need to choose the right college and get the supports they need to be successful. Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower (RISE), S.1585, would amend the...
by Common Ground | Aug 12, 2019 | Capitols
Last spring, leaders in Washington, DC gave New Jersey just three months to change the state’s judicial system for resolving special education disputes. The US Department of Education has found that NJ’s current process involving the Office of Administrative Law (OAL)...
by Common Ground | Aug 12, 2019 | Courts
An administrative law judge has ordered a New Jersey school district to reimburse parents for three years of tuition and other costs related to unilateral placement at a private school. The matter involves a 9-year-old Burlington County girl with autism, dyslexia,...
by Common Ground | Aug 12, 2019 | Snapshot
New data released by the US Department of Education shows an increase in the number of students in special education for the 2017–2018 school year. There were 6 million students ages 3 to 21 receiving services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act...
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