by Common Ground | May 2, 2017 | Q&A
A Special Education Parent Advisory Group, or SEPAG is a state-mandated, district level group charged with providing input to the local school district on system-level challenges in special education services and programs. New Jersey regulations require that:...
by Common Ground | May 2, 2017 | Parents, Uncategorized
By Janice Fialka I was sitting in one of those meetings where everyone wished they were someplace else. The fake smiles could not dissipate the thick fog of tension that impaired our vision. I, the parent of a child with disabilities, was being told that my...
by Common Ground | May 2, 2017 | Capitols
The number of students ages 6 to 21 enrolled in special education rose in the most recent year for which the federal government has data, driven by increases in the number of students classified as having autism or “other health impairments.” It was the...
by Common Ground | May 2, 2017 | Snapshot
More than 5 million school children – 22% of students ages 12-18 – reported being bullied at school during the school year. 6% of students reported that they were pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on. A higher percentage of females than of males ages 12–18...
by Common Ground | Mar 1, 2017 | Features
by Renay Zamloot During the past week, I received frantic phone calls from six different parents throughout the state asking these questions. Each one relaying a very similar story: “I received a call from my case manager today informing me that my child’s...
by Common Ground | Feb 26, 2017 | Q&A
By Deborah Lynam and Jillian Matysik Child Study Team (CST) members are often asked about dyslexia in schools by parents and educators. Until the recent dyslexia legislation in New Jersey, dyslexia was not traditionally discussed in schools. This was often a cause of...
by Common Ground | Feb 26, 2017 | Students
By Asher Zerbib What I remember most about high school are the long, gaping hallways. Perhaps the architecture of a school is not what is relevant, but it is what I recall first when I think of high school. I also recall that the scheduling threw me off a bit –...
by Common Ground | Feb 26, 2017 | Courts
On January 11, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether public schools owe children with disabilities “some” educational benefit — which courts have determined to mean just-above-trivial progress — or whether students legally deserve something more: a...
by Common Ground | Feb 26, 2017 | Courts
In February, The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a unanimous decision in favor of a student with disabilities, and clarified the inter-relationship between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)...
by Common Ground | Feb 26, 2017 | Capitols
Last month, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, A Michigan billionaire and businesswoman, DeVos has championed school choice, charter schools and vouchers programs as a strategy to improve schools. She was approved despite...
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