by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Capitols
Nine months after the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled on the rights of students with disabilities, the USDOE has published a guidance paper. The nine-page Q&A document distills key points in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. It...
by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Capitols
As part of a larger effort to reduce rules and regulations deemed unnecessary, the Trump administration has proposed a two-year delay of a new rule that would require states to take a stricter approach to identifying whether local school districts have wide racial or...
by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Capitols
Earlier this fall, the USDOE rescinded scores of policy documents that outline the rights of students with disabilities as part of the Trump administration’s effort to eliminate regulations it deems superfluous. A total of 72 documents — 63 from the Office of Special...
by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Capitols
On his final days in office, NJ Governor Chris Christie signed into law a measure that establishes requirements for use of restraint and seclusion on students with disabilities in special education. The bipartisan bill, which was passed unanimously in both houses of...
by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Parents
By Joanne DeSimone I recently took notice of a headline which read, “Alabama school board member considers institutionalization for special ed students.” Early into the video, school board member Ms. Ella Bell says, “Is it against the law for us to establish perhaps...
by Common Ground | Sep 11, 2017 | Snapshot
Medicaid covers one in five Americans. Medicaid is the nation’s largest health care provider. Medicaid covers 40% of America’s children – over 30 million children. Medicaid covers half of all births in America. One in five Medicaid dollars is spent on children. 2/3 of...
by Common Ground | Sep 11, 2017 | Capitols
Governor Christie has signed a measure (S1474) that requires teacher preparation programs to include instruction or clinical experience in special education, and for students with disabilities endorsement to include credit hours in autism spectrum disorders. The bill...
by Common Ground | Sep 11, 2017 | Capitols
In June, the State Board of Education voted to adopt a resolution supporting new state guidelines to assist schools in teaching social and emotional skills. Social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process by which children and adults acquire and effectively...
by Common Ground | Sep 11, 2017 | Capitols
The Office of Special Education Programs, OSEP, issued a response last year to a letter seeking clarification on a school district’s options when a parent brings an attorney to an IEP meeting without giving the district prior notice. The letter addressed two...
by Common Ground | Sep 11, 2017 | Letters, Professionals, Teachers
An argument for providing every student with a social-emotional and academic liaison. By Maurice J. Elias Imagine what might happen if every child entering a school were assigned a social-emotional and academic development (SEAD) liaison who would advocate for the...
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