by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Features
An 8-year-old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome is suspended from his elementary school after getting frustrated in class and balling his fist around his pencil, an action that the school called “aggressive.” A 10-year-old boy with emotional and behavioral...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Professionals, Teachers
Developing more positive school environments — and minimizing exclusionary discipline practices — requires a shift in the emphasis of older discipline policies, away from zero-tolerance to practices that facilitate positive problem-solving mechanisms, actively...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Q&A
If you are the parent of a child with a disability, you may know the feeling of dread that comes when your child’s school calls during the school day, asking you to pick up your child because they cannot deal with today’s behaviors. Parents often feel they must...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Courts
A New Jersey Administrative Law Judge ruled that a 6th grader with disabilities could be removed from school in connection with behavior that violated school rules. The case involves an 11-year-old boy who had been accused by his Essex County school district of...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Courts
A New Jersey Administrative Law Judge denied a set of parents’ request for their daughter with disabilities to remain in her private school placement, in spite of the fact that her behavior was found to be a result of her disabilities. The case involves a 16-year-old...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Courts
A New Jersey Administrative Law Judge recently ruled that a family in which the father worked overseas was entitled to have their son’s special education services paid for by the Hunterdon County school district in which they maintained an apartment. The case involves...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Courts
A Monmouth County school district has been ordered by an administrative law judge to provide compensatory education to a student with disabilities. The case involves a 21-year-old man with autism and an array of complex behavior, including self-injury, aggression, and...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Capitols
U.S. Sens. Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced the Supportive School Climate Act of 2015, legislation that would address the so-called school-to-prison pipeline by reducing suspensions, expulsions, and other overly harsh school disciplinary...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Capitols
Federal education officials are fielding an increasing number of complaints related to disability discrimination in the nation’s schools. More than 3,900 complaints based on disability were filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights during...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Capitols
NJ Senator Diane Allen (R-7) introduced a bill (S-1760) that would recognize American Sign Language as a world language and require high schools to let students fulfill their foreign language graduation requirement by taking sign language courses, instead of spoken...
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