by Common Ground | Jun 12, 2024 | Capitols, June 2024
The New Jersey Legislature passed, and New Jersey Governor Murphy signed into law, a bill modifying New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act, known as OPRA. OPRA guarantees the public’s right to some government records. The changes further restrict the...
by Common Ground | Jun 12, 2024 | Capitols, June 2024
A U.S. District Court judge has approved a settlement in a class action lawsuit between the New Jersey Department of Education and 5,000 families of New Jersey students receiving special education services. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states...
by Common Ground | Apr 5, 2024 | April 2024, Features
By David B. Rubin and Ellen S. Bass As a school board member, you know your job is not to run the schools but to see that they are well run. To do so, you perform critical oversight functions like selecting the superintendent, formulating district policies, and...
by Common Ground | Apr 5, 2024 | April 2024, Capitols
This spring, the New Jersey Senate Education Committee advanced legislation to establish new State requirements on how to determine whether a student has a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) under IDEA. The bill, S-1812, prohibits the use of a ‘severe...
by Common Ground | Apr 5, 2024 | April 2024, Better IEPs, Features, Parents, Teachers
By Maria Torres, M.A., LDT-C Reading disabilities, such as dyslexia, pose significant challenges for students. They not only affect a student’s academic progress, but frequently also impact their behavior in the classroom. Understanding the relationship between...
by Common Ground | Apr 5, 2024 | April 2024, Capitols
A new report from The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, shows that New Jersey is among nine states still require high school exit exams as a graduation requirement for their students. In February 2024, lawmakers in Trenton introduced measures to do away with...
by Common Ground | Apr 5, 2024 | April 2024, Courts
A U.S. District Court has upheld the ruling of a New Jersey Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) that transportation to and from the corner bus stop, rather than to and from the child’s front door, did not result in denial of a free appropriate public education and did not...
by Common Ground | Apr 4, 2024 | April 2024, Q&A
An act concerning emergency planning for students with disabilities in school settings was signed in January 2024 by Governor Phil Murphy. The bill clarifies the ways in which students with disabilities – specifically, those with an IEP, 504 Plan, or Health Plan –...
by Common Ground | Apr 4, 2024 | April 2024, Courts
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is investigating an Essex County school district to determine whether they discriminated on the basis of race and disability when placing African American students into a self-contained therapeutic...
by Common Ground | Apr 4, 2024 | April 2024, Capitols
In a rare “turn around,” the NJDOE has rescinded a controversial proposal to cut funding to state approved specialized schools serving students with complex disabilities. In January, NJDOE proposed more than 200 changes to NJAC 6A:23A, Subchapter 18, which...
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