From the Capitols: Glenna Gallo to Lead OSERS
President Joe Biden has selected Glenna Gallo to serve as assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services at the U.S. Department of Education. She will need confirmation by the U.S. Senate to officially serve as the assistant secretary. Gallo...From the Capitols: New Law Expands Pool of Eligible Substitute Teachers
A new law will allow a college student enrolled in an institution of higher education who has completed 30 semester hour credits to be a substitute teacher in New Jersey, cutting in half the number of credits needed to apply for a substitute credential. The measure,...From the Capitols: Special Education Unit in the Office of Administrative Law
Governor Phil Murphy has conditionally approved a law that would establish a special unit within the Office of Administrative Law to handle matters of special education disputes and disagreements. The bill (S.2160, sponsored by Senator Steve Sweeney, quickly passed...From the Capitols: Alternate Route
Governor Phil Murphy has signed legislation (P.L.2021, c.279) that establishes an alternate route to expedite the certification of teachers at early college high school programs. An early college high school program is a partnership between a school district and an...From the Capitols: County Colleges to Serve as Transition Centers
The New Jersey Senate is considering a bipartisan bill (S-4211) co-sponsored by Senators Kristin Corrado and Stephen Sweeney that would appropriate $4.5 million to create “centers for transition” at local county colleges. If approved, the centers would...From the Capitol: A New Guide to S-3434
Advocates from the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities, together with attorneys at Disability Rights New Jersey have produced a guide for parents and school districts to help them understand the provision of continued services to students with...From the Capitol: Option for Virtual Related Services
Effective September 8, 2021, the New Jersey Department of Education rescinded the COVID-19 pandemic-related emergency rule allowing special education services to be provided virtually. However, school districts may continue to provide virtual-related services to...From the Capitol: NJDOE Announces Training on Person-Centered Approaches to Transition
In September, NJDOE issued a broadcast memo to alert stakeholders to open and on-going training offered in partnership with the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities on Person-Centered Approaches in Schools and Transition (PCAST). Person-centered approaches are...From the Capitol: NJDOE Releases Guidance on S-3434
Nearly two months after the passage of S-3434, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) issued a broadcast email regarding the implementation of S-3434, signed into law at PL 2021 c. 109 which allows schools to provide additional or compensatory special...From the Capitol: Special Education ‘Aging Out’ Bill Gets Governor’s Signature
On June 16th, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed S-3434 into law. The new law requires New Jersey boards of education to provide special education and related services to students exceeding their age of eligibility. The new law extends eligibility by requiring school...From the Capitol: Study Details Disparities in Covid Learning Loss
A new study released by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights show that interruptions in school-based learning caused by COVID 19 has deepened the impact of disparities in access and opportunity facing many students of color in public schools, including...NJCommonGround.org, and the Common Ground E-newsletter are projects of the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities
.
.
- The Right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education
- What to Do if You Suspect Your Child has a Disability Impacting Their Education
- Initial Special Education Evaluations and Eligibility
- The Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Special Education Placement
- Q&A: What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services?
- Q&A: Dispute Resolution