by Common Ground | Mar 17, 2022 | Professionals
By Lisa Bell, BA, RN, NBCS, and Nanette Perez, BSN, RN, CSN COVID-19 hit like a hurricane that had not been forecast. In March of 2020, when the governor of New Jersey announced that schools would close for two weeks, no one knew it would be months before most schools...
by Common Ground | Aug 30, 2021 | Students
by Jessica Keogh, MEd The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be challenging for all, but for people with disabilities the struggles have been more intense. As an adult living and working with a physical disability, I can attest to the challenges posed by COVID. Because...
by Common Ground | Jun 18, 2021 | Capitols
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...
by Common Ground | Jun 1, 2021 | Capitols, Q&A
Does your child with disabilities turn 21 on or before June 30, 2021? Did they miss out on vital transition services due to the pandemic? Are they scheduled to graduate because they are “aging out”? Not so fast… There is a new law on its way. S-3434 is on track to go...
by Common Ground | Apr 20, 2021 | Capitols
A bill moving through the New Jersey legislature would require boards of education to provide special education, transition services, and related services to certain students exceeding the age of eligibility for special education and related services. The bill would...
by Common Ground | Aug 6, 2020 | Features
In our last edition of Common Ground, we introduced issues impacting special educators and parents as schools and policymakers crafted early responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. While New Jersey’s broad response to the health crisis has, on the whole, been clear...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Parents
By: Rory Panter, Psy.D. and Rebecca Schulman, Psy.D., BCBA-D Behavior Therapy Associates | Somerset, New Jersey The last several weeks have resulted in significant changes for families, as parents and children are now spending most of their time together in the home....
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Capitols
On April 30, 2020, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) issued a memo to New Jersey Directors of Special Education responding to instances in which school districts sought to require parents or guardians to waive certain legal rights or give written consent...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Capitols
The $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in March charged US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to consider waiving key special education rules as school districts struggle to teach students online. The Secretary was required to report back to Congress by late...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Capitols
Governor Murphy signed A.3904 (now P.L. 2020, Chapter 27), authorizing school districts and APSSDs to educate students remotely in emergency situations that require school facilities to be closed for more than three days. A day of remote instruction will be considered...
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