Wrightslaw

1. New from Wrightslaw! The Advocacy Center & Advice From The Experts

Two factors increase parents' difficulties with school systems (1) isolation and (2) lack of reliable information. At Wrightslaw, we are working to remedy these issues.

Our Advocacy Libraries and Law Libraries include hundreds of articles, newsletters, Letters to Wrightslaw, and legal cases. This information is available to anyone who is interested in special education advocacy - parents, family members, child advocates, attorneys, educators, related services personnel, school administrators, and health care providers.

Now, we offer another source of information - The Advocacy Center.  Over the years, we've met many skilled advocates for children with disabilities and their families. These advocates help parents understand the process. They find creative ways to help their clients. We opened the Advocacy Center so we could share some of their ideas and tips with you.

Visit our the new Advocacy Center

We hope you enjoy these ideas. If you have advocacy advice or a tip that may help others, please send your advice or tip by email:  advocacy@wrightslaw.com

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2. Meet Pete & Pam Wright in Long Island on Friday and Saturday!

We're looking forward to two days of training on Friday and Saturday. Our Long Island conference sponsors tell us that they WELCOME WALK-INS! 

If you have a copy of WRIGHTSLAW: SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW, bring your book to the conference and we'll sign it. For those folks who do their Christmas shopping early, we'll have books for sale at the conference. (We donate $4.00 a book to the sponsoring organizations.)

* TOPICS * 

* LRE/Access to general curriculum; 
* avoiding due process hearings while securing quality services; 
* use of State Education Complaint Procedures; 
* private sector evaluations and consultants, use and input in IEP process;
* case law affecting children in New York; 
* legal requirements affecting staff and teacher training; 
* law in regard to eligibility, prior written notice, IEPs, procedural safeguards, private school placements

NOTE: Conference participants will receive a 40+ page handout. 

* SESSIONS *

Friday, October 13, 2000. 9:00 am-12 noon. "Meeting the Challenge: Legal Issues involved in Educating Students with Disabilities in a General Education Setting" at the Wyndham Wind Watch, Hauppauge, Long Island.

Saturday, October 14, 2000.  9:00 am-12 noon. "When Schools Say No! Parents Rights To Access Quality Education in a General Education Setting For Students With Disabilities" at Brookside School in North Merrick, Long Island.

For more information about these seminars
We hope to see you in Long Island this weekend!

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3. More Resources From Wrightslaw

At Wrightslaw, we have two places where people can post questions and get help: the Special Ed Advocate Forum and the Discussion Group.  Currently, the Special Ed Advocate Forum is hosted by Delphi. 

Our Discussion Group focuses on the needs and interests of participants.

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4. Creative Solutions Contest: Final Chapter

When time permits, we sponsor Creative Solutions Contests. These Contests help us learn that there are often several good solutions to seemingly impossible problems.

In our second Creative Solutions Contest, you helped a teacher solve problems about IEPs that were illegally changed by school administrators (who also forged her signature) -- without losing her job.

The winners of our 2nd Creative Solutions Contest are a fascinating cross-section of people who visit Wrightslaw:

1st Place: Dave, a 15 year old special ed student from Virginia who recently spoke about "Self Advocacy" at a conference.

2nd Place: Wayne Blankenbiller, school superintendent and special ed director from Buffalo, South Dakota. In addition to educational credentials, Wayne has a law degree.

3rd Place: Linda Moran, a teacher for 23 years, who recently began Academic Solutions, Inc. in Tuscan Arizona.

Here is a link to the votes page -- and your feedback about our latest Creative Solutions Contest:

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