Wrightslaw

A new school year is beginning. If you are the parent of a child with special educational needs, it's time for a refresher course in effective advocacy. If you are a teacher or special ed service provider, you may want to fine-tune your advocacy skills on behalf of your students.

Highlights: Pam's recovery continues, Pete's polishes his cooking skills; are Pete and Pam enemies of public schools; four great things about reading in NCLB; advocacy 101 - documents, letters, paper trails; strategies for success - how to get services by asking questions; free shipping on Wrightslaw books; IDEA Update - battle against low expectations continues; attend a Wrightslaw Advocacy Training Program.

Quote of the Week: "To produce great schools worthy of a great nation, we must also change our hearts and our minds. We must let go of the myths and perceptions about who can learn and who can't." - Rod Paige, Secretary, Department of Education

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The Special Ed Advocate newsletter is free. Please forward this issue or the subscription link to your friends and colleagues so they can learn about special education law and advocacy too. We appreciate your help!

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Do you want to learn more about special education advocacy? Learn how to start a FETA Study Group:

https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/advo.feta.groups.htm

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https://www.wrightslaw.com/flyers/free.nwltrs.pdf

Pam continues to recover from her recent surgery. Last week, her doctor did xrays so she could see the new 2 1/2 inch screws and rods in her back. Her bone graft looked like wispy cirrus clouds. She wants to thank the folks who sent "Get Well" emails - your messages have helped to keep her spirits up.

In addition to collecting another set of surgical tools (suture removal), Pete is cleaning house, doing laundry, and cooking great meals from scratch - New Orleans style Gumbo (the roux took two hours!), Crab Imperial, Soft-shelled Crabs and Scallops, Cajun-style Steak.

Pam is fighting the temptation to delay her recovery by a few weeks - Pete is a very good cook.

Although Pam's health is improving every day, she got a little cranky when she read this email from Joe:

"Why are you telling parents how to use No Child Left Behind to fight public schools? Are you against public schools? Do you think people should place their children in private schools or teach them at home?"

Pam gives Joe some facts, then tells him a story about her family history.

Pete tells Joe about the deadly power of low expectations and shares his experiences with schools.

Read "Are Pete and Pam Wright the Enemies of Public Schools" at https://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/ltrs/p2.enemies.schools.htm

In last week's newsletter, we told you about "4 Great Things About Reading in NCLB" - but we forgot to include a link to the article - here it is -

https://www.wrightslaw.com/nclb/4defs.reading.htm

Good records are essential to effective advocacy. You can use simple low-tech tools to record your contacts with the school: calendars, logs, journals.

Learn how to keep a log of telephone calls, meetings, important conversations, and correspondence in Advocacy 101: Documents, Records and Paper Trails

https://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/advo.create.trails.htm

Write letters to clarify events and what you were told. When you train yourself to write things down, you are taking important steps to protect your child's interests.

If you have a dispute with the school, your logs and letters are independent evidence that support your memory. Documents that support your position will help you resolve disputes early.

Learn more about letter writing, documentation and paper trails at:

https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/ltrs.index.htm

"When I began to advocate for my daughter, I felt insecure so I supported my requests with tons of documents--articles, reports and recommendations from experts, test results, and information about specialized equipment."

"I was surprised when the "powers that be" would not provide the services and supports I requested for my daughter."

" What was I doing wrong? What did I need to do differently?"

If you are battling school personnel to get services for your child, you need to read this article! Learn about perceptions, "Know-it-all Parents", and simple strategies you can use to improve your relationship with school personnel -- and get services for your child.

Read "How I Learned to Get Services by Asking Questions" at -

http://www.fetaweb.com/success/advo.parent.askqs.htm

Our publisher is offering FREE SHIPPING on all books - you save at least $4.95 per order.

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law (with or without CD-ROM) by Pete and Pam Wright
https://www.wrightslaw.com/store/law.html

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy by Pam and Pete Wright
https://www.wrightslaw.com/store/feta.html

Writing Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives by Barbara Bateman and Cynthia Herr
https://www.wrightslaw.com/store/bb.iep.html

Why Johnny Doesn't Behave by Barbara Bateman and Annemieke Golly
https://www.wrightslaw.com/store/bb.wjdb.html

To place an order in the Wrightslaw store, go to https://www.wrightslaw.com/store/index.html

To order by Mail, Fax and Phone, go to https://www.wrightslaw.com/bks/orderform.htm