At Wrightslaw, our mission is to help you gain the information and skills you need to navigate the changing world of special education.

This issue of The Special Ed Advocate includes tips to help your child get off to a good start when school begins; advice for parent advocates; IDEA 2004 program in Northern VA; attorneys' fees under IDEA 2004; Pete and Pam Wright receive award for outstanding educators.

Subscribers on January 3, 2006: 47,770

Wrightslaw is ranked #1 in special education law and special education advocacy. (2005 Alexa rankings)

Download this issue. All newsletters published in 2005

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1. 9 Ways to Boost Your Child's Attitude Before the Bus Arrives

What can you do before your children leave for school to help them feel they can conquer anything?

In 9 Ways to Boost Your Child's Attitude Before the Bus Arrives, Jackie Igafo-Te'o of Bridges4Kids offers no-nonsense pointers that will help you eliminate the last-minute stress that comes with every weekday morning. Read article.

Learn how to anticipate problems, manage conflict, and avoid crises in our Special Ed Advocacy section.

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2. Parent Advocacy: What You Should Do - and Not Do by Leslie Margolis, Esq.

As we prepare to send children back to school, parent attorney Leslie Margolis of the Maryland Disability Law Center has good advice for the parents of kids with disabilities.

Learn the five things you should do (and four things you should not do) in Parent Advocacy: What You Should Do . . . and Not Do. Read article.

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3. What You Don't Know About IDEA 2004 CAN Hurt You! - Manassas, VA (2/20/06)

IDEA 2004: What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You by Pete Wright, Esq. will be held at George Mason University, Prince William Campus, Manassas, VA on Monday, February 20, 2006.

This program will focus on key changes in IDEA 2004. You will learn about:

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4. Attorneys' Fees Under IDEA 2004

IDEA 2004 allows school districts to seek attorneys' fees from parents or their attorneys if the parent’s due process action or court case is “frivolous, unreasonable, or without foundation,” or if the parents acted with an “improper purpose” in filing their complaint.

In New School District Attorneys' Fees Provision Under IDEA 2004, attorney Jess Butler explains what this may mean for parents and counsel. Read article.

Read more What You Need to Know About IDEA 2004 articles.

IDEA 2004 at Wrightslaw

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5. Pete & Pam Wright Receive Upton Sinclair Award from Haberman Foundation

On December 19, 2005, the Haberman Foundation announced that Pete and Pam Wright were recipients of the Upton Sinclair Award of Influential Educators.

Delia Stafford of the Haberman Foundation described the reasons for selecting Pete and Pam Wright as recipients of the award:

"Pete and Pam Wright have done more for parents of special needs children than anyone in the last five years. Their publications, presentations, workshops, newsletters and materials have assisted parents in navigating the Special Education maze." Read article

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