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| Home > Archives > The Special Ed Advocate, February 27, 2007 (Issue 380) |
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The Special Ed Advocate Print this page 1. Creative Ideas and Website Satisfaction Survey 1. Creative Ideas and Website Satisfaction Survey One thing was clear. Many people do not like current format of the Special Ed Advocate newsletter and asked that begin to publish an html version again. We have a solution to this problem. Look for a new, improved newsletter in your email box within the next few weeks. Take the survey. After you complete the survey, you'll receive two free Wrightslaw White Papers about IDEA 2004 to thank you for your time and help. 2. Bullying, Confidentiality and a Parent's Need to Know: How Much Information Should a School Provide?
A special educator wrote: "A child with disabilities was the victim of bullies. The child's parent wants to know who the bullies are, what consequences they faced, and what happened at a meeting with their parents. How much information about another student is too much to share with a parent?" In Bullying, Confidentiality and a Parent's Need to Know, Pete and Pam answer questions about confidentiality and the parents' need to have information about their child. Pam suggests a strategy to help the teacher can understand the parent's perceptions, concerns and fears. Read Bullying, Confidentiality & Parent’s Need to Know. Learn about confidentiality (and limits on student rights to confidentiality) at the Confidentiality and Privacy page School should be a place where children feel safe and secure and where they are treated with respect. In reality, many students are targets of bullying that causes serious, long-term academic, physical, and emotional consequences. Preventing Bullying examines these problems, discusses steps schools should take, and identifies strategies to prevent this pervasive problem. Preventing Bullying asks and answers these questions: * What is bullying and how prevalent is the problem? Read Preventing Bullying. Learn more about behavior problems and discipline issues. "Research indicates that creating a supportive school climate is the most important step in preventing harassment. A school can have policies and procedures, but these alone will not prevent harassment . . . but good preventive work the field [will] help ensure that schools provide a safe and welcoming environment for all students." Protecting Students from Harassment and Hate Crimes: A Guide for Schools is published by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and the National Association of Attorneys General. On Tuesday, February 27, the U. S. Supreme Court heard Sandee and Jeff Winkelman’s case against their Ohio school district. The Justices will resolve a split among circuits about whether non-lawyer parents may represent the interests of their children with disabilities in federal court. This case generated intense interest after the Cleveland Bar Association launched an investigation of the Winkelman’s and other parents for the Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) after the parents received an adverse decision from the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Article about Cleveland Bar's Battle with Parents You will find background information, links to pleadings, amicus briefs, and cases, along with articles about the case on the Winkelman Parma page. The Justices are expected to issue their decision before the end of this session. 6. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear New Tuition Reimbursement Case On Monday, Feb 26, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Bd of Ed of New York City v. Tom F. et al. (06-637) The Court will decide whether the parents of a disabled child are entitled to reimbursement for private school tuition if the child had not previously received special education from the public school system or other government agencies. In Board of Education of New York City v. Tom F., et al., the child has attended a private school that does not have an approved special education program. The boy's parents refused to place him in a public school program, kept him in the private school, and obtained tuition reimbursement. The New York City school system lost in an appeal to the Second Circuit. We will bring you more information about this case as it is available. 7. Wrightslaw Programs in ME, IL, MI, LA, VA, DE, NH Wrightslaw offers special education law and advocacy programs and private training by experts in the field. The 2007 schedule includes programs in these communities: 8. Subscription & Contact Info The Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter about special education legal and advocacy issues, cases, and tactics and strategies. The Special Ed Advocate is published weekly (usually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, with occasional breaks). Subscribers also receive "alerts" about events and special offers on Wrightslaw publications and products. To unsubscribe, please go to http://list.feat.org/scripts/wa.exe?HOME. Scroll down the list and click the link to "Wrightslaw" at the end of the page, then click "Join or Leave Wrightslaw." This will take you to the page where you can change your subscription options. Click "Leave Wrightslaw." Please forward this issue of The Special Ed Advocate to others who share your interest in special education law and advocacy. If you were forwarded a copy of The Special Ed Advocate and want to subscribe, you can sign up through our website. Read back issues of the Special Ed Advocate at the Archives. Contact Info Pete and Pam Wright
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