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Recent Articles

06 Dec

FOIA Release: Office for Civil Rights’ Open Investigations for Virginia Department of Education

Office for Civil Rights (OCR) provided a response to a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request submitted to its office for “all letters issued from OCR to Lisa Coons and/or Jillian Balow between Jan 1, 2003, and today [July 10, 2023].” Although it took over a year to respond to the initial FOIA request, OCR confirmed that the letters reflect currently open complaints.

Continue reading “FOIA Release: Office for Civil Rights’ Open Investigations for Virginia Department of Education”…

05 Dec

Parents Sue Literacy Experts, Publishers, and Schools; Who is Responsible, How Far Will This Go, and Why Does Big Pharma Come to Mind?

December 4, 2024, two Massachusetts parents filed a lawsuit against literacy experts Lucy Calkins, Irene Fountas, and Gay Su Pinnell; Board of Trustees of Teachers College, Columbia University; Heinemann Publishing; HMH Education Company; Fountas and Pinnell, LLC; and The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower, LLC. The parents allege that the defendants “peddled” and “hawked” a “raft of products” and “defective goods and services” that were based on “unreliable, methodologically flawed” research, that they “attempted to boost their credibility by selling literacy assessments created to “validate” their own products.”

Continue reading “Parents Sue Literacy Experts, Publishers, and Schools; Who is Responsible, How Far Will This Go, and Why Does Big Pharma Come to Mind?”…

05 Dec

In Case You Missed It: U.S. Dept. of Education’s Functional Behavior Assessment Webinar

December 3, 2024, U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) held a webinar focused on using functional behavior assessments (FBA) to help shift from reactive exclusionary discipline to proactive support. If you missed it, USDOE announced today it will be posting the recording of the webinar on its site with other resources and its new guidance document addressing FBA’s. It was an interesting session and won’t take but about an hour of your time to watch.

Continue reading “In Case You Missed It: U.S. Dept. of Education’s Functional Behavior Assessment Webinar”…

04 Dec

How to File a Privacy Violation Complaint

Imagine your school or someone in the school division violates the privacy of your child. Can you file a complaint? If yes, how? Parents and/or students who believe a student's privacy has been violated under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), have a right to file a complaint. FERPA applies to all students. However, students who have IEPs have additional protection under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Let's explore both below.

Continue reading “How to File a Privacy Violation Complaint”…

02 Dec

Students’ Behavioral Needs are Focus of New U.S. Department of Education Guidance Document

U.S. Department of Education released a new guidance document to "help schools and early childhood programs better support students’ behavioral needs." The guidance document, "Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments", focuses on supporting all students whose behaviors impact their learning, regardless of disability status.

Continue reading “Students’ Behavioral Needs are Focus of New U.S. Department of Education Guidance Document”…

27 Nov

U.S. Department of Justice Secures Agreement with Maine; Agreement Marks “New Milestone” in DOJ’s Enforcement of ADA’s Integration Mandate

November 26, 2024, U.S. Department of Justice announced an agreement with Maine to address the lawsuit it filed against the state September 9, 2024,

Continue reading “U.S. Department of Justice Secures Agreement with Maine; Agreement Marks “New Milestone” in DOJ’s Enforcement of ADA’s Integration Mandate”…