News - Special Education Action

Second Virginia Hearing Officer Rules Reading Program Inappropriate for Student with Dyslexia

For the second time in about a year, a Virginia Hearing Officer ruled that the program “Just Words” is inappropriate for a student with Dyslexia. In both cases, the due process hearing focused on a student attending Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), in Virginia.

The law firm Blankingship & Keith represented FCPS in both cases, too. Although the first hearing officer ruled “Just Words” to be inappropriate for a student with Dyslexia, FCPS continued to enroll students with Dyslexia in it, and FCPS and Blankingship & Keith continued forward in the second hearing, arguing “Just Words” to be appropriate for a student with Dyslexia.

Action Alert: Dyslexia Legislation Support Needed

This call to action is from Decoding Dyslexia Virginia. Everyone’s support is needed.

If you reside outside of Virginia, please contact Decoding Dyslexia chapter in your state to learn about – and support – their advocacy efforts.

View Fairfax County Public Schools’ “Concurrent Instruction Professional Development Guidebook”

This post shares Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) “Concurrent Instruction Professional Development Guidebook”.

Documents, images, and videos noted within the guidebook are included as well.

The Things Supreme Court Judges Say: Deference to Educators

Imagine this:

For the last five school years, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has found your school division in noncompliance. The VDOE is known for its failure to ensure noncompliance is corrected, which means the noncompliance continues because 1) no one is holding the school division accountable; 2) school division staff aren’t properly trained; 3) carelessness; and 4) some division staff would rather fight you than remain in compliance.

The Office of Civil Rights just launched an investigation into your school division.

Add to the above that some teachers from your school division don’t tell the truth during due process hearings—and, although you’ve provided the school division proof of this, the school division continues to do nothing.

Should deference be given to such educators?

Let’s hear from the Supreme Court.

IDEA Advocacy Alert: Contact Your U.S. Representative and Senators; Ensure Funding For Special Education

This alert was issued by the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA).

Please take action today to ensure that dedicated funding it allocated to support students with disabilities.

Negative Impact of VDOE’s Inaccurate Information Continues

The Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) failure to provide accurate information to parents continues.

June 3, 2017, VDOE was made aware of bad/broken links in its “Parent’s Guide to Special Education Dispute Resolution” document.

Almost four years later, the bad/broken link in question— https://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/dueproc—is still listed 11 times the parent’s guide.

Independent Educational Evaluation: VDOE Rules FCPS in Noncompliance; Follows OSEP Monitoring Report

Struggling to obtain an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) in Virginia?

Below is an example of an IEE-related Letter of Findings, which the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) issued after it found Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in noncompliance.

VDOE’s Letter of Findings language can be used as guidance as you write your own state complaint in Virginia. If you live in another state, explore if your state has the same regulations as Virginia or if those regulations are in line with IDEA.

8 VAC 20-81-110.B.2

The articles in this series will share Virginia regulations that have been cited by lawyers who represent school divisions, by hearing officers, and by state education agencies, to buttress their arguments and/or decisions.

One goal of this series is to identify usage trends. Each article will be dedicated to one regulation. The articles will be routinely updated to include when, where, how, and who most recently cited the regulations.

Category: News (page 20)