Going Local: Virginia
FOIA Release: Fairfax County Public Schools’ 9.21.20 Special Education Chair Meetings
The documents and videos in this article relate to the morning and afternoon sessions of Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) 9.21.20 Special Education Chair Meeting.
Both meetings cover the following topics:
FCPS Online Campus
Data Collection
Sharing Successes
Career and Transition Services
Recovery Services
Due Process & Eligibility and SEA-STARS
OSEI Updates
Related Services
FERPA Violation: Longfellow Middle School Students’ Privacy Violated
Although FCPS struggles with consistency in many arenas, repeat violations of privacy is not one of them.
$200,000+ = What Fairfax County Public Schools Paid to be Told the Program it Pushed is Inappropriate for Students with Dyslexia
$65,370.60 = The amount law firm Blankingship & Keith invoiced Fairfax County Public Schools between November 22, 2019, and August 27, 2020.
The result? The Virginia hearing officer ruled the the program “Just Words” is inappropriate for a student with Dyslexia, which was the program FCPS proposed for the student on which the due process hearing was focused.
Two months = The amount of time that passed before Blankingship & Keith started invoicing FCPS for another hearing related to “Just Words” not being appropriate for a student with Dyslexia.
Student Records—Confidentiality: Regulations and Case Law Cited by School Divisions, Lawyers and State Education Agencies
This article focuses on student records—confidentiality regulations and case law that school divisions, school division lawyers, hearing officers, and state education agencies use in documents they issue.
It will be updated as new information is obtained.
Fairfax County Pay-to-Play, 5-Days-a-Week, In-Person Education Model Generates Revenue for County; Sparks Civil Rights Investigation
Payment and availability are not prerequisites for a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
January 2021, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) launched an investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) practices of refusing to provide in-person instruction to students with disabilities, while at the same time opening “its schools to in-person child-care for general education students.” January 12, 2021, USDOE OCR submitted a letter to Superintendent Scott Brabrand, to announce the launch of the investigation.
However, the issue is about more than child care.
Regulations and Case Law School Divisions, Lawyers, Hearing Officers, and State Education Agencies Use: IEP Implementation
This article focuses on IEP Implementation-related regulation and case law that school divisions, school division lawyers, hearing officers, and state education agencies use in documents they issue.
FCPS Knows Reading Program Isn’t Appropriate for All Students who have Dyslexia
If you’re new to my articles, I’ve spent a fair amount of time writing about “Just Words” in response to Fairfax County Public School’s inappropriate use of the program for students who have Dyslexia. My articles aren’t a criticism of the program, but of the administration and implementation of a program that 1) the publisher does not endorse for students with Dyslexia and 2) that two Virginia hearing officers have ruled to be inappropriate for students with Dyslexia.
Today I was provided access to the Dyslexia participant slide deck for the 2.12.19 FCPS Secondary Literacy Intervention Teachers “Resource Bonanza”.
On the slide titled “Specialized Learning Programs”, there are three programs listed: “Just Words”, “Corrective Reading”, and “Language Live”.
The Things Due Process Witnesses Say: Dottie Skrincosky
This post features quotes, facts, and documents related to a recent due process hearing at which Dottie Skrincosky testified.
The hearing focused on, among other things, whether the program “Just Words” is appropriate for a student with Dyslexia.
At the time the parent filed for due process, Dottie was a curriculum specialist on staff with FCPS.
Why Do FCPS Case Managers Need to Be Asked to Communicate with Teachers?
How can case managers collect data for IEPs and 504s if they don’t communicate with teachers?
How can case managers ensure IEPs and 504s are being implemented in full if they aren’t communicating with teachers?
At the start of the 2020-21 school year, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) case managers had to be reminded to connect with the teachers of students enrolled in the FCPS Online Campus.
Due Process Breakdown: School Division Lawyer’s Opening Statements, John Cafferky 9.30.20
Thank you to everyone who shared and who reached out to me about the recent article “Second Virginia Hearing Officer Rules Reading Program Inappropriate for Student with Dyslexia”.
Today’s article shares more information about how that hearing played out, starting with the opening remarks presented by Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) counsel John Cafferky of Blankingship & Keith.
John presented his opening statements September 30, 2020, the first day of the due process hearing filed against FCPS.
Among other things, the hearing focused on whether the program “Just Words”, which FCPS proposed four school years in a row for the student who was the focus of the hearing, is appropriate for a student who has Dyslexia.
Fairfax County Public Schools Failed to Comply with Federal Regulations; Continued to Deny IEEs
Virginia’s Independent Education Evaluation (IEE) regulations will be changed to align with federal regulations.
Local educations agencies (LEA) are required to follow the federal regulations (even before the state regulation change) or they will be found in noncompliance.
However, seven months passed before Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) presented this information to special education lead teachers—even though it was already found in noncompliance for failure to comply with federal regulations.
Second Virginia Hearing Officer Rules Reading Program Inappropriate for Student with Dyslexia
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.