Special Education Action is a 501(c)3 nonprofit publisher covering special education.
Its mission is to ensure parents, educators, and students have the information and tools necessary to fully understand, address, and safeguard the unique needs of all students who require special education.
Recent Articles
Today: $81 Billion of $122 Billion Available; Contact Your School Division, Ask How It Will Use The Funds
Contact Your School Division
Within 30 days of receiving ARP ESSER funds, the local education agency (LEA) is required to seek input from the community in advance of making its plan publicly available.
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.