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

Fairfax County Public Schools Is Offering In-Person, In-School Instruction Four Days A Week; Neglects To Include Students Who Need It

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is offering in-person, in-school instruction for four days a week.

The Problem: Parents of students who need such an option have not had it offered to them—and many don’t even know the option exists.

Contact Your State Education Agency; It Is Required To Request Input On Its Waiver Requests

Contact your state education agency (SEA).

If it is seeking a waiver from the United Stated Department of Education (USDOE), it is required to give the public notice and a reasonable time for it to comment.

February 22, 2021, USDOE issued a letter inviting states to request waivers for the 2020-21 school year “of the accountability and school identification requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).”

From “Just Words” to Lexia, FCPS Continued Its One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Addressing Dyslexia

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) did it again.

It used a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing the needs of students who struggle with reading.

In 2020, Lexia gave FCPS 999,999 licenses for its programs.

FCPS’ response?

The FCPS Office of Special Education Instruction (OSEI) recommended Lexia for all students who were using “Just Words” prior to Governor Ralph Northam’s March 23, 2020 executive order calling for the cessation of in-person instruction.

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

Today: $81 Billion of $122 Billion Available; Contact Your School Division, Ask How It Will Use The Funds

Today, $81 billion of the $122 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund will be available to all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. President Biden will make this announcement later today, at the National Safe School Reopening Summit that is being hosted by the U.S. Department of Education.

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.