The Wrightslaw Way

If only the teacher really knew my child… That’s where you, as your child’s “case manager,” jump in. If the teacher does not know your child – then what?  You need to get to know your child’s teacher. Pat Howey advises parents to: Meet with your child’s teacher(s) to discuss your child’s special needs. Give […]

Access to a quality education is the civil rights battle of our generation…Real reform will never come from within the system because too many powers that be (the teachers’ union, politicians, consultants, vendors, etc.) have a vested interested in maintaining the status quo that is failing our children… Meaningful education reform must be forced upon […]

Act today to share your concerns about: Closing the disability achievement gap Ensuring a meaningful education that enables every child to succeed Meaningful parent participation in IEP meetings and as equals in educational planning Using effective, research based programs and highly qualified teachers Restraint/seclusion Do it today! Email deadline for comments/concerns is Wednesday, September 9 […]

My son is deaf and low functioning. What are the laws about using an interpreter as a teacher? My son’s education team feels that this is appropriate. I don’t. What is the guidance on this? Interpreters are not teachers. It is ridiculous that an IEP team would design an education plan that does not specify […]

I’m concerned about the level of experience the special ed teacher has with implementing my child’s reading program. She is in the 4th grade and will start the Reading Mastery/REACH program at her school. My daughter is a bright dyslexic, socially well adjusted. She is a hard worker with a great attitude. I asked the […]

Do I have a right to know the qualifications of my child’s teachers? If the answer is “yes,” how long does the school have to provide me with this information? The answer is “yes” if your child attends a school that receives Title I funding, and “maybe” if the school does not receive Title I […]

It appears I’ve offended some teachers by the post and comments on “Fifth grader is reading at 2.7 grade level. Should he be tested for Special Ed?” Before clarifying the purpose of that article, I have a question for you: If your child was in 5th grade and reading on the 2.7 grade level, wouldn’t […]

A question we received about testing a child. The real question is “how can we teach him to read?” I am Orton-Gillingham/Project Read trained and tutor a fifth grade boy. I gave him the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test. His standard score was 85, age based percentile was 14-19, and grade equivalent was 2.7. He was […]