The Wrightslaw Way

A parent writes, The IEP has been ongoing for a year now. There have been endless problems:     -no response to requested evaluation    -IEP is still unsigned    -procedural errors by the team    -reevaluation committee met, the teacher was not there     -two new people attended the meeting, neither knew my child How […]

Pete and Pam Wright are adjunct professors at William & Mary Law School where they co-teach a Special Education Law class and consult with the PELE  Special Education Advocacy Clinic. Clinic students assist children with special needs and their families with eligibility or Individualized Education Program meetings, discipline matters, mediation, and administrative hearings. Clinic students […]

Education News Parents Can Use Broadcast Tuesday night, September 15, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, will feature Secretary Duncan in a special town hall meeting, subtitled “America Goes Back to School.” Call the show during the live broadcast. Here’s how…

Draft IEPs Developed in Good Faith The school system I work for sends out Draft IEPs to parents by email. The word DRAFT is written across the page with a yellow highlighter to make sure parents know it is a draft. The school system sees this as a way to send information ahead of time […]

Do I have a right to observe the class before agreeing (or not agreeing) to a placement for my child? The special ed director said I cannot observe the class because of confidentiality issues with the other children. Some schools take the position that parents and/or their representatives cannot observe a child in the classroom […]