From: "Suzanne Heath" To: Subject: Re: Teacher credentials Date: Friday, January 21, 2005 8:19 PM Dear Linda, To find out if anyone who teaches your son has a certification in special education send a letter similar to the one below to the Bureau of Credentialing. Your son's IEP must tell you to where and when he receives his specially designed instruction. When you say "the leveling into a lower class" what do you mean? Sue Heath ================== Robin Warner Bureau of Credentialing New Hampshire Department of Education 101 Pleasant Street Concord, NH 03301-3860 Dear Ms. Warner: My child attends the __________ school in ____________. He receives instruction from the following teachers. Please tell me what New Hampshire certifications are held by these teachers. List all his teachers in alphabetical order, last name first. xxx xxx xxx Sincerely, Name address ============== The definition of special education is " specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of the child with a disability, including instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and instruction in physical education." 20 U.S.C. § 1401 (25)) [Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, page 29] ============== Statement of the Special Education and Related Services, Supplementary Aids and Services, Program Modifications, and Supports For School Personnel-- "The IEP for each child with a disability must include... a statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the child (i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals; (ii) To be involved and progress in the general curriculum in accordance with 34 CFR §300.347(a)(1) and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and (iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section;" 34 CFR §300.347(a)(3) [Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, page 169] =============== Beginning Date, Frequency, Location, and Duration of Services and Modifications-- "The IEP for each child with a disability must include . . . the projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications described in 34 CFR §300.347(a)(3), and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications;" 34 CFR §300.347(a)(6) [Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, page 170] ================= This publication by the U.S. Department of Education outlines the required parts of an IEP. http://www.ed.gov/print/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html ----- Original Message ----- From: Pam Wright To: Suzanne Heath Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 4:20 PM Subject: Fw: Teacher credentials ----- Original Message ----- From: Linda E. Molinaro To: webmaster@wrightslaw.com Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 9:17 PM Subject: Teacher credentials Dear Suzanne, After reading about your complaint to New Hampshire, I have a question about teacher credentials. My son has been coded with ADD and Non-verbal LD and I was wondering if all the teachers that teach him must have highly qualified special education credentials? He has been mainstreamed into all regular classes except for the leveling into a lower class ( which I think is discriminating to children with disabilities). Therefore, are all his teachers considered to be special ed? We also, live in New Hampshire. Thank you, Linda Molinaro