MI: Michigan fails its students with disabilities, first-ever report finds

by kids1stadvocac | Dec 9, 2025 | State

AP News When Michigan officials this year lauded a record-high 82.8% high school graduation rate in 2024, special education advocates pointed out a vastly different outcome: only 61% of students with disabilities graduated. That is one of several metrics showing what...

NC: Wake County schools paid $1.3M in special-ed settlements

by kids1stadvocac | Nov 11, 2025 | State

Durham Herald Sun The Wake County school system has paid out at least $1.3 million in legal settlements in special-education cases so far this year, reaching agreements with families who say their children aren’t getting an appropriate education. The 12...

VT: Vermont’s special education system under strain

by kids1stadvocac | Oct 7, 2025 | State

Valley News The percentage of students with disabilities in Vermont’s education system is on the rise, while many school districts lack the capacity to meet their needs, according to a new report released this week by the state Agency of Education. While overall...

WA: WA OEO report shows 17% surge in family calls in 24-25 data

by kids1stadvocac | Oct 7, 2025 | State

The Olympian The state’s Office of the Education Ombuds last year received the highest number of calls since its founding, according to a recently released OEO annual report. The number of calls for the 2024-25 school year — 1,643 total concerns — represented a more...

School Districts That Pursue Awards of Attorneys’ Fees against Plaintiff Parents and Their Attorneys in IDEA Cases Obtain Fees in Only Small Percentage of Cases

by kids1stadvocac | Oct 7, 2025 | Federal

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) authorizes courts, at their discretion, to “award reasonable attorneys’ fees… to a prevailing party who is the parent of a child with a disability” in legal actions brought pursuant to the Act. 20 U.S.C. §...