Federal Legislation & News
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Federal Appeals Court Temporarily Allows OCR Downsizing
In a decision filed on September 29th, a three-judge panel of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston overruled a lower court decision and temporarily allowed the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to continue reducing Office for Civil Rights (OCR) staff. At issue...
ADHD Is punished in schools. How teachers can flip the script
Education Week Excessive squirming and fidgeting. Difficulty paying attention. A tendency to act impulsively and make careless mistakes. Trouble acting cooperatively. These hallmark symptoms of childhood ADHD run counter to behavior that teachers welcome in their...
Civil rights commissioners mixed on special educator shortage solutions
K-12 Dive A persistent shortage of special education teachers nationwide is leading to a lack of supports and services needed to help students with disabilities thrive in schools, according to an investigation by a federal civil rights panel. The growing...
Only 18 states differentiate compensation for special education teachers
K-12 Dive The lagging number of state policies addressing teacher shortages is exacerbating poor academic outcomes for the growing population of students with disabilities and English learners, according to a new report from the nonprofit National Council on Teacher...
AZ: State Board of Education addresses premature graduation
State Affairs Pro After stakeholders raised concerns about districts prematurely graduating students with disabilities, thereby cutting off access to services and federal protections, the State Board of Education is calling on the Department of Education to answer...
CA: How this teen pushed California to change special education policy
EdSource Saran Tugsjargal, 18, advocates on behalf of special education students for the state Disability Commission. When she got to high school, she realized that she needed to stand up for herself. One of the first ways she did that was to show up to the...
CT: CT education officials plan to keep more students in district for special education
CT News Junkie State education leaders touted increased funding to help towns and cities handle the ever-increasing cost of serving the state’s growing population of special needs students at a forum at Naylor Elementary School in Hartford on Monday. The legislature...
GA: Georgia’s first Special Education PTSA recruiting members
FOX 5 Atlanta The Georgia Special Education PTSA, the first of its kind in the state, is now recruiting members. Organizers say the group was created to address a gap in advocacy and resources for special education families. The PTSA is part of the statewide PTA, but...
NC: Group files complaint over JCPS’ reduced schoolday for student with autism
WRAL.com State officials are investigating a complaint from a legal nonprofit that Johnston County Public Schools kept a high school student with autism out of school or away from their peers in violation of federal law. Disability Rights of North Carolina believes...
WI: Madison West students with disabilities swim in their first meet after being cut
WMTV15 Asha Shukla and Aurelia Bergstrom made a splash in their first home meet and are back on the swim team at Madison West. Both athletes have disabilities, and were told that too many girls were trying out for the team. Asha Shukla had been on the team for 2 years...