NPR

Students with disabilities have a legal right to a public education that meets their needs. It’s an issue so important to families that U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon vowed at her confirmation hearings to preserve that right and the funding that comes with it even as she works to close the Education Department. And as Nebraska Public Media’s Jolie Peal reports, even with that funding, making certain their child gets the right schooling takes hard work for many parents. PEAL: Selene Almazan is the legal director for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, an organization that works to protect the legal rights of students with disabilities. She points to one part of the process that can be especially intimidating for families – the meetings where families and school staff map out what services a student is entitled to. ALMAZAN: Parent education is crucial for parents to understand that they are an equal member of the team, even though the dynamics and the way that it’s set up, it doesn’t necessarily make you feel like you’re a member of the team.