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Judy
Lewis
At
Wrightslaw, our goals are to help you gain the information and
skills you need navigate the confusing world of special education.
In this issue, we look at IEPs, IEP meetings and IDEA
reauthorization.
Highlights: What is your IEP IQ?; IDEA reauthorization - advocates speak out, organize, demonstrate; 8 steps to better IEP meetings - play hearts, not poker; how to use a parent IEP attachment; IEP info and resources; Wrightslaw programs sell out; get help from the Yellow Pages for Kids; discounts on Wrightslaw books; exam copies.
Wrightslaw
is ranked #1 in education
law, special
education law, and special
education advocacy. (2003 Alexa
rankings) 
The
Special Ed Advocate newsletter is free - please forward this
issue or the
subscription link to your friends and colleagues so they can
learn about special education law and advocacy too. We appreciate
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1. What is Your IEP IQ? Take the IEP Quiz to Find Out!
To be an effective advocate for your child, you need to learn the law. You also need to learn how to use the law without starting no-win battles.
Few parents or educators learn about legal rights and responsibilities by reading statutes, regulations and cases. Most people get information from training sessions, articles, listserv advice, and informal discussions with others. Parents get advice from educators and other parents - and this advice is often wrong!
Your knowledge can rise no higher than your source.
You
must read the law. The only way to fully understand
your legal rights and responsibilities is by reading and
rereading the law.
Take our IEP Quiz to test
your knowledge. (Complete instructions for taking the IEP quiz
are in What
Is Your IEP IQ?)
The IEP Quiz consists of 18
questions from Appendix A. When you finish the IEP Quiz, you can
send an email to Wrightslaw for the correct answers.
What
Is Your IEP IQ?
2. IDEA Reauthorization: Advocacy Groups Speak Out, Organize, Demonstrate
Last summer, the Senate HELP Committee voted
to approve the controversial Senate Bill 1248 to
reauthorize the IDEA. In December, Congress
adjourned for the holidays before voting on Senate
Bill 1248.
We hear that S. B. 1248 will be brought to the floor for
a vote by the Senate in a few weeks. This may happen in
March - or sooner - or later. (Dates may change.)
In recent months, advocacy groups have formed with the
goal of preserving the IDEA. You need to learn about
these groups, the issues - and the stakes. Read Advocacy
Groups Speak Out, Organize, Demonstrate (February
2004)
To get up and running about IDEA reauthorization issues,
read these articles:
Battle
Against Low Expectations. The Center for Law
and Education reports that Senate Bill 1248 will
undermine opportunities for students with disabilities.
Back to School, Backs to the Wall on IDEA Reauthorization. Learn about the battle to preserve the good IDEA, key issues, what you should do and say.
IDEA
Talking Points. Issues parents and advocates
should address in the reauthorization battle
(discipline, elimination of short-term objectives and
benchmarks, elimination of procedural protections for
parents and kids, more).
IDEA
Reauthorization News
3. 8 Steps to Better IEP Meetings: Play Hearts, Not Poker by Jennifer Bollero, Esq.
In
8
Steps to Better IEP Meetings: Play Hearts, Not Poker,
Jennifer Bollero, an attorney and mother of a child with autism,
explains that if you learn "the rules" and strategies,
you reduce the risks when you negotiate for your child.
"Your child's IEP should never be a gamble. Know what your
goals are and work them. Many roads lead to the same place. Many
different cards can win the game."
8 Steps to Better IEP Meetings: Play Hearts, Not Poker
Learn
about Advocacy
4. Tip: How to Use a Parent IEP Attachment
Frustrated
at IEP meetings? Are your questions are not answered?
In How
to Use a Parent IEP Attachment, advocate Judy Bonnell
teaches you how to use a simple form to track your requests, the
school's response, issues that were resolved, and issues that
are still on the table.
More
Advice & Tips
5. IEP Info & Resources
If you are like most people who visit Wrightslaw, you have questions about IEPs. We built the IEP Page with articles, law and regulations, tactics and strategies, tips, recommended reading, and free publications to answer your questions.
Learn about IEPs
More Topics
Deb
writes, "Your Florida Boot Camp was 'sold out.' I was on a
waiting list with at least 100 others and could not attend. I
will always regret this. Will the program take place
again in the future? If so, when?"
On January 30-31, Pete and Pam put on a Wrightslaw Boot Camp for
200+ parents in Ft. Lauderdale. The Boot Camp "sold
out" and had a waiting list of more than 100 parents.
In
December, we did a one-day Advocacy Training Program in Oklahoma
- sold out!
In November, we did a Boot Camp for 200+ parents in Jackson,
Mississippi - sold out!
The Wrightslaw programs scheduled for this winter and spring are filling up fast. If you plan to attend, please register soon. If you wait, you may find yourself in Deb's shoes - feeling regret.
Midwest
Tour in February
Jefferson
City, Missouri -February 17, 2004
Skokie,
Illinois - February 20, 2004
Indianapolis,
Indiana - February 24, 2004
Troy, Michigan - February 28, 2004
Spring 2004
Manchester,
New Hampshire (Boot Camp) - March 26-27,
2004
Juneau,
Alaska (Boot Camp) - April 8-9, 2004
Anchorage,
Alaska (Boot Camp)- April 13-14, 2004
Annapolis,
Maryland (Boot Camp) - April 30-May 1, 2004
Birmingham,
Alabama -
May 25, 2004
Knowledge is power. When you have information
and skills, you will be a more effective
advocate for your child. Our role is to help you
gain this knowledge so you can negotiate on your
child's behalf. When our
programs sell out, we know parents and advocates
hear our message and are taking action.
Wrightslaw
Programs
focus
on
four
areas:
special
education
law;
using
the
bell
curve
to
measure
progress;
SMART
IEPs;
and
tactics
&
strategies
for
effective
advocacy.
For
information
about
other
programs
that
will
be
held
over
the
next
few
months,
please
check
our Seminars
&
Training
page.
7. Need Help? Visit the Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities
Are
you looking for a tutor or therapist? A psychologist or
educational diagnostician? A speech language therapist? An
advocate or attorney?
If you are looking for help - or a
helper - visit the Yellow
Pages for Kids. Your state Yellow
Pages has many resources - evaluators, therapists, tutors,
special ed schools, grassroots organizations, and support
groups.
You should also check the database
of service providers from the International Dyslexia
Association.
Are
you looking for a research-based
reading program? Review the list
of providers who use structured, multisensory, alphabetic
techniques.
Yellow
Pages for Kids with Disabilities
Research-Based
Instruction
50% Discount on Bulk Purchases of Wrightslaw Books -The Advocacy Challenge Discount is a 50 discount on bulk purchases of Wrightslaw books.
Exam Copies - Teachers in colleges and universities around the country use Wrightslaw books in education, special education and special education law courses. Learn more
Wrightslaw books are reasonably priced ($29.95) - easy on tight student budgets.
Wrightslaw Books:
Wrightslaw:
Special Education Law (ISBN
1-892320-03-7)
Wrightslaw:
From Emotions
to Advocacy - The Special Education Survival Guide
(ISBN 1-892320-08-8)
Wrightslaw:
No Child Left Behind (ISBN: 1-892320-12-6)
The Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter about
special education legal and advocacy issues, cases, and tactics
and strategies. Subscribers receive "alerts" about new
cases, events, and special offers on Wrightslaw books.
| Law Library | Seminars & Training |
| Advocacy | Yellow Pages for Kids |
| No Child Left Behind | Free Newsletter |
| IDEA Reauthorization | Newsletter Archives |
Contact Info
Pete
and Pam Wright
Wrightslaw & The Special Ed Advocate
P. O. Box 1008
Deltaville, VA 23043
Website: http://www.wrightslaw.com
Email: newsletter@wrightslaw.com
This newsletter was generated Tue, 3 Feb 2004 08:58:22 -0800
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