Office of Civil Rights Reminds Schools of Their Obligation to Provide All Students a School Environment Free from Discrimination
On November 7, 2023, in the wake of unrest in the Middle East, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) released a Dear Colleagues Letter reminding pre K-12 schools and institutions of their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights...
Career Tech Corner: It’s a New Year! Time for the CTC Organizational Meeting
Career technical boards of education are governed by the same statute on holding the organizational meeting in January as any other board of education, but the operation and timing of CTC organizational meetings is slightly different than local, exempted...
Keeping Transportation Between the Dotted Lines
School transportation is a significant part of every district’s services, but also has the potential to become a major source of trouble when we lose focus on the details, including regulations and requirements. That can result in the bus(es) drifting out of...
On the Call: MDR Unidentified Student and A Request for Evaluation
Just when you think your student discipline process is a slam dunk, someone throws a buzzer-beater at the very last second! Jeremy and Erin discuss the laws surrounding student discipline when a child has not yet been found eligible for an MDR or the district had no...
On the Call: Shortened Day
It's a great day when parents and the District are in agreement! Jeremy and Erin follow-up on a conference call where the team wants to be sure the use of a shortened day is compliant with all the special education laws and regulations including FAPE, LRE, and 504....
On the Call: Threat Assessments
Erin and Jeremy make a stop at the intersection of threat assessments and special education considerations. They discuss the importance of the Special Education team and the Threat Assessment team coming together to consider the role a student's disability may play in...
On the Call: Virtual Meetings
In this episode, Jeremy and Erin tackle the virtual meeting roadblocks that can cause your team to detour when trying to navigate good parent participation and adherence to the guidelines. They share the details of a recent case from Indiana where a parent used the...
Navigating the First Amendment in the Digital Age: U.S. Supreme Court Tackles Social Media Blocking Cases
In the ever-evolving landscape of the digital age, the U.S. Supreme Court recently delved into the complexities of First Amendment issues surrounding public officials' use of social media. Two cases brought before the Court raised crucial questions about the...
Special Education Update: DOE Issues Letter on Military-Connected Children with Disabilities
On November 9, the United States Department of Education released a letter on military-connected children with disabilities. The letter highlights the additional challenges that families of military-connected children with disabilities may face due to frequent...
Virtual Meetings and Hearings Get Another Consideration
Over the summer, members of the Ohio House introduced HB 257 to make permanent the ability for school board members and other public officials to attend meetings of the public body and to hold administrative hearings by virtual means. The bill, which was referred to...
CTC Corner: Ohio Governor Announces Career Technical Construction Grant Recipients and New Equipment Funding Opportunity
On November 3, 2023, the Governor announced 35 recipients of $200 million in grant funds for constructing new space for career technical programming enabling more students to receive vocational education in industries such as Agriculture, Construction, Healthcare, IT,...
On the Call: Gender Dysphoria
A special early release! A student's gender dysphoria diagnosis will have you laying down double letters and triple words on the Scrabble board of special education considerations. Erin and Jeremy delve into the DSM 5 diagnosis and how to decipher the requirements...
On the Call: Placement Conundrums
Jeremey and Erin collect and share the pitfalls and conundrums you may encounter when attempting to change a student's placement when the placement options are limited or non-existent. The discussion includes a case out of New Jersey which set a high bar for the...
On the Call: Transportation
Does it sometimes feel like the wheels on the bus are coming off as you approach the intersection of a student's IEP, transportation and IDEA? Erin and Jeremy diagnose what is required under IDEA when it comes to transportation, including bus suspensions and...
On the Call: Informal Removals
Sometimes the guidance concerning informal removals can feel like a game of BINGO at Erin's in-law's house! In this episode, Jeremy and Erin help you survey the game board, the OSEP guidelines, and make sure you understand what constitutes an informal removal and its...
Special Education Update: HB 33 Impacts Options & Obligations for Special Needs Students
The Ohio Budget Bill was signed by Governor DeWine on July 2, 2023. While the spending provisions were effective immediately, substantive changes to the law become effective October 3, 2023. Within these new and amended laws are several provisions that not only impact...
Sixth Circuit Sides with Parent in Free Speech Case
McElhaney v. Williams (August 25, 2023). In a late August decision , the Sixth Circuit reversed a District Court’s decision, finding in favor of a parent’s First Amendment rights, and sending a message to schools and their athletics staff regarding how they ban...
“Erin’s Law” Sets New Staff Training Requirements
“Erin’s Law,” originally House Bill 105, was inserted into a criminal justice bill, Senate Bill 288, and was passed in January 2023, and effective in April 2023. It amended ORC 3313.60 to include child sexual abuse and violence prevention training and education for...
Ohio Court Rejects Parent and Student Challenge to Bathroom Policy Accommodating Transgender Students
A school district in Ohio adopted a policy that allowed transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. A group of middle school parents and students opposed to the policy filed a federal lawsuit in 2022. Their primary argument was that...
Career Tech Corner: The Clery Act and Ohio Technical Centers
The Clery Act, formally known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, is a federal law that aims to promote campus safety by requiring colleges and universities that receive federal funding to disclose information...
On the Call: General Education Accommodations
Erin and Jeremy discuss the rules of the game when it comes to general education and implementation of accommodations so that no one ends up offsides. They kick around a recent case from Pennsylvania which resulted in a yellow card for a district that did not properly...