Post by @youreducationadvo

As an educational advocate, one of the most frustrating parts of this work is watching school officials confidently tell parents they are wrong… while repeatedly misinterpreting the law themselves. Earlier this year, I was hired by my client to repeat her child who attended Reese Public Schools in Michigan. I found myself explaining the district’s legal obligations under IDEA, Section 504, the ADA, and state law repeatedly. Instead of addressing the concerns, the district ignored them. Those communications are specifically referenced because they placed the district on notice of the alleged violations. Think about that for a minute. The advocate explaining the law was ignored. The district did not know the law. Now those same facts are part of a federal lawsuit. This is exactly why parents should never accept, “That’s just how we do it here,” or “Our attorney says that’s legal,” as the final answer. School attorneys represent the district. Superintendents represent the district. Neither determines what the law actually requires. Ironically, the same superintendent is now reportedly interviewing for another position while highlighting special education as part of his leadership platform. My advice? Before celebrating someone’s commitment to special education, ask harder questions. How many IDEA complaints has the district received? How many OCR complaints? How many due process hearings? How many federal lawsuits? Were concerns corrected when they were first brought to the district’s attention, or were parents and advocates ignored until litigation became necessary? Titles don’t create compliance. Following the law does. Every time I send a district an email explaining the law, my goal is simple: fix the problem before it escalates. When districts choose not to listen, everyone loses, especially the students. #fape #504plan #ieprights #specialeducation #advocate