An interesting case out of the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania determined that while the parents of a student with an IEP have the right to participate in the development and implementation of an IEP, that right does not include the right to select staff or to choose methodologies. In addition, when parents overstep that line and it leads to the non-implementation of the IEP, it may be the … [Read more...] about Parents’ Right to Participate in IEP Process Is Not Unlimited, Does Not Include Right to Pick Staff, Methodology, or Engage in Disruptive Conduct
School Law Bullet
Big Changes and Bigger Questions: An In-Depth Look at the Most Recent Amendment to Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law
In the heat of the summer, the Pennsylvania legislature quickly and quietly repaired the already recently-revised Child Protective Services Law. Like all such hasty fixes, not all loose ends are resolved. PTAs and parent volunteers horrified by the draconian requirements of the prior law get some relief, but it is still not the same world as when volunteering meant simply showing up. Below, a … [Read more...] about Big Changes and Bigger Questions: An In-Depth Look at the Most Recent Amendment to Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law
Edging Closer to Rules for Addressing Specificity Concerns Under Right to Know Law
On July 14, the Commonwealth Court addressed a request for “all emails” and determined that it was insufficiently specific to require an agency response. A three-part test will now help with Right To Know Law (RTK) requests for “all records.” Here’s What Happened On August 5, 2014, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette submitted a Right to Know request to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), … [Read more...] about Edging Closer to Rules for Addressing Specificity Concerns Under Right to Know Law
PDE Releases Model Policy on Student Suicide
Suicide rates among adolescents have risen sharply in the past several years, and now are the second to third leading cause of death among individuals in that age group. The rise in American teenagers’ internet use, mobile phone accessibility and use, and social networking use correlates with the rise in teenagers’ suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. The most recent national Youth Risk … [Read more...] about PDE Releases Model Policy on Student Suicide
Student Need and Equality Matter Most When it Comes to Transportation of Special Education Students to Someplace Other Than Their Home
A recent case out of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania provides some helpful guidance on how to address parental requests for transportation of special education students. In the case of S.K. v. North Allegheny School District (- 2015 WL 1285794; Civil Action No. 14 - 218 (W.D.Pa., Mar. 20, 2015), the court was called upon to address a difficult case in … [Read more...] about Student Need and Equality Matter Most When it Comes to Transportation of Special Education Students to Someplace Other Than Their Home
Court Finds That Schools Do Have the Ability to Place Limits on Unreasonable Parents and Provides Guidance on How to Do So
In a recent case, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has made it clear that a school district can impose limits on a parent when the parent acts in a manner that is abusive or inappropriate towards school staff. Facts in the Case In Grim v Pennsbury School District, (- 2015 WL 1312482; Civil Action No. 14-04217 (E.D.Pa., Mar. 24, 2015), a parent who was in … [Read more...] about Court Finds That Schools Do Have the Ability to Place Limits on Unreasonable Parents and Provides Guidance on How to Do So