We recently had a case regarding a student who withdrew from a NEST program in order to attend a private special education school. For those who don't know, NEST is a specialized program within the Department of Education (DOE) that is specifically intended for children on the Autism spectrum. The classes are all integrated co-teaching classes, and the teachers ostensibly undergo some proprietary professional development. NEST has long been considered the Cadillac of public programs for children with Autism.
Read MoreSometimes, being professional means dealing with unprofessional people. Gottlieb & Wang only recently finished a case that was delayed by an impartial hearing officer who deferred to the DOE representative in a way that was unfair.
The hearing was originally scheduled for one day — about a four-hour block. The hearing started off as any other hearing until the DOE representative unnecessarily prolonged the entire proceeding. Unfortunately for her case, no one could ever be able to get around the fact that her witnesses were lying, and we could prove it.
Read MoreIf your child is set to be suspended for a period of longer than five days, it’s called a superintendent's suspension. By law, your student has some due process rights. I recently got a call from a mother whose daughter was accused of shoving someone to the ground. The girl was sent home, and her parents were told the school was seeking a 30 to 60 day superintendent's suspension.
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