Pratt Institute’s Rosemary Arpino made waves recently with her senior thesis. Rosemary chose to do a theoretical redesign of the Individualized Education Plan, or IEP. The IEP is a document we've referenced many times in our blog as being central to the education of special needs kids. At times, the IEP also serves as a legal document when it becomes necessary to advocate for a child's needs at trial. Rosemary's project tries to take the IEP and solve some big problems with it.
Read MoreDuring the special education referral process, parents will participate in a Committee on Special Education (CSE) meeting to draft an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This meeting will describe what type of program/setting their child is entitled to — it does not tell the parent which specific school or program has been chosen nor does it entitle them, at that moment, to a brick and mortar school placement.
Read MoreOur previous blog explained how the management needs section of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) can potentially be used to secure additional guarantees that can, in turn, influence tuition reimbursement. In this article, we will continue to explore the process by which this happens.
Read MoreIn our previous blog article, we began to explain each section of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with the intention of helping parents better navigate this complex document. In this article, we will continue to explore the remainder of the document, the potential areas that can be challenged, and the Placement Letter.
Read MoreMost special education tuition reimbursement cases follow a similar trajectory of events and timelines.
In order to vindicate their rights to tuition reimbursement (if eligible), parents must go through the process of suing their school district every year. However, recent changes to policy under Mayor de Blasio are aimed at decreasing litigation and lightening caseloads for DOE representatives, resulting in a policy where the city offers parents three-year settlements.
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