Special Parents Confidential 43 Special Education Rights

Special Education Rights. For many parents of special needs kids, special education rights continue to be the main cause of concern and worry. Are our kids being given the right accommodations in school? Are the schools being held accountable for special education services, and who is supposed to be checking to see if they are?  Further, with a push in this country to seriously consider doing away with public schools and instead moving into privatizing the public education system into a for-profit model, where does this leave special education and what rights will parents of special needs kids have if it happens? What Are Your Education Rights? Back in October of 2016, I attended a rally for Special Education that was held in Lansing, Michigan. Among the speakers at the rally was our guest for this episode, Kristen Totten. She is an education attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLUMich). Kristen spoke at the rally about the special education rights that the ACLU is working on to help our kids. I asked her to be a guest on the podcast and she agreed. For this episode we talked about the current state of special education rights in Michigan and across the United States, how some states, like Michigan, allow Charter Schools to reject special education students even though they are required to accept them, and what parents can do to get involved to make sure the education rights of their children are being met. Update: A Major Victory. One of the issues we addressed in the podcast is the work that the ACLU of Michigan has done along with Lt. Governor Brian Calley in eliminating the use of restraints and isolation on children in schools. And I’m pleased to be able to say that within 24 hours of our interview being recorded, the Michigan State Senate passed the bill that ends the use of those in all schools. Links Mentioned In The Podcast. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan ACLU Michigan: Ehlena and Wonder’s Supreme Court Case What’s Up With Lead Levels in Flint (Michigan) Schools? ACLU Local Affiliates Directory Connect with your State’s chapter of the ACLU. Remember to share Special Parents Confidential with everyone you know. Simply use the social media buttons below this post. Also be sure to sign up for our email list. We have news and articles coming up next year that won’t always get mentioned in the podcast episodes, but if you are on our email list, you’ll get that information delivered right to your inbox (along with each new episode when it’s posted online).