How I transformed from a flaky to a reliable parent, and what that means for our clients today I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was a very flaky parent.  In my defense, being a working mom, running a household and being anchor-parent to two elementary school kids was not easy.  Still. One super-busy evening while picking up my boys from after-school care, they asked for a special treat.  “Sure, later,” I said, which was my go-to response.  My son muttered tearfully, “That’s what you

Cómo me transformé de un padre faltoso a uno confiable, y lo que eso significa para nuestros clientes hoy en día Me avergüenció admitirlo, pero yo era un padre muy faltoso.  En mi defensa, ser una madre trabajadora, dirigir un hogar y ser padre ancla de dos niños de escuela primaria no fue fácil.  Todavía. Una noche súper ocupada mientras recogía a mis hijos del cuidado de después de la escuela, pidieron un regalo especial.  “Claro, más tarde”, dije, que era siempre mi respuesta.  Mi

¿Su distrito escolar sobreprometió y ofreciomenosesteaño escolar extendido? Aprendacómoevitar que suhijo con necesidadesespeciales se quedemásatrás. Jean Murrell Adams, Esq. 19 de julio de 2021 Muchosdistritosescolaresofrecieronservicios de año escolar extendido (ESY) para compensar la pérdida de aprendizajedurante la pandemia.  Pero la educación y losserviciosprometidosnunca se materializaron. ¿Quépasó con el ESY de suhijo?   ESY no es “Escuela de Verano”.Muchos padres creen que ESY es lo mismo que losprogramas de la escuela de verano, pero son muydiferentes.   La escuela de veranoesunprograma de educación general abierto a todoslosestudiantes. 

Alejandro Garcia Jr. is our very first ADAMS ESQ scholar. He was one of hundreds of applicants that submitted an essay on what it is like to have a disability in school. He wrote a beautiful essay. He will be attending college in the Fall and would like to become a writer. We wish him all the success in the world! ADAMS ESQ Scholarship Amount is currently $2,000. Eligible recipients are high school seniors and undergraduate students throughout California and Nevada with an active IEP

Did your school district overpromise and underdeliver this Extended School Year?  Learn how to keep your child with special needs from falling further behind. Many school districts offered extended school year (ESY) services to make up for learning loss during the pandemic.  But the promised education and services never materialized. What happened to your child’s ESY? ESY is not “Summer School”.  Many parents believe ESY is the same as summer school programs—but they’re very different.   Summer school is a general education program open to all

Getting the Diploma and the Education! By now, most high school seniors are eagerly looking forward to the big day—graduation! Soon, school districts and charter schools will be giving out diplomas to IEP students as if the past year of “so-so” education never happened. Does your child with disabilities have the skills to transition to the “real” world? Did she receive the education and life skills training that she needed? Did he miss significant services, supports and instruction during distance learning? Did their school conduct

Children with disabilities and their parents had limited rights and educational options prior to the creation of our current comprehensive special education laws in the mid-1970’s.  At least one state imposed criminal penalties on parents who tried to enroll their children with special needs in public school.  Even after Congress established basic rights and protections, state and local governments and school districts continued imposing disability-based and racist segregation, testing and housing practices.  Learn about these African American jurists who advanced the rights—and changed the lives—of

Protecting Your Child’s Education It’s comparatively easy to navigate the calm waters of general education.  Public and charter schools post yearly calendars, standardized tests are regularly administered, parent-teacher conferences are brief and reassuring and report cards are timely and clear. In short, parents of general education students know what to expect from the public education system and can sail through fairly well. In contrast, special education’s complexities and hidden undercurrents can throw children with disabilities dangerously off-course.  Parents of children with IEPs must be proactive

ADAMS ESQ Special Halloween Edition Spooked by school district lawyers?  Frightened by the thought of hiring your own special education attorney? Special education lawyers may seem scary and intimidating, but they are not ogres, vampires or monsters.  In fact, many attorneys are moms and dads who were drawn to help other parents after fighting for the rights of their own children with special needs.  If just the thought of hiring a special education lawyer makes your skin crawl, or if school district lawyers keep popping