Schools are denying special education services to students with IEPs who opt for independent study.  Worse, some are forcing parents to sign away all special education rights–placing parents in a no-win situation. For health and safety reasons, many parents of children with disabilities remain reluctant to restart in-person schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2021, California passed AB 130, a law that allowed funding (and lots of it!) for distance learning only for students enrolled in an Independent Studies program. Under this new law,

Las escuelas están negando servicios de educación especial a los estudiantes con IEP que optan por el estudio independiente. Peor aún, algunos están obligando a los padres a firmar todos los derechos de educación especial, colocando a los padres en una situación de no ganar. Por razones de salud y seguridad, muchos padres de niños con discapacidades siguen siendo reacios a reiniciar la educación en persona durante la pandemia de COVID-19. En julio de 2021, California aprobó AB 130, una ley que permitía la financiación

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