Special Education Law:
Fundamentals, Impact of Current Decisions and Climate, and Recommended Advocacy Strategies
A Four Part Webinar Series
In this four part series COPAA members share with participants current issues in special education advocacy. The first session is an overview of the current political and legal climate affecting special education advocacy under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Each of the following session’s overview current issues and challenges for special education principles of Discipline, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and Informed Consent and Meaningful Participation.
Part One: Thursday, January 14, 2010, 2:00 – 3:30 pm (Eastern)
Reduced Special Education Law: A Little of Everything You Need to Know in 90 Minutes or Less
This session provides an overview of IDEA, including current political/legal factors contributing to the current practice environment, specifically: Buckhannon, changes to IDEA in the 2004 Reauthorization, and other real world issues affecting special education practice. Current case law and practical information on the following key special education principles: Right to an Education; Right to Appropriate Evaluation; Right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE); Right to Education in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE); Right to parental notice and participation; and the Right to Due Process are discussed.
Presenters: Matthew Cohen, Esq.
MATTHEW D. COHEN is co-founder of the firm Monahan and Cohen and is well known for his work in special education law and has extensive experience in health care and mental health law. He has been the principal litigator in a number of important special education cases, most notably the Max M. v. Thompson, Lavon M. v. Turlington, McManus v. School Dist. 39, Joey T. v. Azcoitia, District 130 v. ISBE and Cara B. cases. He is the primary or collaborating author of several amendments to the mental health and special education laws of Illinois. In 1997, he was invited to the White House to participate in the signing ceremony for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, in recognition of his participation in the process leading to passage of that legislation. Mr. Cohen has lectured nationally on a wide variety of topics, including special education and mental health and confidentiality law and has authored numerous articles on these subjects. He has represented or consulted with hospitals, residential treatment centers, community mental health centers, agencies, police social workers and private health care, social services and education practitioners. Mr. Cohen is an adjunct professor of law at Loyola University Law School. He also is a founding and current Board member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, (COPAA), most important, Matt is an outstanding and passionate advocate for children.
Part Two: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 2:00 – 3:30 pm (Eastern)
Keeping Students in School: a Training on IDEA Discipline Law and Combating Zero Tolerance Policies
This session reviews the basics of the IDEA as it pertains to discipline, including an explanation of changes made in IDEA 2004. In addition, strategy and advocacy efforts to combat Zero Tolerance policies are discussed.
Presenters: Matthew Engel, Esq. and Ron Hager, Esq.
Matthew Engel is a Senior Attorney with the Disability Law Center in Northampton, MA, where he has worked for the past 23 years. The majority of his practice focuses on the rights of children with disabilities, with an emphasis on school discipline issues. He is also a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops on education law.
Ron Hager is a senior staff attorney at the National Disability Rights Network. In that position, Ron provides technical assistance and training to the Protection and Advocacy programs throughout the country on special education issues. He has specialized in disability law, particularly special education, since 1979, when he started his legal career in Buffalo as a VISTA attorney. After that, he was a Clinical Professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School for nine years, supervising the Education Law Clinic
Part Three: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 2:00 – 3:30 pm (Eastern)
Least Restrictive Environment: The Intersection of Research and Law
The IDEA 2004 requires the use of “peer reviewed research to the extent practicable.” This session provides an overview of the requirements of the IDEA for peer reviewed research, the most recent qualitative and quantitative research on inclusive educational practices for students with disabilities. An overview of recent case law on LRE and the intersection of research and the courts is also provided.
Presenter: Selene A. Almazan, Esq.
SELENE A. ALMAZAN is the Director of Advocacy Services and Co-Director of the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE), a non-profit organization founded in 1989. For the last fourteen years, Selene has represented parents in special education matters with a primary focus on least restrictive environment issues at the MCIE. As the Director of Advocacy Services, she directs the only legal services project devoted solely to the issue of least restrictive environment in the country. The Advocacy Project has represented over 1900 individual students in the last fifteen years throughout the state of Maryland. Selene represents families at IEP team meetings, state complaint proceedings, mediations, due process hearings, suspension/expulsion proceedings and federal court proceedings, including matters involving violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Selene is a former Supervising Attorney for the Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland where she represented children in the foster care system, including representation in special education matters. She has extensive experience training families, teachers, school administrators, attorneys and advocates on legal issues related to special education law as well as disability discrimination issues. Selene is a member of COPAA and TASH. She was Chair of the Board of Directors for COPAA for 2006-2007 and is currently the Secretary of the COPAA Board and Co-Chair of the COPAA Amicus Committee.
Part Four: Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 2:00 – 3:30 pm (Eastern)
Informed Consent and Meaningful Participation under IDEA
IDEA has since its initial passage the right of informed consent. This presentation provides an overview of this IDEA right by examining its origin. meaning and application. The use of the right of consent in evaluations, reevaluations, IEP development, placement and access are addressed with suggestions for managing these issues and obtaining access to all relevant information for a parent’s right of decision making.
Presenter: Jon Zimring, Esq.
JON ZIMRING’s practice focuses on education law, special education and civil rights. Mr. Zimring is a 1974 graduate of Duke University School of Law. He began his practice as Special Counsel at Dorothea Dix Hospital, Raleigh, N.C. In 1976, he began as education law and mental health law specialist with the Georgia Legal Services Program and was Director of the Georgia Mental Disability Law Project, a program funded by the ABA Commission on Mental Disability. Since 1982, he has been in the private practice of law. He has served as chairman of the State Bar of Georgia Mental Health and the Law Committee, the ABA/Younger Lawyer's Section on the Law and the Handicapped, and Chairman of the School and College Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia. He has lectured in numerous Continuing Legal Education programs for judges, attorneys and for educators on educational rights, special education and civil rights issues. He served as guardian ad litem in Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W. ex rel Zimring, 527 U.S.581 (1999) which established the definition of discrimination under the ADA. He is President of the board of PEPP, Inc., the Parent Training Information Center for Georgia under IDEA.
Registration Information
COPAA webinars are of most interest to attorneys and advocates who represent students with disablities, as well as parents (individuals who have a family member with a disability and do not receive any income for advocay efforts on behalf of students with disabilities).
Registration is NOT open to anyone who is employed by or receives more than 50% of his/her income from state, local, or intermediate education agencies, or, in the case of an attorney, who represents or has represented such an agency or school district within the past five years.
Registration Fees -
Non-Member Advocates or Attorneys $100 – Click here to register (click on Upcoming Tab).
COPAA Attorney Member $75 – Click here to register (you must log into the COPAA member area of the site to obtain coupon code for discounted registration).
COPAA Advocate Member $50 – Click here to register (you must log into the COPAA member area of the site to obtain coupon code for discounted registration).
Parent $35 – (individuals who have a family member with a disability and do not receive any income for advocacy efforts on behalf of students with disabilities). Click here to register. Use Coupon Code n2qf to obtain discounted parent price.
Entire Series Discount – registration is per session only. Individuals who have registered for the first three session are eligible to receive an additional $25.00 discount off the fourth session. Email admin@copaa.org to obtain the discount code.
Please note: If you are not familiar with the term Webinar, a webinar is an online training seminar in which the moderator(s) presents information to an audience, but all the participants “gather” virtually, each at his or her own computer. The benefit of this format is that it allows attendees to learn about topics relevant to their work or life without having to spend time and money traveling. You can attend a Webinar from an office desk, from a conference room, a home office, a possibly even your iPhone!! If you are unable to attend or listen to the entire session, a taped archive will be available for you to listen to at your leisure. All that’s needed is a computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser, and a sound card. You watch and listen on the computer, and interact by typing questions in the chat box, taking polls during the session, etc.
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