More and more Illinois school districts are offering in-person options as COVID-19 positivity rates continue to drop. 70% of students are now in a hybrid
Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Published: 2/24/2021 4:32:45 PM
As parents of children with special needs, Jillian Mercier and Mandy Carter both know that it can be hard for other parents to relate to their struggles. They’re hoping the new parenting group they re facilitating, called “See the ABLE not the Label,” will cultivate a much-needed social network among local parents of children with disabilities. The monthly group is hosted by The River Center.
Four of Mercier’s five children have special needs including mental health issues, and medical issues like cerebral palsy, and Carter, a Kinship Navigator and Community Resources Specialist for The River Center, has a son who has high functioning autism, ADHD, and anxiety disorders.
Chloe Shelford Feb 14, 2021
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education determined that language used by the Wareham School District in its forms related to Individualized Education Plans was “inconsistent with Department guidance.”
The language has since been removed, and the complaint was closed.
SPEDWatch, Inc., a special education advocacy group, filed a complaint with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in late January alleging that Wareham Schools used illegal language on Individualized Education Plan forms, which guarantee accommodations for students who need them.
SPEDWatch’s complaint included a redacted copy of a student’s N1 form which included the line “The Parent agrees to excuse the District from strict performance of IEP timelines which are challenging pursuant to governmental directives arising from or related COVID-19 pandemic issues.”