Legal Articles, Other
Students in My Son’s School Are Bad Mouthing Him on Social Media. Is that Bullying?
Students in My Son’s School Are Bad Mouthing Him on Social Media. Is that Bullying?
Can Parents File a State or Federal Claim Against a School if Their Child is a Bullying Victim?
Though there are no federal anti-bullying laws, the United States Department of Education (DOE) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to all boards of education throughout the country advocating a more forceful approach to addressing bullying in schools. In the letter, the DOE acknowledged that bullying “fosters a climate of fear and disrespect that can…impair the physical and psychological health of its victims” and “negatively affect learning.” More tellingly, the DOE noted that certain student misbehavior that violates a school’s anti-bullying policy could also trigger liability under federal anti-discrimination laws enforced by the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
What is Special Education, and Is My Child Eligible For Such Services?
"The State Board of Education believes each student is unique and needs an educational environment that provides for, and accommodates, his or her strengths and areas of needed improvement. The Board also believes that a unified and coordinated continuum of educational opportunities and supports serves and benefits all students."
– Excerpted from the State Board of Education’s “Position Statement on the Education of Students with Disabilities
Every parent who has the best interests of their child at heart would most likely agree with the above statement. Making sure your child receives the best K-12 education they can is certainly the goal. However, this may appear less attainable to parents who are uncertain about the future of their disabled child, or who don’t even realize that their child has special needs.
What You Should Know About a Special Education IEP in Connecticut
If your child is determined to be eligible for special education services in Connecticut, you will have to begin the process of developing an individualized education program (IEP) to meet your child’s specific needs. The IEP is a written plan that describes your child’s special education program.
What Is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in Connecticut?
What Is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in Connecticut?
What is an Educational Support Order in Connecticut?
What is an Educational Support Order in Connecticut?
Paying College Education After Divorce
At the time of a divorce, parties can reserve jurisdiction, a court’s authority to decide an issue, over matters regarding their child’s post-secondary education expenses. It is particularly helpful to reserve jurisdiction if the parties have young children, as a family’s needs may change and one parent may wish to seek assistance from the other parent in facilitating their child’s college education.
Student Records: How They are Kept and Who Has Access
Since student records often contain confidential information such as grades, disciplinary history, and medical history, it is important for parents to understand what procedures school districts must follow when disclosing educational records either with or without parental consent. This section will provide parents with an overview of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the primary federal legislation guiding schools in the disclosure of student educational records.
Scenarios That Commonly Lead to School Residency Disputes
A previous article discussed what takes place if a parent’s son or daughter has been deemed ineligible for free school accommodations because the school board has determined he or she did not reside in the district. Undoubtedly the headaches and stress that accompany the hearing and appellate processes are nothing to sneeze at, so it is important for parents to do what they can to understand ahead of time the [common] situations that may call into question their child’s residency.
What Happens If Your Child is Denied Free School Accommodations Due to Residency Issues?
Under Connecticut law, school districts must provide free school accommodations, including transportation, to every child from age three to twenty-one (who has not yet graduated from high school) within the district so as to facilitate public school attendance.[1] Typically, the school administration will determine your child’s residency status before he or she first enrolls; this does not always happen, however, because it is not statutorily required. As a result, it is not uncommon for residency issues to arise after your child has already been attending classes at a particular school, and the school district has the right to exclude if it determines that your child really resides in another district.
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