504 index - Advanced Level Topics

[LinksEtc]

Since TT left, does anybody have any thoughts/ideas regarding the advanced topics?  Anybody really interested in this info?  Should I just organize it a bit & leave it?  Or should I just stop at the more basic level threads and leave the other info as is?  Anybody else want to dive deep into advanced topics?

[guess]

For the next generation coming into FAPE/504/ADA 2014-2015 and beyond.

If you had a chance to speak to an established group of advocates to indoctrinate them into our mindset of improving and advancing existing advocacy for students with LTFA, how would you want it presented in terms of group goals? I know what I think but should I decide to submit a paper to present at a respectably-sized conference for parent attorneys and advocates I would definitely consider input on structure and material. I have reason to believe that I can get a very legitimate, well-respected co-author as long as I do the work.

By the time of the conference the Fox Chapel oral arguments (Sept 12 in Philly) will already have been made and a decision possibly rendered. For registering a topic in order to present I have 3 days to decide.

The goal is to reach that audience of existing civil rights and special education attorneys and advocates that, IMO, need a little injection of FAS methodology in order to clarify the issues concretely for IgE-mediated allergies, further advancing and improving the advocacy that exists. My experience thus far is a lot of them are awesome on energy and desire to help but misunderstand a lot about how to advocate for food allergies and what that means in terms of accommodations and inclusion. The sense I get are there aren't too many in our advocacy organization with first hand experience of anaphylaxis and 504s.

I will tell you that what I see shaping up is essentially the direction of FA advocacy being whittled down to stock epinephrine + safe snack list = job done no need to address prevention and equal access for any other area deemed pesky or inconvenient. Great for Mylan's PR to be the life-saver. Unfortunately, we get on the Max's birthday track where prevention through strict avoidance is de-prioritized or completely ignored.

I name the enemy deliberate indifference and possibly, law firm ethics and expenditures that may require FOIA for audits. If my sources are accurate OCR is not prioritizing disability cases. It may come down to finding a way through the CPM or some of the recent cases to make claims that are of interest to DOJ. I'm fuzzy on where class action is possible and if so how structured.

[guess]

This is an NSBA amicus brief regarding the Ridley case that a federal court judge cited in the TF v Fox Chapel case to apply the reasonable standard. Yet another iteration of it because appeals court ruled a 'stay put' on the IEP placement that the school is financially responsible for. For those that don't deal with special ed in terms of the IDEA 'stay put' allows a child to remain in a private placement while litigation goes on regarding a contested change of placement. Stay put and lost educational opportunity are the heart of Doug C.

http://www.nsba.org/sites/default/files/reports/13-1547NSBA%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf

Starting page 17 the NSBA's amicus brief makes a statement on the cost to schools to litigate. The cost of schools to litigate. Think about that one.

Then watch this.

http://www.c-span.org/video/?298475-7/federal-policy-bullying

There is no mention of compliance. It is only a matter of OCR setting the bar too high for schools to meet so we parents are just expecting too much because we know the law. We should trust the state educational agencies more. It's quite clearly the fed's fault.

Interesting side note from an article: "As an aside, Pennsylvania, along with five other jurisdictions (California, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York and Puerto Rico), accounted for 80 percent of the due process complaints filed between 2006-07 and 2011-12, and 90 percent of the complaints that were adjudicated."

[ajasfolks2]

Interesting side note from an article: "As an aside, Pennsylvania, along with five other jurisdictions (California, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York and Puerto Rico), accounted for 80 percent of the due process complaints filed between 2006-07 and 2011-12, and 90 percent of the complaints that were adjudicated."

Pennsylvania not a surprise!!  Wonder where Missouri and Connecticut are . . . and Virginia?  Was there break out state-by-state?

REALLY appreciate your latest 2 posts in this thread! 

[guess]

ajas, can you email me? I have a favor to ask. I'm submitting a white paper for a conference and need some short input on title and summary for its proposal. There's a good team forming around it and likely to be a solid audience but it needs to be nailed. Sort of a tell it like it is. Ask CM if you don't have my email addy.

By the way, you guys know about this, right?

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/allergy.index.htm

Scroll down to Resources. Third down. It's official.

[ajasfolks2]

Sweet!

PM'd you.

[ajasfolks2]

I've tried their link to us and it seems to take you into a board functionality thread?

Do we need to ask them to fix link?