Does your child with a disability attend the Georgia Cyber Academy?  If so, then you might want to pay attention to recent events have placed the Georgia Cyber Academy under scrutiny by the Georgia Department of Education, media, advocates, and parents, for its obligation to provide special education instruction and related services to children with disabilities.

The Georgia Cyber Academy supposedly provides special education and related services to hundreds of  students with disabilities in Georgia. But how do you know if the Georgia Cyber Academy is providing a free appropriate public education to your child under the Individuals with Disabilities  Education Improvement Act of 2004? What related services  such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language therapy, assistive technology, and other services is your child receiving?

According to some parents, the Georgia Cyber Academy is not providing any related services to their children even though their IEPs state that such services are required. Why?  There is no one answer. Is it the lack of funding? Is it is lack of contracted professionals that will provide such services? Is it the lack of transportation for students to travel to the offices of contracted professionals?  Is it the failure of Georgia Cyber Academy to comply with the law?

In the Atlanta area, some parents have been forced to endure IEP meetings that may last six hours, ten hours or even twelve hours. The parents relate that they attend these IEP meetings without an attorney but the Georgia Cyber Academy is represented by one, two, or perhaps three school attorneys. In addition, the IEP meeting is taken down by a certified court reporter. Why?  How much is this costing the Georgia Cyber Academy? Has your IEP meeting even been taken down by a court reporter?

There is much more to this story. . . . and it becomes more interesting each day.