I recently read that Betsy DeVos, who is now Secretary of Education, removed a website that provides parental rights of children with disabilities in special education. Why this website was removed is unknown. Why is it important that this website is removed? The U.S. Department of Education is responsible under federal law for the monitoring and enforcement of special educations laws such as the IDEA, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. These laws apply to apply to children with disabilities attending public schools. If parents of children with disabilities can no longer learn of their rights under the law to protect their children from the Department of Education, then other resources need to be utilized.
Fortunately, there are many websites on the Internet that provides parents of children with disabilities of their rights under federal special education laws. One of my favorites is Wrightslaw at http://wrightslaw.com/ I have been told by many parents over the years that they have found wrightslaw very helpful concerning their child with a disability. The website is parent-friendly. There are a myriad of other websites for special education information that are too numerous to name. I have cited a few on my website under resources. You can simply type “special education” or “parental rights in special education” on a Google search and find many resources that will be help to you. If you need specific information about your parental rights and special education laws and regulations in Georgia, I would go to the Georgia Department of Special Education website at http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Pages/default.aspx. There are also a number of helpful videos on U-Tube that you can find your rights in special education at https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=youtube+rights+of+parents+special+education+videos.
It may be easy finding information on parental rights in special education but not as easy understanding them. You may find such information to be like a “word salad” or “alphabet soup.” I would recommend that you visit my website to discovery what legal services can be performed on behalf of your child. Special education attorneys concentrate their law practice on federal special education laws and representing children with disabilities. The point is parents are empowered with information about their rights under the law. The more access parents have to such information the better they will be as advocates for their child.
