I have recently had a number of parents in Chicago Public Schools who have no busing. As a result these children miss days or even months of school. This is a chronic issue, however, CPS officials do not seem to take this issue very seriously. I was interviewed regarding this pervasive issue that effects too many students in CPS– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL06XBs-b0o

There is no more comprehensive resource on the web on the subject of special education than wrightslaw.com. They have literally published the book(s) on many critical guides to advocacy. I personally use his site and material almost everyday. I feel honored to have received high praise from wrightslaw’s new blog The Wrightslaw Way.

It has been great sharing so many resources all at once. Blawg Review has information about next week’s host for #114, and instructions how to get your blawg posts reviewed in upcoming issues.

The following postings are part of Blawg Review #113 which this blog has been nominated to host today, which appropriately is Autism Awareness Day. Since there are not a lot of blogs out there on the topic of special education law, I will be presenting on special education and related topics from some excellent sites.

The posts in this series for the blawg carnival are as follows:

1. Special Education and Related Blawgs;
2. Labelling Parents to Hamstring Advocacy;
3. Helping Parents and Others Get Through to Another Day;
4. Affirmations for Father’s Day;
5. Here is the Play by Play on the Pending Mercury-Autism Case;
6. Here is the Other Side of the Autism-Mercury Debate.

The special education law blog will be hosting the blog carnival this coming Monday June 18, 2007. This date is also Autism Awareness Day. It would appropriate to have postings on autism but all topics related to children with special needs would be appreciate. Here is a chance for readers of the blog to post articles as part of this special day. The following link contains the submission guidelines: http://blawgreview.blogspot.com/2005/03/submission-guidelines.html. Please submit blogs over the next few days so that they can be edited and organized for the carnival.

And, yes now that the IEP season and my move are completed (just about) I will be get back to regular postings.

Fortunately for many special education students in Texas, the state government has adopted a new law called "Scooter’s Law" that will allow special education students to participate in graduation ceremonies. Under this law a student can participate in graduation even if they are continuing with their special education eligibility and services.
Here in Illinois, we have had "Brittany’s Law" which is essentially the same as Scooter’s Law. I can say from direct experience for a number of students that I represent, participation in graduation is a very important right of passage.

My only caution is to confirm in writing that participation in the ceremony does not alter the student’s eligibility under IDEA for special education services. There should be no room for inadvertent graduation and termination of services when that was not intended. Invoke the "graduation ceremony law" in your state if one exists and make it unambiguously clear that services are not being terminated. It may be an exercise in belt and suspenders, but it is these kind of situations that too often come across an attorney’s desk. And for those who are walking across a stage after years of working harder than anyone outside of your family and few select school personnel will ever know, congratulations !