The pandemic has ushered in a new era of student discipline, both in and outside of the school building.
Dec 04
Sep 20
As an advocate for students with disabilities and charter schools, I am appalled at the current situation at Franklin Towne Charter High School and urge the Philadelphia School Board to pursue steps to close the school due to discriminatory practices dating back to 2016.
Sep 20
While CLE is not advocating for the IDEA to be amended during the current Congress, we do believe that, at the appropriate time, Representative Molinaro’s bill would be a big step in the right direction in making sure that parents of students with disabilities are able to meaningfully participate in the IEP process.
Sep 20
David Greenberg and Karega Rausch of NACSA share the results of their year-long analysis of how charters are authorized yielded some key suggestions for how applications should evolve.
Sep 05
On July 24, 2023, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) released a Dear Colleague letter (DCL) and lengthy guidance related to the responsibilities states have to oversee the education of students with disabilities in their schools and to ensure that those students are afforded all of their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Read about why this matters and how it impacts charter schools in the full report.
Jul 26
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Jul 26
On this 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we honor and celebrate its profound impact on our society while also recognizing that the promise of this groundbreaking civil rights law has yet to be fully realized. Our hope is to both celebrate the achievements and advocate for even greater change.
Jul 26
On July 24th, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Special Education Programs (OSEP) released guidance regarding IDEA monitoring and compliance activities conducted by state educational agencies (SEAs) of their local educational agencies (LEAs). The guidance addresses SEA obligations to maintain reasonably designed general supervision systems; timelines for identifying IDEA noncompliance and subsequent findings; and correcting child-specific noncompliance. Overall, the guidance makes important, tangible recommendations for ensuring IDEA compliance is directly connected to reaching all students with disabilities in their daily education. Furthermore, it explicitly directs SEAs to play a proactive role in ensuring the appropriate implementation of the IDEA at the local level, and not outsourcing compliance onto the shoulders of parents and the complaint process. Read our complete summary of the latest guidance.
Jun 13
Given the Oklahoma Virtual Charter School Board’s decision to approve the charter application of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, we at the Center for Learner Equity feel it is imperative to reinforce that charter schools are public schools that must be accessible and inclusive for students with disabilities and, we believe, must be non-sectarian.
Jun 13
CLE recognizes the significant progress made in the charter sector but calls for more action to be inclusive and effective for all children.