New special-education guidance has been issued by TEA pertaining to the many issues that school districts are currently grappling with. That guidance reiterates that state and federal laws do not provide any flexibility to districts in times of emergency regarding the obligation to provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to students receiving special […]
Read moreWe here at Leasor Crass know that school districts are faced with a number of issues related to the possible spread of COVID-19. The purpose of this guidance is to address some of the more common questions we have encountered. This guidance is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for obtaining legal […]
Read moreA school district was found to have denied FAPE to a student when it failed to provide any IDEA services after the student was expelled from school for attacking another student. What is FAPE, under IDEA? Under IDEA, a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is special education and related services that: Are provided at public […]
Read more
By Victoria Elliott, Associate In a world where high school and college degrees are everything and hard work is often overlooked, students in special education or those students who struggle to pass end-of-year assessments are already at a disadvantage. In the past, these students could not graduate high school with an endorsement if they were […]
Read moreIn addition to being ineffective, disciplining a student for conduct that is caused by, or has a direct and substantial relation to a student’s disability, constitutes disability-based discrimination. Further, subjecting a student to a disciplinary removal that is based on the student’s disability can deprive a student of a free, appropriate public education when it […]
Read moreThe Federal Commission on School Safety recently issued its Final Report. A copy of the full report can be accessed via the Commission’s website here. The Report has made early headlines primarily due to its criticism of the Obama Administration’s “Rethink School Discipline” guidance, which included rules targeting exclusionary discipline and requiring the application of […]
Read moreAlthough the title sounds like that of a bad heavy metal song, it actually refers to three very recent news topics on the legal front that may affect your school district. Guns: If your school is a polling location, the Election Judge can carry at your school. In Opinion No. KP-0212, Attorney General Ken Paxton […]
Read moreThe Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 7 (“SB 7”) this summer in an effort to address the increasing number of inappropriate relationships between educators and students being reported. The legislation, which became effective on September 1, 2017, included significant changes to the requirements for reporting educator misconduct found in Section 21.006 of the Texas Education […]
Read more