Ed. Dept: Schools Must Provide Behavioral Supports to Students Who Need Them

Students with disabilities who are frequently suspended from school may be missing out on the behavior supports they are entitled to, says new guidance released this week from the U.S. Department of Education.  The “Dear Colleague” letter on the Inclusion of Behavioral Supports in Individualized Education Programs noted that 10 percent of students with disabilities were subject to short-term…

FSBA #FridayFive – Week of August 1, 2016

FSBA #FridayFive – Week of August 1, 2016 – 5 Things You Should Know Supreme Court Blocks Rules On Transgender Virginia Student’s Bathroom School board member input critical to Regional Advisory Committees at the U.S. Department of Education survey US teachers get less training than leaders in world educ stats Where Florida ranks on school safety,…

Florida education commissioner chimes in on federal Every Student Succeeds Act

Days after closing the window on public input for Florida’s effort to implement new federal education accountability rules, state education commissioner Pam Stewart has sent her own views to U.S. Education Secretary John King.  In her seven-page letter, Stewart touts Florida’s existing system, and reminds the secretary that the federal government cannot force states to…

Principals Clamor for Inclusion in States’ ESSA Planning

The new federal K-12 education law contains the strongest requirements to date that states gather and weigh the opinions of principals, parents, and others as they create new education plans.  But whether states are practicing this kind of “meaningful consultation”—and particularly whether they are tapping the expertise of their principals — depends very much on…

Education Department Releases Guidance on Homeless Children and Youth

The U.S. Department of Education today released guidance to states and school districts on the new provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for supporting homeless youth. The new provisions address the needs of homeless individuals, and ensure educational rights and protections for homeless children and youth. The guidance released today will assist state…