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Why the ACT, College Board are Denying Your Request for Accommodations and How To Turn That Around

Being granted accommodations for high-stakes standardized tests is no easy task, especially if your child is a high-achiever who has learned to successfully compensate for a disability.  Fortunately, during the Obama administration there were some positive legal developments that have made the law both clearer and more favorable to high-achieving applicants. When testing companies deny accommodations to high-achievers, the reasons are usually the same.  Here are those reasons and several strategies to combat those denials. "Eleventh Hour" Disabilities Testing companies to which you submit an accomodation request get hundreds of applications for extended time for every test sitting; they often don’t [...]

Why the ACT, College Board are Denying Your Request for Accommodations and How To Turn That Around 2018-03-16T12:31:44+00:00

A Girl’s Guide to Sexual Harassment and Abuse in School

If a child has been sexually harassed or abused by a peer or adult in school, she needs to know her rights. Sexual harassment is all too common in middle and high schools across the country. A recent professional survey found that nearly half of all students had been sexually harassed in school. Being harassed can affect a girl's ability to focus on her work, feel secure and confident and ultimately succeed in her studies. Here are some answers to common questions. What do you mean by sexual harassment? Sexual harassment at school can include making verbal or written comments, making [...]

A Girl’s Guide to Sexual Harassment and Abuse in School 2018-03-21T18:39:51+00:00

Win in Federal Court for Our Clients!

Today our triplet clients had another huge win against the Miami-Dade County School District - the fourth largest in the country.  We're so thrilled to report that Judge Joan Lenard of the Federal District Court of the Southern District of Florida denied the school board's motion to dismiss our case.  Our clients, who won a due process case against the district under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, filed a complaint in federal court to enforce that win and the school district tied to get the case dismissed.  Today that motion to dismiss the case was denied.  This is a great development because if [...]

Win in Federal Court for Our Clients! 2018-03-21T18:52:28+00:00

Making School Work, PL Files Federal Complaint on Behalf of Students with LD and ADHD

Three students, who are triplets suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Learning Disabilities (LD), have filed suit against Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) claiming school officials at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Florida International University (MAST@FIU), an elite STEM magnet school, have harassed and discriminated against them because of their disability. This law firm, Making School Work, PL represents the boys and filed suit on their behalf under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  The suit alleges that MAST@FIU officials routinely refused to accommodate their severe ADHD and LD and did not make the high-tech devices and materials available to other [...]

Making School Work, PL Files Federal Complaint on Behalf of Students with LD and ADHD 2016-08-02T13:01:22+00:00

Former student discusses success in the fashion industry

My success is no accident. Etiam consectetur odio erat, quis mattis leo vestibulum non. Fusce ex ligula, tristique quis finibus sed, placerat sed libero. Phasellus convallis, sem ac tristique interdum, purus purus vehicula quam, ut fermentum sem orci in est. Aliquam leo purus, iaculis non condimentum hendrerit, vestibulum quis tortor. Vestibulum quis viverra felis. Vestibulum elementum magna ut diam placerat, in venenatis est egestas. Vivamus at libero auctor, ullamcorper libero condimentum, pellentesque nunc. In auctor dignissim tristique. Start small. Think Big. Aliquam fringilla molestie nisi ut porttitor. Maecenas viverra velit id cursus rhoncus. Mauris sit amet semper enim, quis hendrerit [...]

Former student discusses success in the fashion industry 2016-03-15T09:44:57+00:00

How do you best prepare for university?

Focus on exam results. Etiam consectetur odio erat, quis mattis leo vestibulum non. Fusce ex ligula, tristique quis finibus sed, placerat sed libero. Phasellus convallis, sem ac tristique interdum, purus purus vehicula quam, ut fermentum sem orci in est. Aliquam leo purus, iaculis non condimentum hendrerit, vestibulum quis tortor. Vestibulum quis viverra felis. Vestibulum elementum magna ut diam placerat, in venenatis est egestas. Vivamus at libero auctor, ullamcorper libero condimentum, pellentesque nunc. In auctor dignissim tristique. Take time out. Aliquam fringilla molestie nisi ut porttitor. Maecenas viverra velit id cursus rhoncus. Mauris sit amet semper enim, quis hendrerit ex. Maecenas [...]

How do you best prepare for university? 2016-03-15T09:44:09+00:00

Making School Work Wins Three Lawsuits Against the 4th Largest School District in the U.S.

An Administrative Law Judge of the State of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (Case Nos. 14­5679E, 14­5668E, 14­5669E) ruled last month that the Miami­Dade County School Board, which oversees the fourth largest school district in the country, violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for failing to adequately educate very intelligent triplets with learning disabilities and ADHD at a well­regarded STEM magnet high school, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST@Florida International University). The students met the rigorous academic and behavioral admissions requirements of the school, but quickly landed on academic probation when the school failed to implement the accommodations [...]

Making School Work Wins Three Lawsuits Against the 4th Largest School District in the U.S. 2015-11-14T23:00:51+00:00

Allison Hertog Speaks to the Florida Psychological Association

Today Allison Hertog and Samantha Carella spoke to the Miami-Dade and Monroe Chapter of the Florida Psychological Association about Helping Disabled Students Obtain their Legal Entitlements: Grades K-12 and Beyond.  Ms. Hertog and Dr. Carella spoke for nearly three hours including actual case studies on which they collaborated to help special needs students improve their educational performance.  The topics involved advocacy in K-12 public schools as well as helping high-achievers with disabilities obtain accommodations on high-stakes exams. Their PowerPoint presentation is available here. FLPA Presentation

Allison Hertog Speaks to the Florida Psychological Association 2015-11-13T23:11:27+00:00

Some High-Performing Charters are Innovating in Special Ed – Leaving School Districts Behind

Charter schools often have an awkward, if not contentious, relationship with their local districts. That makes sense, as the public charter school movement is essentially a reaction to what can be a cookie cutter way of educating kids in neighborhood schools. Yet charter schools are part of the very same district (or state) that funds the neighborhood schools. It’s as if they’re siblings – they have the same parents but are often rivals – vying for funding, control, students, and political power among other things. Some district/charter relationships are cooperative, but others are rancorous, as illustrated by recent disputes in New York City and Pennsylvania. [...]

Some High-Performing Charters are Innovating in Special Ed – Leaving School Districts Behind 2014-07-07T11:15:22+00:00

Charter Schools, the Time is Now to Take On Special Ed in a Big Way

Charter schools and special education. Two concepts antithetical to each other? Not in my book. A handful of public charters are already doing a bang-up job educating kids with disabilities, I swear. And some visionary charter school leaders already see special education not merely as a political liability, which it is now more than ever, but as an opportunity to propel charters even further into the mainstream and to prove that charters can do special education better than the traditional public school system – unfortunately, that shouldn’t be a very difficult feat. But why would I have so much faith in [...]

Charter Schools, the Time is Now to Take On Special Ed in a Big Way 2014-04-01T11:45:19+00:00
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