MSW Blog - Making School Work

The Case for Paraprofessional Support

It is not uncommon for a potential client to tell us they think their child needs paraprofessional support (sometimes thought of as a “one on one”). While the service sounds ideal, an adult supervising and supporting your child throughout the school day (or for a part of the day), there are particular areas in the IEP that need to demonstrate the need. The areas the paraprofessional would be servicing need to be specified throughout all parts of the IEP. Safety Safety concern is one of the most important criteria that teams may consider to determine a student requires paraprofessional assistance. [...]

The Case for Paraprofessional SupportAbby Reifman Fisch2020-10-01T16:13:56+00:00

Before, During, and After: The IEP Process With and Without an Advocate

Your How-To Guide for an IEP Meeting With or Without an Advocate. School meetings for children with disabilities can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate. Let’s break it down. Here's some simple, doable steps that will help you feel empowered and prepared at each point in the process: before, during and after the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting. WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE MEETING With An Advocate Review Your IEP Goals A brief phone call or consultation to ensure you’re on the same page. Make sure your advocate has updated information and reports or [...]

Before, During, and After: The IEP Process With and Without an AdvocateAbby Reifman Fisch2020-05-16T19:22:01+00:00

Behavior Problems In School? You Got This!
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Behavior Problems In School? You Got This!

Parents of Children with Special Needs have a Right to Work with their School to Improve Student Behavior. Learn the Four Steps: It's common for parents to feel helpless when their child has behavior problems in school. What are you supposed to do? At home your child behaves fine. If you were in school, you could help. But you're not there. It's particularly frustrating when the teacher doesn't know what to do either. They may call you complaining a couple of times a week, but nothing improves. Some teachers don't know what to do about student behavior. And not all [...]

Behavior Problems In School? You Got This!Allison Hertog2020-04-27T22:52:21+00:00

Special Needs Rights Pandemic
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Special Needs Rights Pandemic

Special Needs Rights PandemicAllison Hertog2020-04-15T17:11:27+00:00

Due Process Win for Child with Epilepsy!
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Due Process Win for Child with Epilepsy!

Today Allison Hertog won an IEP due process hearing for a special needs child with a severe form of epilepsy. The School Board of Broward County, Florida is the fifth largest school district in the country. It refused to follow her doctor's instructions for an emergency and school was unsafe for this child with special needs. In the event of an emergency she would need that medication to survive. The district put up a very aggressive defense by hiring expensive experts from Emory University and Illinois at tax payer's expense. After this win the girl has an IEP which will [...]

Due Process Win for Child with Epilepsy!Allison Hertog2020-04-20T20:34:09+00:00

Sexual Harassment in School Federal Suit
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Sexual Harassment in School Federal Suit

(Washington, D.C.) Today, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) with co-counsel Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP and Florida attorneys, Alice K. Nelson and Allison Hertog, filed a lawsuit against the school board of Miami-Dade County and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. The lawsuit is filed on behalf of “Jane Doe,” a high school student who was 14 years old when she was repeatedly sexually assaulted and verbally harassed by fellow students at Carol City High School in MDCPS, the fourth-largest school district in the country. Jane Doe was subjected to repeated sexual harassment, including three sexual [...]

Sexual Harassment in School Federal SuitAllison Hertog2020-04-16T16:56:51+00:00

Win in Federal Court for Our Clients!
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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 [...]

Win in Federal Court for Our Clients!Allison Hertog2020-04-15T02:18:09+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 [...]

Making School Work Wins Three Lawsuits Against the 4th Largest School District in the U.S.Allison Hertog2020-04-15T02:20:12+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 AssociationAllison Hertog2020-04-15T02:22:19+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 [...]

Some High-Performing Charters are Innovating in Special Ed – Leaving School Districts BehindAllison Hertog2020-04-15T04:35:42+00:00

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