M. Patton’s Advocacy Corner  Special Education Support for Parents

Why Kentucky’s placement laws, IDEA, Sixth Circuit precedent, and parent protections matter when disability-related behavior leads to exclusion or outside crisis referrals M. Patton Special Education Advocacy & Consulting LLC Disclaimer: This is written by a special education advocate that is also a mother of children in Kentucky public schools. This is not legal advice. This is research and advocacy. If you or your family have experienced these things outlined below do not

For years, parents and educators have raised questions about i-Ready: How effective is it? How much instructional time should students spend using it? Is it intended to supplement teacher instruction or replace portions of it? And, perhaps most importantly, what does independent research actually show? A newly published study finally gives us considerably more information. In June 2026, Jennifer Darling-Aduana and K. Jurée Capers of Georgia State University published “Evalua

Parents Are Not Attorneys—and IDEA Does Not Require Them to Be Why meaningful parent participation depends on an accessible special education system Special education can become extraordinarily complicated. Parents are asked to understand evaluations, eligibility criteria, annual goals, specially designed instruction, accommodations, related services, progress-monitoring data, behavior plans, placement decisions, Prior Written Notice, procedural safeguards, and an entire voca

One of the most important words in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is often overlooked: Individualized. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is exactly what its name implies—an educational plan developed for the unique needs of one student. IDEA was never intended to create standardized supports or blanket approaches for students with disabilities. Instead, it requires schools to understand the individual child, identify their specific needs, and d

When schools think about Section 504, they often think about accommodations or discipline. But the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) takes a much broader view. In its 2022 guidance, Supporting Students with Disabilities and Avoiding the Discriminatory Use of Student Discipline under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (81 IDELR 111), OCR explains that disability discrimination can occur through a school’s policies, practices, procedures, r

What one Kentucky district’s data can teach us about supporting students with disabilities. Every Parent Should Ask This Question Schools have an important responsibility to respond when a student experiences a genuine mental health crisis. Crisis response protocols save lives and are an essential part of school safety. But another important question deserves attention: Are students with disabilities being referred for mental health crisis assessments at rates far exceeding t