Vermont Special Ed Advocates

08/08/2026

Sending warm thoughts and support to the many families who experience this.

07/18/2026

Vermont is one of four states that “needs intervention” to come into compliance with a federal law that governs special education, and it could face financial sanctions if it doesn't improve academic proficiency among students with disabilities.

Read more: https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2026-07-16/vermont-not-making-the-grade-on-educating-students-with-disabilities-feds-say

06/18/2026

The federal government has proposed big changes to programs that support students with disabilities.

This is not a niche issue. Disability affects communities across the US: 1 in 6 children, or 17% of the population, has a disability of some kind. This decision will impact your friends, neighbors, and the future of our nation.

The federal government’s plan would move special education programs and civil rights enforcement out of the Department of Education and into different agencies.

NDRN, and disability advocates across the US, are concerned because these systems are supposed to work together to support individuals with disabilities.

When these programs are split across agencies, it can:
- Make it harder for families to get help
- Slow down responses to discrimination cases
- Create confusion about where to go for support

Advocates also warn this decision moves us away from treating disability as a civil rights issue, and back toward seeing it as a medical issue.

Federal law has required a coordinated approach to education and disability rights. For nearly half a century, Congress has intentionally aligned educational access, transition services, workforce preparation, vocational rehabilitation, and civil rights enforcement within a single agency, recognizing that educational achievement and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities are deeply interconnected.

Students with disabilities have the right to learn, belong, and succeed in school. Without strong, coordinated protections, these rights are at risk.

05/17/2026

Is so nice when the parent of a parent I've been working with reaches out with a note like this. Made my day. ☺️

05/01/2026

If interested, there's a link with information on how to contact Congress to restore OCR.

For families of disabled children, the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education has been the last line of defense when schools deny services, subject children to illegal restraint, or push students out of the classroom. OCR has been where families turn when every other option has been exhausted.

A new Senate HELP Committee report confirms that protection has been effectively dismantled.

The rights guaranteed under Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act do not change with administrations. But enforcement has.

We demand better for our children.

We’re calling for:
- Full restoration of OCR funding and staffing
- Accountability for the thousands of unresolved complaints
- Continued action across courts, states, and communities

Read our full statement: https://dredf.org/the-dismantling-of-ocr-is-a-civil-rights-crisis-for-disabled-students-and-their-families/

04/13/2026

!!!

04/12/2026

Reposting, as summer fast approaches...

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN AN ESY PROGRAM?

The IEP team will meet to determine the unique needs of the eligible child during an ESY program. The program should focus on those goals that are most crucial to help a student maintain certain skills or attain a critical new skill; accordingly, it may or may not address every IEP goal. Transportation should be provided, and the IEP team should be sure to consider the child’s least restrictive environment (LRE).

Read more
👉Extended School Year Services, 71 Fed. Reg. 46582 (Aug. 14, 2006)https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2006-08-14/pdf/06-6656.pdf

�https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.copaa.org/resource/resmgr/pdf/esy_fact_sheet.pdf