Education Legal Services

06/04/2025

05/23/2025

Important Reminder: Checking the "I do not approve" box on a NOREP is not enough.

If you disagree with a NOREP (Notice of Recommended Educational Placement) from your school, checking the box that says "I do not approve" and selecting due process or mediation is not enough to protect your child's current services.

🛑 To trigger “pendency”—the legal right under the IDEA for your child to stay in their current placement during a dispute—you must formally file:
✔️ a Due Process Complaint, or
✔️ a Request for Mediation
with Pennsylvania’s Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR. https://odr-pa.org/).

Simply submitting the NOREP back to the district does not start the process. Unless you actually file a Request for Mediation or a Due Process Complaint with the Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR), the school can move forward with the proposed change after 10 calendar days—even if you told them you disagree.

04/27/2025

Yesterday, I had the privilege of speaking at the Autism Connecting Conference for Moms, a wonderful event organized by Kelly Cain and the Autism Caring Center.

I’m excited to share the Google Slides from my presentation, “Empowering Mothers: Confidence at the IEP Table.”

During the presentation, we discussed why parents are essential members of the IEP team — and explored some surprising strategies, including FBI hostage negotiation techniques, to help parents get better answers and foster stronger collaboration with their schools.

You can view the slides here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Uju12Q8zTddHtCRnvAOFOrkZXPRPn7NHRj2ILEXZoXg/edit

Thank you again to everyone who attended and made the event such a supportive and inspiring day!

Trick from CEO podcast to start

03/05/2025

Summer Camps for Students with Disabilities Meeting

Join RMU virtually on Monday, April 7, 2025 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm for their monthly parent and family support meeting. They have reached out to organizations and camps around the area to present on what students with disabilities will learn, benefit, and take away by attending their summer camps and programs. Some of these camps and programs can also be used as your child’s Extended School Year (ESY) programming. They have representatives from The Woodlands (Wexford), Camp Spencer (Fombell), Evolve (Pittsburgh), PALS, Firefly Camp (Wexford), and S.P.E.A.K. (Munhall) presenting and answering any questions you might have. Anyone interested in learning more can register for the meeting by contacting Vicki Donne at [email protected] or Deanna Hiltz at [email protected] or registering at Google Registration (https://forms.gle/vischsKX98e1YsKH9) Upon registration, registrants will be sent a Google Meets calendar invitation.

01/06/2025

Join us January 11th as we kick off the year with a Special Needs Family Fun Luau! Scan the QR below code to register for this free event!

12/28/2024

Announcement Regarding Changes to Steele Schneider

Effective January 1, 2025, Steele Schneider will transition to Education Legal Services, a firm exclusively dedicated to representing clients with education-related concerns from preschool through post-secondary education. This focus will include an emphasis on advocating for students with disabilities and addressing issues related to special education. Education Legal Services will be led by Jonathan Steele, Esq., who will continue serving all current Steele Schneider education clients with the same commitment to excellence.

Marc Schneider, Esq. will be joining the Pittsburgh office of Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, where he will bring his skills and expertise to a new chapter in his legal career. Marc is excited about the opportunities ahead and remains deeply committed to serving his clients with the utmost professionalism and care.

This transition was a mutual decision made by Marc and Jonathan, grounded in their shared focus on what is best for their families and the clients they serve. Both will always remember their time together at Steele Schneider with fondness and pride, grateful for the success and meaningful impact they achieved as partners.

Over the past decade, Steele Schneider has been privileged to represent many incredible clients, achieving meaningful outcomes and making a difference in the lives of families and students across our region. We sincerely thank you for trusting us with your legal needs.

As a result of these changes, Steele Schneider/Education Legal Services will only accept new education law clients starting December 1, 2024. All current Steele Schneider clients, regardless of practice area, will continue to receive uninterrupted legal representation.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your attorney directly.

New Contact Information:
Steele Schneider/Education Legal Services
525 Beaver Street Extension, Suite 208
Mars, PA 16046

www.educationlegalservices.com

(412) 235-7682 Phone

Thank you for your continued trust and support during this transition.

01/25/2024

I am so excited to be a featured speaker at the Autism Connecting Conference in Pittsburgh March 8-10th. This is going to be a packed weekend for Moms, including time for education, relaxation, and MORE. If you haven't reserved your spots already for our March 8-10th Autism Connecting Conference, reserve your spot today. Space is limited! Visit: https://autismcaringcenter.com/autism-conference

Experience what it is like to build your own support network with like-minded Moms. I witnessed it for the first time last year and it was a wonderful weekend by a well-run organization.

The area’s first autism resource center located in the south/southwest region of Pittsburgh.

07/24/2023

📚 Attention Parents! As we prepare for the new school year, I'm sharing some key insights from my years as a special education attorney. Each of these actionable steps is tailored to help you navigate special education in Pennsylvania.

From understanding your child's rights to maintaining open communication, and keeping your documents organized, these insights could make a significant impact. What's more, our latest blog post contains links to some of the resources I've found incredibly helpful in advocating for the children I represent.

Take a few minutes to read and equip yourself for the journey ahead.

https://steeleschneider.com/three-essential-parent-special-education-advocacy-tips-to-prepare-for-the-upcoming-school-year

Here's to an empowering and successful school year for you and your child! Remember, you are your child's biggest advocate!

Three advocacy tips for parents to prepare for the upcoming school year. Actionable items and guides included.