CNY Special Education Advocates

07/29/2026

Under federal law, children with disabilities are entitled to a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment possible.

I joined fellow members of New York’s congressional delegation in urging Secretary McMahon to reverse the reckless decision to move special education oversight to HHS. This shift undermines decades of progress and risks treating students as patients instead of learners.

I will continue to vocally oppose this move and pursue every available legal and legislative means to stop it.

07/13/2026

The prior written notice (PWN) is often under- utilized by parents. Schools often try to deny services through casual emails, phone calls, or verbal statements at meetings. The law states that if a school refuses to evaluate your child or refuses to provide services, they must document this decision formally in the prior written notice. A PWN forces the school to stay exactly why they are refusing your request and what data or test they use to make that decision. This creates a paper trail that can be used in legal disputes. For example, “ I am requesting a formal prior written notice regarding the districts refusal to accept my child’s outside psychological evaluation and the refusal to provide special education services.”

07/09/2026

VanderPloeg and Lee: The move won’t reduce bureaucracy but could lead to confusion, duplicative processes and hurdles, and inconsistent guidance.

07/09/2026

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2026/07/09/most-states-fail-to-meet-idea-requirements-feds-say/32076/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAS82SRwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKMVXzM7dK3I6AhaEF40sXOexnbVxGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6aCO4EzzSdCS0rIJ4QaC__y6lhymvYwTkbbnNw58uKiy9YmO0wCwh1r4yQaA_aem__We-g-os5V9BLp65pRNckQ

Over half of states are not living up to their obligations under federal special education law, with many receiving a failing grade from the U.S. Department of Education multiple years in a row.

05/27/2026

Ross Greene is one of my favorites. In his newest book, The Kids Who Aren’t Okay, he says “the quality of a school is measured by the degree to which it is responsive to the developmental variability of its students…We would define good teaching as meeting every student where they’re at.” Beautifully stated.

04/03/2024

Heidi White McCormick, Esq., a licensed attorney since 2005, has assisted CNY families with their legal needs for almost 20 years. Before founding CNY Special Ed Advocates, she served as the executive director of the Family Law & Social Policy Center at Syracuse University College of Law. As the mother of three children who have had IEP's and 504 plans, she has had first-hand experience advocating for the various educational needs of her children. She is well-connected with many CNY disability communities and parent advocacy groups and recently served as a member of the NYS Commissioner of Education’s Advisory Panel. She was also the president of the Special Education Parent Teacher Student Association in her school district. She is passionate about educating and helping families through this complicated process and enabling children to succeed in their school environment.