Back to School 2022

AJE news, events, and resources to keep you stay informed!

AJE hopes that all our readers are safe and well. This newsletter has information about AJE programs, transportation, and vaccinations.

AJE Parent Leadership Academy 2022

AJE is providing a free virtual 4-week leadership development and advocacy skills training focused on Special Education, School Discipline, and School Governance with a particular focus on the needs of students with disabilities and special health care needs. The Parent Leadership Academy is limited to 30 DC parents/caregivers - we encourage you to apply immediately to ensure you are able to participate! 

The 2022 Parent Leadership Academy will be 4 two hour sessions over 4 evenings between mid-September and early November of 2022. The exact dates will be: 

• Tuesday, September 13th, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

• Tuesday, September 27th, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

• Tuesday, October 11th, 7:00PM - 9:00PM

• Tuesday, October 25th, 7:00PM - 9:00PM 

After completing the Parent Leadership Academy, participants will -

• Understand the Special Education Process in DC, with a focus on the transitions from early intervention and to post-secondary life. 

• Understand how to read and understand student IEPs and 504 plans.

• Understand what effective advocacy looks like at the individual level and on the systems level; this section will also cover the governance and oversight of public education.

• Be able to explain the resources available to families in DC around education.

• Understand the impact of school exclusion on students and understand the local laws on school discipline.

• Become familiar with Restorative Justice principles and implementation.

• Learn about using social media in advocacy, and how to craft and share your story with policymakers.

To find out more and to apply AJE's Parent Leadership Academy click here!

Compliance to Compassion: Supporting Students, Teachers & Staff in Challenging Times

The past two years have been challenging – teachers, children, and families are struggling. There has been an increase in stress behaviors in the classroom. The approach to “managing” behavior in many schools is failing children, educators, and families. This full-day virtual event will focus on hope and solutions.

Join us for the live full-day virtual event!

If you are interested in becoming an event sponsor please contact Guy Stephens at guystephens@endseclusion.org 

Scholarships Through the support of our sponsors, we are hoping to offer several sponsorship opportunities.

If you are interested in applying for a scholarship please contact Guy Stephens. guystephens@endseclusion.org

Click the flyer below for more information about the event.

AJE's School Based Advocacy Program

AJE is Hiring!!! 

TO APPLY: E-mail your resume, cover letter and three references to information@aje-dc.org with the subject line: Parent Support Specialist Application – [your last name]. We will accept applications until the position is filled.

Advocates for Justice and Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strongly encourage women, persons of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply.

What You Need To Know: OSSE- DOT

Department of Transportation Update: SY2022/23

We understand that as students are once again starting classes it can be a difficult time navigating that transition. Transportation is frequently one of the things that makes it challenging. We hope this information can give families some suggestions that make the back-to-school transition easier, and some good news about transportation in DC.

If your child has an individualized education plan (IEP), you may need to contact your child’s school or Local Education Agency (LEA) to ensure they are provided transportation services to and from school at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. When you and the rest of your child’s IEP team created or updated your child’s IEP, the IEP should have determined whether or not your child requires transportation services to access the special education and related services they are entitled to.

If your child qualifies for transportation services, your child’s school or LEA must submit a Transportation Request Form (TRF) to the OSSE Department of Transportation (OSSE-DOT) so OSSE can include your child when they plan transportation routes for the upcoming school year. If your child’s school does not submit a TRF to OSSE-DOT, your child will not have a bus routed to them!

AJE is happy to talk to parents about all kinds of transportation issues; from students with IEPs or 504 plans who ride OSSE-DOT buses to students who need to navigate WMATA buses and the Metro system to get to school.  

For further information please see the OSSE Transportation Handbook for Parents and Guardians of Special Education Students and Questions and Answers about Transportation regarding transportation services your child is entitled to under federal law.  Remember OSSE-DOT can not make changes to pick-up or drop-off, all that must come from your child's school.  

Additionally, we encourage you to contact the OSSE-DOT Parent Resource Center for parents and guardians of students with disabilities at (202)-576-5000 if you have any concerns about your child’s transportation, and regularly check our website for future updates to make your child’s transportation to and from school as seamless as possible.

AJE would love to hear from DC families about your experiences with transportation! Please consider completing this very short google form and sharing your transportation story today! You can also share this newsletter and link with other DC families!

OSSE DOT – New and Returning Families Info Sheet

SPED HUB – Family-facing Flyer for Schools (ENGLISH)BW

What You Need To Know: OSSE Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine Requirements for Students in the 2022-23 School Year

In accordance with the Coronavirus Immunization of School Students and Early Childhood Workers Amendment Act of 2021, beginning in the 2022-23 school year, the COVID-19 vaccine is required for all students who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination that is fully approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their age. As of May 4, 2022, the FDA has fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals age 12 and older and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for individuals age 16 and older. If additional approvals occur, OSSE will communicate those updates as soon as possible.

Previously any student age 12 or older at the start of the 2022-23 school year were required to have received their primary COVID-19 vaccination series— or have started the vaccination series — or they will risk being removed from school. However,The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) along with other D.C. offices is delaying the enforcement date for the COVID-19 vaccine policy. The DME released a letter extending the "enforcement timeline of the Immunization Attendance Policy for routine pediatric immunizations and the COVID-19 vaccine during the 2022-23 school year.

Families now have until the start of the new year to come into compliance with the COVID vaccination requirements. It's important to note that these new compliance deadlines also apply to students who receive at home virtual instruction.

Shown below are the new deadlines for immunization compliance. To view the full letter click here.

What You Need To Know: Vaccine Exemptions 

Information about Vaccine Exemptions for SY 2022/23

Back to school can be a stressful time for families, especially now when there are new laws and guidance around immunizations. The No Shot No School law requires full immunization for children 12 and older with the only acceptable exception to the law being medical and religious exemptions.

Linked is information about medical and religious exemptions. The first link is the current form you need to document a medical exception https://dchealth.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/service_content/attachments/DOH%20Universal%20Health%20Certificate_2019_0.pdf – alternative documentation (physician statement, for example) is acceptable.

However, to request a religious exemption there is a new process for that. In order to obtain the form for religious exemption it must be requested directly from DC Department of Health. This link will have all the information you need to know about the process and the other forms that are required in order to obtain a religious exemption.

Chapter 30 Updates and Resources

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) posted in the DC Register a Notice of Final Rulemaking for Chapter 30 of Title 5-A in the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations governing the education of students with disabilities that went into effect on July 1, 2022. The final rulemaking also makes conforming changes to Chapter 28 of Title 5-A related to students with disabilities attending nonpublic schools. 

The updated Chapter 30 (Special Education) of Title 5-A to addresses or clarifies requirements in the following areas:

• Local Education Agencies (LEA) responsibilities to provide a free appropriate public education to students with disabilities;

• The identification and evaluation of children suspected of being a child with a disability;

• The development, implementation, amendment, and review of individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities;

• Placement of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, including placement in nonpublic special education schools or programs;

• Procedures and notice requirements related to students exiting from special education;

• Procedural safeguards and due process rights, including dispute resolution and complaints processes, as recently set forth in the Special Education Student Rights Act of 2014, effective March 10, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-195; D.C. Official Code § 38-2571.03 (2018 Repl.));

• Parent participation, observation, notice, and procedural rights, as set forth in the Special Education Student Rights Act of 2014, effective March 10, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-195; D.C. Official Code § 38-2571.03 (2018 Repl.)); and

• Student participation, notice, and procedural rights.

The rulemaking implements substantial changes in the following areas:

• The duration of eligibility for FAPE, by extending eligibility through the end of the school year in which a student turns age twenty-two (22);

• Timelines for IEP development and implementation for students transferring LEAs during the school year; and

• Eligibility criteria for disability categories under which children may qualify for special education and related services.

To get the full understanding of the updates and changes made to Chapter 30 click here! 

Everything You Need to Know About the New DCPS 504 Policy

The Section 504 Program is one of many ways that DCPS promotes equity for students with disabilities and provides a continuum of resources to support students’ growth.

Section 504 is part of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, created to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities in services, programs, and activities that receive federal funds. In public schools, it protects students with disabilities so that they are able to access the curriculum and educational opportunities provided by the schools. Section 504 provides accommodations and related services to eligible students with disabilities so that they can access the general education curriculum, opportunities for learning, and school activities to the same extent as their non-disabled peers.

The law states: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States…shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

A student is considered eligible for Section 504 if they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Students who are found eligible for special education should receive all accommodations and modifications through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and should not have a concurrent 504 plan.

Every DCPS school has a Section 504 Coordinator, designated by the school principal. The Section 504 Coordinator serves as the school’s main point of contact for questions from students, parents, and school staff regarding accommodations and services under Section 504.

Within the Office of School Improvement and Supports, the Section 504 and Student Accommodations Team has staff members dedicated to supporting schools’ development and implementation of 504 plans.

Section 504 Policy

Section 504 Process

Section 504 Resources

Connect With Section 504 Coordinator

NCSI 2022 Thought Leader Conversation (TLC) Series: 

Pursuing Equity at the Intersection of Language, Culture, and Disability  

Session 3: 

Stakeholder & Family EngagementNext Week: Wednesday, September 7th, 2022

1:00pm-2:30pm ET / 10:00am-11:30pm PT REGISTER HERE!

What is the TLC Series?

• This free webinar series will focus on elevating equity in opportunity and achievement for students with disabilities or who may have disabilities and who are English learners.
• Conversations are organized around NCSI's four systems elements: data literacy, stakeholder and family engagement, research-informed practice, and systems coherence.
• Read more about the TLC Series in our Thought Leader Conversation one-page information sheet.

Who Should Attend:

• NCSI welcomes all interested State Education Agency staff, Local Education Agency staff, parents and family organizations, state-level or national TA or professional development providers, representatives from institutions of higher education, education partners and any interested parties.

Register for future sessions at the links below, or sign up to be on NCSI's broad email distribution list and receive invitations to all future NCSI events.

TLC sessions are from 1:00pm - 2:30pm ET:

• Research-Informed Practice - October 19
• Systems Coherence - November 30