Student Advocacy Michigan

08/26/2026

Who has children starting school this week?

What are your worries for this school year?

What are you hopeful about for this school year?

Let's get it out there....you are not alone! :)

08/26/2026

A family came to me with four years of IEPs for their son who had a specific learning disability in reading. Each IEP listed specialized reading instruction by the special education teacher. Each year the goals were rewritten and the frequency changed slightly.

But when the mom described what her son's reading instruction actually looked like, it had not changed in four years. Same materials. Same activities. Same level.

The paperwork changed. The instruction did not.

When I looked at four years of progress data side by side, the trajectory was flat. He had made gains in some areas but remained significantly below grade level in the core areas targeted by his goals. And the explanation in the IEP documents for the lack of progress was always some version of the same phrase: student continues to make progress commensurate with his abilities.

We went into the meeting with a focused question: what does the research say about the most effective reading interventions for students with specific learning disabilities in reading, and can the team demonstrate that the current instruction aligns with that evidence base?

That question changed the conversation.

Details changed to protect privacy.

08/25/2026

MYTH: As long as my child is passing, the school is doing what they are supposed to do.

FACT: Passing grades are one data point — not the full picture of whether the school is meeting its obligations under federal law.

The standard for special education is not whether a student can pass. It is whether the student is receiving an education that is reasonably calculated to enable them to make meaningful educational progress in light of their circumstances.

A student can be passing every class while working unsustainably hard, relying on extensive parent support at home, falling further behind their non-disabled peers over time, or masking their struggles in ways that are costly to their mental health. That is not an appropriate education. That is a student holding on by their fingernails while the IEP claims everything is fine.

Progress must be measured against the student's individual goals and needs, not just against a passing grade threshold. A student who is meeting all their IEP goals but whose goals were written too low is not necessarily receiving an appropriate education.

If your child is passing but struggling, that is worth bringing to the IEP table. Passing is not the ceiling. Meaningful progress is.

08/25/2026

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08/25/2026

It's hard to see the number of state complaints rise so much but it's not surprising. I can't even tell you the number of families that should file complaints but opt not to. If they did, I can't even imagine how much bigger the complaint number would be.

Our special education system is so broken. Broken in many ways and a lot of it has been broken for many years. When will someone do something to fix this?

I stay so busy because of the broken system. I would rather have states do the right thing and put me out of business than have so many families' struggle.....

https://www.k12dive.com/news/special-education-state-complaints-jump-nearly-50/827463/?fbclid=IwY2xjawT6aXNwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7VXnRqVkgkLoI7XlOpfsbdR-V16p6fxkooqv_S8RXXdJELShGaDZDAFUsh2A_aem_UGWVEAyrcuMC9rsBtcFEqQ

The trend may be due to reduced capacity at the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, among other challenges, CEC and NASDSE say.

08/25/2026

That feeling you get when you get a child who needs an IEP an IEP after a state complaint and mediation. It was clear from the beginning she needed an IEP and the school district and ISD failed her. I wasn't stopping though. I knew better. Yesterday was a good day for this family and a young lady who is smart and has a great future. This year will be different for her. She will finally get the support she needs. So excited for her!

08/24/2026

At some point, many parents hear a version of this: we would love to provide that but we just do not have the staff. Or we cannot offer that service because our therapist only comes twice a week. Or we do not have a program that does that.

Here is what you need to know when you hear those responses.

The school's staffing challenges and program limitations are not your child's problem to absorb. Under federal law, the school is responsible for providing the services in the IEP as written. The obligation is not adjusted because of resource constraints.

If a service is not available because of a staffing issue, the school has several options: they can contract with an outside provider, they can arrange services through a different setting, or they can compensate for the gap in services once staffing is resolved. What they cannot do is simply not provide the service and call it resolved.

If you are told that a required service cannot be provided, ask for that to be put in writing. Ask what the school's plan is to ensure the service is delivered. Ask about compensatory services for any time the service is missed. And document the conversation in writing immediately.

You are not being unreasonable by expecting the IEP to be implemented. That is the legal standard.

08/24/2026

The school year has started. For most families with children on IEPs, the first few weeks are a combination of getting settled and noticing whether the plan from last spring is actually being put into place.

If something is already not feeling right — services that have not started, accommodations that are not being provided, a placement that does not seem to be working, or communication from your child that tells a different story than the school is telling you — now is the time to address it.

Problems that get documented and raised in writing in the first month of school are significantly easier to resolve than problems that have been building since September and finally surface in December. The earlier you act, the more options you have.

I work with families throughout Michigan who are navigating situations exactly like this. Whether you need someone to review the IEP and help you identify what is not in place, help drafting a written communication to the school, or preparation for a meeting that needs to happen soon, I am here to help.

My services are provided entirely remotely to families throughout Michigan.

If you are ready for professional support, learn more at the link in my bio.

08/22/2026

Under federal special education law, before the school proposes to change or refuses to change anything related to your child's identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the services provided under the IEP, they are required to provide you with written notice.

This notice is called Prior Written Notice and it must include specific information. It must identify what the school is proposing or refusing to do. It must explain why the school is taking or refusing to take that action. It must describe each evaluation procedure, test, record, or report the school used in making the decision. It must include a statement of other options the team considered and the reason those options were rejected. And it must include sources for obtaining assistance in understanding the notice.

This is not a simple letter saying we are planning to change this. It is a specific legal document with required content.

If you have ever received a vague communication from the school about a change to your child's services or placement without the detail described above, you may not have received a proper Prior Written Notice. You can request one specifically, using those exact words, and the school must provide it.

This reflects federal law under IDEA. State requirements may vary.

08/21/2026

If you are in your first year navigating the IEP process, this post is for you.

And if you are a seasoned IEP parent who has been doing this for years, share this with someone who is just starting out.

Here is what nobody tells you when you sit down at your first IEP meeting.

You do not have to respond to everything in the moment. You are allowed to say I need to think about this, and I will get back to you in writing. You are allowed to take the document home and review it before you decide whether to sign. The meeting does not have to end with a signed IEP.

You are also allowed to ask for help understanding the document. Not just a quick explanation — an actual thorough walk-through of what each section means, what your child is entitled to, and what the data behind each decision shows.

And you are allowed to disagree. Respectfully, specifically, with your concerns in writing. Disagreeing does not make you difficult. It makes you an informed participant in a legal process that affects your child's education.

The thing I wish someone had told me in my first IEP meeting was simple: you have more rights here than you realize, and you have time to use them.

You do not have to figure this out alone. And you do not have to figure it out in the meeting.