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| Attorney,
expert, and author, Miriam Kurtzig Freedman
has spoken and consulted on issues of education law and strategy in 45 states. She's working toward 50! |
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What's New and Improved (please also check out the blog):
When the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) celebrated its 20th Anniversary in Washington, DC, Miriam participated in a panel discussion on testing students with disabilities on the nation's report card (NAEP--the National Assessment of Educational Progress). Check the blog for links to the podcast and materials presented. Miriam visited Stanford Law School again in the winter of 2009. While there, she spoke at Stanford University's Ethics in Society program, "Ethics at Noon." Presentation was "Special Education and its Ethical Dilemmas." http://ethicsinsociety.stanford stanford.edu/ethics-events/ethics-at-noon
Check out the new book, published by Education Week, 'Obama's Education Plan." Miriam's recommendations for special education reform are included. Check out my blog for info!
Spring 2009--SpedEx is launched--the alternate dispute resolution reform, supported and funded by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. SpedEx grew out of our Special Education Day celebrations. We expect success! For information see website: www.specialeducationday.com
Winter 2008: Fourth Annual Special Education Day held on December 2, 2008 in Wellesley, Massachusetts. For information see website: www.specialeducationday.com
Fall 2008: Miriam's third little book of laws, IEP and Section 504 Team Meetings… and the Law is selling across our nation! It is a practical guide to the key requirements, differences and similarities between these meetings and provides several pages of hints for good practice. As always, full citations for all court decisions and government letters and memos are provided. See below for more information and the order form.
Fall 2008: Miriam's voice was among 76 voices collected by John Merrow to provide advice to the new president! You can download her podcast at www.merrow.org/ed_advice .
Spring 2008: Miriam's updated and revised Second Edition, Grades, Report Cards, Etc... and the Law is published by School Law Pro.
Spring 2008, Miriam's updated Second Edition of Meeting NCLB's Mandates: Your Quick-Reference Guide to Assessments and Accountability is published by LRP Publications.
Jan-March 2008: Miriam is a visiting fellow at Stanford Law School.
November 30, 2007 : Third Annual Special Education Day celebrated in Boston. The day marks the 33rd anniversary of the nation's first special education law. It celebrates the successes achieved, highlights current challenges, and makes concrete and specific recommendations for reform as we move forward. For information, visit specialeducationday.com .
Summer 2007: Miriam's book, Grades, Report Cards, Etc. …and the Law is republished. It is available at Miriam@schoollawpro.com
June 2007. Recognition by the Better Government Competition, Pioneer Institute. Miriam's proposal, part of SPEDCO's submission, to reform special education in Massachusetts, was honored as a runner up in the Better Government Competition. www.pioneerinstitute.org
Spring 2007: Miriam's book, Grades, Report Cards, Etc…and the Law is adopted by Colorado, as every high school has now been provided with a copy!
Jan - March, 2007: Miriam visiting fellow at Stanford Law School, speaking at various West Coast locales.
Jan 8, 2007: Miriam quoted on Gerald Ford's Special Ed legacy in Education Week. December 19, 2006: Second annual Special Education Day.
Scott Harshbarger keynoted the event, which marked the 31st anniversary of the federal special education law with the theme of "Dreams, Realities, Possibilities." Participants discussed creative options for change.
December 2, 2005: First annual Special Education Day. An afternoon of celebration and dialogue about the past, present, and future of Special Ed. What was the state of special education when President Ford signed the first law 30 years ago? And where do we need to be in the next 30 years? For information, visit the website: specialeducationday.com
November 30th, 2005: Miriam and colleague's article "Happy Birthday, Special Education" appears in Education Week.
April 2005 : Miriam's new book, Grades, Report Cards, etc….and the Law is published. For information, email
Miriam or download order form. The book is already a big hit.
Spring 2005: Miriam's book, Student Testing and the Law is published by LRP Publications. For information, email to www.lrp.com .
November 2004: Miriam's article, “NCLB Testing Requirements — What about Students with Disabilities,” appears in Inquiry and Analysis , NSBA Council of School Attorneys.
December, 2004: Miriam's "Meeting NCLB's Mandates: Your Quick-Reference Guide to Assessments and Accountability," published by LRP Publications, Horsham, PA. www.lrp.com .
7/5/04: Miriam's essay, "The Fight for High Standards," appears in the Hoover Digest (Summer 2004 issue.) Check out www.hooverdigest.com
7/5/04: Miriam's essay, "Balancing the Needs of Regular and Special Education Students", wins runner up in Pioneer Institute's
Better Government Competion.
pioneerinstitute.org
2/15/04:
Miriam is a visiting fellow at Stanford's
Hoover Institution (From Jan - March)
1/30/04:
Massachusetts DOE publishes guidance for schools on college entrance testing.
8/26/03:
Miriam's article, "Disabling the SAT",
is published in the fall issue of Education Next 8/13/03: SchoolLawPro.com
launched. |
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School
Law Pro
The
website for attorney Miriam
Kurtzig Freedman, M.A., J.D.
Know the law so you can get back to the mission of education.
Topics and Issues | Appearances
| Products | Feedback
| Contact | Blog and Free Articles
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| "I
taught in public schools in a simpler era, when
the threat of lawsuits didn't color my every lesson.
We may not be able to return to those days. But
together we can become more savvy to promote education reform, to understand the laws, prevent lawsuits, work toward positive changes for our
schools, and return to the mission of educating our children. |
Disputes, hearings, complaints, and lawsuits happen. Alas, even
in schools. Educators and policymakers want to understand basic legal requirements. Miriam translates
complex legalese into plain English, focusing on good preventive practices. She promotes
policies and strategies that help schools get back to the mission of educating ALL children.
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An expert in public education law for
nearly 30 years
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Miriam helps educators and policymakers learn about:
- No Child Left Behind
- Education Reform
- IDEA and special education concerns
- Section 504
- Accomodations and modifications
- Due process
- AYP (adequate yearly progress for all students)
- Higher standards and testing requirements
- Closing the achievement gap--issues and challenges
- Report cards, transcripts, and graduation
... and all in plain English. Educators
are pros who need this information to move from confusion to confidence.
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| A chart
of legal principles from Miriam's recent speaking
tour. This "Pyramid of Laws" illustrates
the hierarchy of authority and its inverse relationship
to student and parent rights. |
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| Presentation
topics include: top |
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School leadership in challenging times. From conflict to collaboration.
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Thirteen costly mistakes that IEP and 504 Teams continue to make…and what to do instead.
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Balancing the legal requirements of the NCLB, IDEA, and Section 504—and still having time to teach kids.
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Rethinking education reform.
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Special Education: Where do we need to be in the next 30 years?
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Empowering teachers: from confusion to confidence.
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High stakes testing: do we mean what we say about standards?
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| Presentation
schedule: top |
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For more information about the events below, or to book a presentation, contact Miriam at the address below.
March 2008 |
April 2008 |
| March 4, Monterey, CA
March 6, Santa Barbara, CA
March 18, San Jose, CA
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April 2, Chicago IL
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May 2008 |
June 2008 |
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July 2008 |
August 2008 |
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August 6-7, Ogden UT
August / September, Newport RI |
September 2008 |
October 2008 |
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August / September, Newport RI
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October 16—Boston, MA
October 23—Worcester, MA
October 28, Manchester NH
October 31—Alexandria, VA
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November 2008 |
December 2008 |
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November 4—Silver Lake, MA
November 6—Omaha, NE
November 7-8—Myrtle Beach, SC
November 19—Boston, MA
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December 2—Special Education Day, Wellesley, MA
December 4—Taunton, MA
December 9—Newton, MA
December 11—Sandwich, MA
December 17—Lincoln, MA
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January 2009 |
February 2009 |
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February 2 —Anaheim, CA
February 13 —Stanford University |
March 2009 |
April 2009 |
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March 4—Washington, DC |
April 16—Boston, MA
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May 2009 |
June 2009 |
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May 1— Boston, MA |
June 10—Austin, TX |
July 2009 |
August 2009 |
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July 13—Pierre, SD |
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September 2009 |
October 2009 |
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| What
Readers are Saying: top |
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Feedback for Miriam's book, "Grades, Report Cards, and the Law" (more info below):
“I found your book (Grades, Report Cards, etc…and the Law) lying on a co-worker's desk and thought I'd glance at it. Well, I couldn't put it down! It's a wonderful, straightforward guide. How do I get a copy?” –May 2005, Virginia Department of Education.
“I am ordering more books. The book is wonderful.” Tennessee school district.
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Selected
Writings and Books: top
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Books:
IEP and Section 504 Team Meetings…and the LAW: Legal requirements that educators, parents, and officials need to know...in plain English. (2008) Size; 8.5 X 5.5, 103 pages, targeted toward educators, administrators, and school districts. To order your copy, send email to Miriam@schoollawpro.com or download order form.
Grades, Report Cards, etc… and the LAW: Legal requirements that educators, parents, and officials need to know…in plain English. (2008)
8.5 X 5.5; 99 pages, targeted toward educators, administrators, and school districts. To order your copy, send email to Miriam@schoollawpro.com or download order form.
Student Testing and the Law: The Requirements Educators, Parents, and Officials Should Know—in plain English . Size: 8.5 X 5.5, 80 pages, targeted toward teachers and school districts. To order your copy, contact LRP Publications at wwwshoplrp.com . Look for special education.
Sourcebook for Substitutes and Other Teachers, Pearson
Publishing, available
at amazon.com.
Legalese: The Words Lawyers Use and What They
Mean, Dell Publishing, out of print, limited copies
at Bookfinder
and Amazon
ZShops. Soon to be republished.
Articles and Special Reports:
"Meeting NCLB's Mandates: Your Quick-Reference Guide to Assessments and Accountability," published by LRP Publications, Horsham, PA. www.lrp.com , (Phone: 1-800-341-7874, email: custserve@lrp.com). "The Fight for High Standards," Hoover Digest (Summer 2004 issue.) www.hooverdigest.com
"Balancing the Needs of Regular and Special Education Students", runner up in Pioneer Institute's Better Government Competion.
www.pioneerinstitute.org
"Disabling the SAT," Education Next, Fall
2003. Full
text online.
Testing, Grading and Granting Diplomas to Special
Education Students
Residential Placements under the IDEA: A Legal Overview
Both reports available at www.lrp.com.
Video Presentations:
Available at www.meds-pdn.com
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| Contact
Information: top |
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To learn more about Miriam's presentations, products,
or consulting, send email to
miriam@schoollawpro.com
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Together
--returning to the mission of educating ALL!
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All Materials Copyright
© 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009Miriam Kurtzig Freedman
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