Connecticut recently became the first state in the nation to require that Black and Latino studies be offered in our public high schools. The goal, according to the state Board of Education, is to provide all students with a better understanding of the contributions that African American, Black, Puerto Rican and Latino people have made to the United States. The new courses must be contained in high school curricula as Continue Reading
By Jeffrey L. Forte, Esq. – Special Education Attorney & Certified Child Advocate Regardless of the area of law, all attorneys must meet with a prospective client in what is commonly referred to as “the initial legal consultation.” This critical meeting is the first meeting that is held between you, the potential new client, and the potential attorney. As a practical matter, I use the term “potential” because you are Continue Reading
LISTEN: How Special Needs Education May Be Affected By Back-To-School Plans If you want to find a group of people whose ears really perked up when the state announced plans to return K-12 students to classrooms this fall, look no further than parents of kids with severe disabilities. These special needs students got invaluable help learning and socializing from a team of professionals in school. That help was left up Continue Reading
Special education attorney Jeffrey Forte of Fairfield County is interviewed by CT Post reporter, Jo Kroeker, about whether or not parents can record their child’s class session during distance-learning. https://www.ctinsider.com/news/coronavirus/ctpost Darien parent Tricia Bresnahan said her son, a seventh grader, benefits both from the group instruction online for general education and, when it starts, one-on-one support for his special-education needs. As the district moved online, she said her top priority Continue Reading
Students with disabilities are missing out during COVID-19 By Jeffrey L. Forte, Esq. Of nearly 550,000 students currently enrolled across Connecticut’s 200 school districts, there are some 80,000 students with disabilities in special education programs. For many of them, school closures effectively halted — or at the least, diminished — their special education and related services. Services such as small group or one-on-one instruction, paraprofessional support, daily counseling, physical therapy, Continue Reading
