Review the latest special education information related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Upon order of Governor Northam, Virginia schools have closed for the duration of the 2019-2020 school year. However, most school systems will begin to try to offer some form of online learning for their students; Fairfax County has targeted April 14 and Prince William County Public Schools have started contacting parents. We have heard other stories of individual teachers and service providers reaching out to help families requiring special education during this COVID-19 situation.

We want to work with our school systems. However, our concern is that if we aren’t proactive, we run the risk of it being too late to make anything happen. Ironically, the larger and better funded school systems are currently hindered by their requirement to provide an equal solution for their entire student base. With such a large population, there is little they offer that is the same for everyone. As always, we are going to try to partner with the school systems by taking the lead.

Our Response to COVID-19

  1. We will reach out to each of you and, working together, go through your children’s Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to determine a useful Extended School Year (ESY) program that could be delivered remotely. We chose an ESY approach because, while somewhat minimalist, it should work to provide your child with the most essential parts of their education. Additionally, we will also develop a how-to plan to help schools make this happen.
  2. We are also working with the various providers, tutoring services, and other professionals we know to ascertain who is able to provide supplemental services to our clients in the event their public school is unable to do so.
  3. We will then present the ESY plans to the schools, asking them to deliver the programs we have designed and showing them how it can be done. This will be done in conjunction with a “10-day letter.”
  4. The 10-day letter will essentially say that if the school doesn’t provide services, you as the parent will do so, and we will seek public reimbursement for all of your costs in providing your child with the education they are entitled to receive.
  5. Obviously, this encourages school systems to act, within reason, since we are offering a solution and not just a problem. Further, it may give the larger systems a reason to provide our clients with something they might not be ready to provide to the general student base.
  6. We have reason to believe this may be the approach school systems are planning on taking regardless. If so, we can get ahead of the curve by planning in advance and acting proactively on behalf of your children.

Your advocates should be reaching out with a more personal message. They will begin working with you on your child’s IEP and an ESY plan for the rest of the year.

As always, we consider it both an honor and privilege that you have chosen us to work with you on behalf of your children. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

We Want to Hear from You

If you know of anything going on in your school district, please share it with us. The more information we can share with each other, the better we can develop our knowledge base, plans, and strategies. We appreciate your input.