At my house, we are in back-to-school mode, figuring out new schedules and who got which teacher. This same thing is likely happening in many of the homes of the 16,726 children whose families OSLSA served in 2022. We helped these families with everything from family law questions to tax issues, but one of the most important ways we support families is through our education practice. While many parents and guardians may not think to ask for legal help with an education issue, it can be an extremely valuable resource.
Our education practice includes an impressive range of work. OSLSA represents children who are facing out-of-school discipline such as suspension or expulsion. We help families when schools try to push children out using emergency removals or parent pick-up requests instead of going through the proper process. We assist families whose children need special education and related services, including behavioral support. We provide legal assistance to parents who are having difficulty enrolling their children, families that cannot afford school fees required to obtain report cards or transcripts, and children who have limited English proficiency. We also represent children who are being bullied or harassed, homeless and having difficulty getting into school, and being discriminated against under Title IX.
In all these cases, legal representation can make a big difference in helping children thrive. For example, we helped “Jessie,” whose father was struggling to enroll her because they were homeless and could not provide proof of residency. With our intervention, she was admitted and placed on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to address a learning disability. We also helped “Theo,” who was facing disciplinary action. Theo had cancer as an infant, and while it was in remission, it caused ongoing issues with memory, fine motor, social skills, speech, reading, and attention. We represented Theo at the expulsion hearing and successfully argued that his behavior was caused by his disability. As a result, a plan was put in place to address the behavior and the expulsion was halted.
I have seen firsthand the impact when children get the education services they need in school and know that our work in this area can truly change the trajectory of a child’s future. Please encourage families who may have education-related issues to contact us.
