Midwest Regional. March 25-26, 2009

Transcription

1 Midwest Regional Special Education Law Conference March 25-26, 2009

2 WELCOME Conference Overview: Once again Minnesota State University is pleased to host the most comprehensive special education law conference in the region. Please join us on March 25 & 26 as we present the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding IDEA 04 and issues related to case law and recent legal decisions by some of the most knowledgeable and respected experts in the field. Target Audience: > School District Administrators including Special Education Directors, Superintendents, and Principals > State Department Special Education Administrators > Special Education Teachers > Parents and Advocates of Children with Disabilities > Attorneys, Administrative Law Judges, and Mediators Conference Site/Directions The Conference will be held in the recently remodeled Centennial Student Union on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato. Mankato is in south central Minnesota, at the intersection of U. S. Highway 169 (north/ south) and U. S. Highway 14 (east/west), and is within a convenient driving distance of two Interstate Highways, Interstate 35 (north/south) and Interstate 90 (east/west). Directions and a campus map are available at:

3 8:45 10:15 Keynote Address Art Cernosia Legal review Conference Schedule at-a-glance 10:30 11:30 Art Cernosia Understanding the MN LD/ SRBI Rule Dan Altschul Legal Issues Regarding Transition Assessment and Transition Planning Day 1 - wednesday, march 25 11:45 12:45 Lunch/Keynote Gary Meers Avoiding Whirlwinds and Whirlpools 1:00 2:15 Susan Etscheidt Legal Issues: IEP Development Laura Tubbs Booth Legal Issues: Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities Margaret O Sullivan-Kane Exalting Institutional Rights Over the Rights of Individuals: Recent Contractions and Trends in Education Law 2:30 3:45 Art Cernosia Stump the Expert: Questions and Answers Susan Etscheidt Legal Issues: Pre-Referral and Eligibility 8:45 10:15 Keynote Address Jose Martin Key Misunderstood IDEA Discipline Rules and the Common Problems They Cause 10:30 11:30 Jose Martin Understanding the Modern Requirement for Consideration of Research Based Interventions MDE: Sue Thomas 2008 Case & Complaint Review Day 2 - thursday, march 26 11:45 12:45 Lunch/Keynote Networking Luncheon (Job-Alike or Affinity Groups) 1:00 2:15 MDE: Patricia McGinnis and Terri Wintering SPED Mediation: How Districts and Parents Prepare for Success Susan Torgerson and Amy Goetz Bullying, Harassment, and Related Issues 2:30 3:45 Dan Stewart Practical and Legal Models for the Use of Seclusion and Restraints Jan Ostrom, Richard Ziegler, and Robert Miller Independent Educational Evaluation: Legal Issues and Requirements, Process and Product Lisa McNaughton Truancy and Child Find

4 NATIONAL SPEAKERS Jose L. Martin, J.D. is a partner with the school law firm of Richards Lindsay & Martin in Austin, Texas. His practice focuses exclusively on the representation of public school districts in litigation and consultation involving the education of disabled students under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. His background in journalism has led Mr. Martin to publish frequently in the area of disabilities laws and their effect on public schools. He served as Chief Editor and Writer for the RLM Texas Disability Law Advisor, and currently serves as Contributing Editor to The Special Educator, a national newsletter on special education law issues published by LRP Publications. Art Cernosia, J. D. is associated with the University of Vermont s Education Law Institute. He is a former educator and practicing attorney. He has served as an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Vermont Department of Education and provides training and consultation across the nation in legal issues related to special education. Dr. Susan Etscheidt is a Professor of Special Education at the University of Northern Iowa. She teaches courses in the area of behavioral disorders, behavior management, and special education law and policy. In addition to her involvement in the teacher preparation program at UNI, Dr. Etscheidt is an administrative law judge for special education appeals in Iowa. Dr. Gary Meers is a professor of human resource development at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska and CEO of an international consulting company. In addition, he is an international speaker and consultant having conducted workshops and given presentations in all fifty states and numerous foreign countries. He has written over 125 articles and 6 books in the areas of career selection, preparation and retention. His personal interests have led him to work as a carpenter, farmer, cattle buyer, cowboy poet, farrier, outfitter, public speaker and animal trainer among other things.

5 Featured Speakers (Brief Overviews) Patricia McGinnis is the Special Education Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Education. For the last eight years, she has prepared parents and school personnel for their mediation sessions. Since 1998 she has had a private practice as a divorce mediator and parenting time expeditor. Terri Wintering, attorney-mediator, has 20 years of alternative dispute resolution experience, including cases in the areas of divorce and family mediation, EEOC, ADA, and human rights mediation, special education mediation, ENE mediation, civil mediation, parenting time expediting, and facilitated IEP meetings. She is a graduate of the College of Saint Teresa (1973) and William Mitchell College of Law (1977) Amy Goetz of the School Law Center located in St. Paul, Minnesota is an experienced education attorney. Her practice focuses on representing parents and students in matters of education law with a focus on special education issues. Susan Torgerson of the law firm Kennedy & Graven, Chartered, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota is an experienced education attorney representing school districts and practicing in the area of general school law matters with concentration in student matters, special education and disability law litigation. Laura Tubbs Booth has represented school districts for over twenty years in administrative, state and federal court proceedings. Her practice includes preventive counseling and training for school districts. Dan Altschul has worked as an attorney for the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights in Chicago since He has handled many cases involving allegations of disability discrimination at public elementary and secondary school districts and postsecondary institutions. He has been awarded Chicago Office and national OCR awards. Dan Stewart is a supervising attorney at the Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC). MDLC provides free civil legal assistance to individuals with disabilities on legal issues that are related to their disabilities. Dan has a Master s Degree in Educational Policy and Administration and is currently in a Ph.D. program. He supervises a special education law clinic at the University of Minnesota and has given numerous presentations to a variety of groups on special education topics. Meg Kane of Kane Education Law, LLC represents individuals and families in claims involving disabilities, race, gender and discipline in private and public K-12, juvenile justice and higher education since Meg Kane represents clients in special education administrative hearings, civil rights litigation in the United States District Court, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and with a Writ pending before the United States Supreme Court. Sue Thomas has been a compliance specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education for the past eight years. Prior to her work at MDE, Sue practiced law at legal services and is a former special education teacher. Jan Ostrom is a board certified behavior analyst and licensed psychologist as well as an independent educational evaluator. In these capacities Jan Ostrom works with parents, students and schools to address issues of behavior that are impeding educational progress. She is often called upon to complete a functional behavior assessment and assist the IEP team to develop a behavior intervention plan.

6 Featured Speakers (Continued) Richard Ziegler is a pediatric neuropsychologist and is the Interim Section Director and Director of Training of Pediatric Neuropsychology in the Division of Pediatric Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota Medical School. In this capacity, Dr. Ziegler has completed and coordinated numerous independent educational evaluations for parents, school districts and hearing officers. His interests include neuropsychological evaluation and consultation for children and young adults. His research focuses on neuropsychological effects of novel treatment for neurogenetic disease of childhood. Robert Miller is a professor of Special Education at Minnesota State University, Mankato with expertise in the areas of special education law and transition planning for students with disabilities. Robert Miller currently conducts independent educational evaluations for parents and school districts in the area of transition planning and transition assessment. Lisa McNaughton is the Juvenile Court Managing Attorney for the office of the Hennepin County-Fourth Judicial District Public Defender. She is actively involved as a liaison with the Juvenile Court bench and other people and organizations involved in Juvenile Court operations and policies. Meals Lunch and refreshments during breaks are included in the registration fee for this two-day conference. Please make your meal selection when registering. Lodging For your convenience, the following hotels are offering discounted conference rates to conference participants. It is recommended to make your lodging arrangements early and ask for the 2009 Midwest Regional Special Education Law Conference special rate at the time you make your reservation. AmericInn Hotel & Suites 240 Stadium Road, Mankato Best Western Hotel & Restaurant Hwy. 169, North Mankato , Hilton Garden Inn 20 Civic Center Plaza, Mankato Holiday Inn 101 East Main St., Mankato , 800-HOLIDAY Mankato Super 8 Motel US Hwy 169 North, North Mankato Country Inn & Suites by Carlson 1900 Premier Drive, Mankato ,

7 Parking Free shuttle transportation from participating hotels to the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus will be provided. Conference participants are encouraged to utilize the shuttle services from the hotels including commuter participants. Limited paylot parking is available in Lot 4. Cancellation Policy Requests for cancellation must be made in writing to the Center for School-University Partnerships. Refunds will be given on requests received prior to March 1, less a $20 administrative fee per registrant. Registrants can transfer their registration to another person. Continuing Education Clock hours and continuing education units will be made available to attending participants at the close of the conference. Continuing Legal Edcuation (CLE) credits will be available for attorneys in MN, IA, and WI. Conference Contact Information Center for School-University Partnerships College of Education Minnesota State University, Mankato 117 Armstrong Hall Mankato, MN Ginger Zierdt, Director CSUP ginger.zierdt@mnsu.edu Phone: Fax: Registration Seating is limited. Advance registration is recommended. (Duplicate this form as needed for additional registrants.) You may also register for the conference online at ed.mnsu.edu/csup/conferences.html Conference Registration Fees: $ Early Registration $ After March 1, 2009 Individuals with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Ginger Zierdt at (V), 800, or 711 (MRS/TTY) Midwest Regional Special Education Law Conference March 25-26, 2009 Please make payment to: Minnesota State University, Mankato. Mail to: CSUP, 117 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN Name: Employer/Position: Address: City/State/Zip: Address: Work Telephone Number: Home Telephone Number: Meals (Check one): Regular Menu Selection Vegetarian Menu Selection Special Needs/Requests:

8 2009 Midwest Regional Special Education Law Conference March 25-26, 2009 A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. Minnesota State Mankato is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. Individuals with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact the Academy for Child and Family Studies, Institute for Continuous Improvement at (V), or 711 (MRS/TTY) at least 5 days prior to the event. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the above numbers. Center for School-University Partnerships Minnesota State University, Mankato 117 Armstrong Hall Mankato, MN *210181*