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Supreme Court’s A.J.T. v. Osseo Decision Opens the Door to Dismantling “Judicial Gloss”
SCOTUS’ ruling is a major victory for all students and their families. It reaffirms that the words Congress wrote matter, and that courts cannot impose…
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Callie Oettinger
Shifting from Outcome-Only to Skill-Based IEP Goals
Many IEPs set targets like turning in assignments on time or earning passing grades. But, too often, these goals focus only on outcomes, not on the…
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Callie Oettinger
OCR Finds More Civil Rights Concerns Regarding Fairfax County Public Schools Nearly a Decade After Teacher Filed Complaint
Despite repeated concerns raised by the community, it took a decade and a federal investigation to formally acknowledge problems that had long been…
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Callie Oettinger
FOIA Response: Letter of Findings for Office for Civil Rights Case No. 11-15-1335 and Associated Resolution Agreement
This FOIA response was provided by Fairfax County Public Schools, in response to a FOIA request for OCR letters of findings and resolution agreements…
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Callie Oettinger

May 2025

From the Archives: April 6–May 20, 2025
Articles from Special Education Action's Archives, Added to Substack Between April 6th and May 2nd
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Callie Oettinger
U.S. Dept of Ed Took 12 Years to Investigate Parent Complaint, Commits to Addressing Owasso and Tulare
The 12-year timeline isn't the only jaw-dropping piece to the findings. USDOE finally committed to addressing Owasso and Tulare (A.K.A. outdated legal…
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Callie Oettinger
What Does “Substantially Limits” Really Mean?
Many schools wrongly assume that unless a student is failing, they’re not substantially limited—even though that’s not what the law says.
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Callie Oettinger
The Problems with Quarterly IEP Measurements
Waiting an entire quarter to find out there’s a problem can be a wait too long.
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Callie Oettinger
Milwaukee Montessori School Enters Into Settlement with Department of Justice—and Files Court Motion Against Parents Referenced in DOJ-MMS…
On the same day it entered into the settlement agreement with DOJ, Milwaukee Montessori School filed a motion for attorney’s fees from the parents of…
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Callie Oettinger

April 2025

Accommodation Breakdown: Filled-In Cloze Notes
What’s the accommodation? Student will be provided filled-in cloze notes. How's it supposed to be implemented? What are potential problems?
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Callie Oettinger
Are Emergency Preparedness Services Incorporated Into Your Child’s IEP or 504 Plan?
Being able to protect oneself is a critical life skill—and equitable access to safety and protection is a civil right—so why aren't emergency plans…
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Callie Oettinger
An Argument for “Cheat Sheet” Accommodations
Testing for Knowledge and Application Instead of Memory and Speed. While accommodations like extended time are common when it comes to addressing…
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Callie Oettinger
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