Free Special Education Workshop for Families, Attorneys

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

A free, Special Education Workshop in Oxford next week will be aimed at building awareness about the legal rights of children with disabilities as it relates to special education.

The event is being held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 8 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. It will provide a Continuing Legal Education opportunity for attorneys, parent and advocate discussions, and one-on-one legal support from local attorneys.

“We hope to help build capacity within the legal community over time, as there is currently a drastic lack of attorneys in Mississippi who practice special education law on behalf of children and families,” said Kevin Frye, a local attorney and one of the sponsors of the event. “There will be similar events throughout the state, and we plan to offer this opportunity yearly.”

The free workshop will provide education designed to be accessible for all (not just lawyers) from 9 a.m. to noon followed by a panel of parents and advocates in the afternoon from 1 to 2 p.m.

From 2 to 4 p.m., families will have the chance to meet individually with a lawyer or advocate for more specific advice.

Those wishing to meet with an attorney or advocate should bring the child’s current IEP or 504 Plan and any other information the parent feels would be helpful.

A father of a special needs child, Frye said he had no knowledge of special education law or the rights of disabled children in school until he had to start navigating the system for his own son.

“The process can be confusing and it isn’t always easy for families,” Frye said.

While Oxford and Lafayette County both have high-achieving schools, Frye said there is always room for improvement.

“Specifically, the Mississippi Department of Education has recently identified Oxford Intermediate School, Oxford High School, Lafayette Middle School and Lafayette High School as in need of support and improvement due to the persistently low performance of students with disabilities within those schools compared to other districts statewide,” he said. “This should be concerning to everyone in our community. Disability is a natural part of life, and certainly, we should have the same high expectations for educating our children with disabilities as we do for those without.”

Free lunch and childcare will be provided.

The workshop is being jointly hosted by the ACLU of Mississippi, Southern Poverty Law Center, Disability Rights Mississippi, and Frye Reeves, PLLC.

While the event is free, registration is required.

Click here to learn more about the event and/or register.