Frontline Blog

A well-constructed Present Levels of Performance Statement sets the stage for determining goals, specially designed instruction and services for each student. It also provides next year’s teacher with the great instructionally relevant information they need to hit the ground running and maximize benefit to the student.  

Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) must include a statement on “how the disability affects the child’s involvement and progress in the general education curriculum.” I think of this section as providing the rationale for all subsequent decisions on what special education, related services and supplemental aids and services the student requires. Pretty important!

If asked, special educators can describe their students’ strengths, as well as their needs. But when asked to self-assess IEPs they’ve written, they often find far more information about students’ weaknesses than strengths.  

While some jurisdictions have not yet adopted paid sick leave laws for part-time workers, the number that have has steadily risen over the last few years.  

The question of whether or not our country needs a new standard for supporting special education students has now been answered by a unanimous and affirmative decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 0-8 decision, the Supreme Court sided in favor of expanding the rights for children with disabilities. But immediately following the court's ruling last month, a series of new questions — both from inside and outside of the education community — started to pop up in the news and on social media. 

Over the past few years, the number of jurisdictions passing paid sick day laws has risen rapidly. In 2006, only one passed a law mandating paid sick leave: San Francisco. But in 2016, three states, one county and ten cities passed sick day legislation.  

The next generation holds as much diversity as it does potential, so having the best possible intervention systems in place is critical. From classroom curriculum to afterschool programs to employee professional development, your district’s ability to cope with the various challenges students face will play a huge role in your impact on students’ education.

With the expanded overtime regulations on hold, you may think your school system has been granted a reprieve. In that case, you’re only half right. Whether the overtime regulations are passed, blocked or modified, the renewed focus on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) could pose issues — in more ways than one.  

For the past ten months, employers and HR professionals around the country have been hitting “refresh” on the Department of Labor’s website, anxious for news about overtime. The proposed changes that the department issued last summer more than doubled the salary threshold above which many white collar workers are exempt from receiving overtime pay. What will the impact be for businesses and school districts? On May 18, the final overtime rule was published, and employers finally have a clear picture of what the new overtime reality will look like — and when it will take effect. Read on to find out.