School Issues
The Invisible Disability: Supporting Mental Health Needs for Students with Disabilities
Understanding Mental Health Needs for Youth It is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 7-13), and it is an important time of year to bring awareness to this vital issue,…
Read MoreLearning Beyond the Classroom: The Importance of HHIP for Children with Disabilities
When many students returned to in-person learning in August 2021, our client, Michael, a second-grader, had to stay home. He wanted to be in school with his friends, but his…
Read MoreLegal Council and WBEZ Education Reporters Collaborate to Uncover Children’s Mental Health Crisis in Illinois
** Trigger Warning to Readers: themes of self-harm/suicide ** Legal Council for Health Justice’s Policy Analyst, Barb Cohen (she/her), specializes in the advancement of accessible and quality special education. Her outreach…
Read MoreInformal Removals Impede the Rights of Children with Disabilities in School
“Amy is having another one of her meltdowns. Please come pick her up as soon as you can.” “Marcus’s class is going on a field trip tomorrow, and we’re concerned…
Read MoreClient Focus: Josiah
Josiah was a 6-year-old boy who was battling with anemia and other health problems that caused him to rely on tube feeding. Since moving from Chicago to the suburbs, his…
Read MoreParents of special ed students get more say in education decisions
Illinois parents may finally see progress in their children’s special education services.
Read MoreChicago Public Schools advocacy pays off
Chicago Public Schools makes changes, following advocacy of Legal Council.
Read MoreRacial Inequalities in Schools
Recently, ProPublica created a database called “Miseducation” that allows people to examine racial inequalities in schools and their districts in the United States. Illinois, particularly Chicago, is very segregated and…
Read MoreStay-put protections
Governor Rauner signs a bill drafted by Legal Council for Health Justice which clarifies and strengthens the ability of parents and guardians to pursue mediation where there are disagreements with the school about their child’s special education services. In addition to clarifying the process for children to continue to receive special education services during the entire mediation process (called “stay-put protections”), the bill also requires updating of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards for special education that parents must receive. This notice had not been updated since 2009!
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