In this session, a seasoned school law attorney provides the fundamentals of the statutory and regulatory requirements regarding the provision of free appropriate public education (FAPE) in public schools as well as a summary of some of the key cases that have helped further define and refine the concept of FAPE.

In this session, a seasoned school law attorney provides the fundamentals of the statutory and regulatory requirements regarding the provision of free appropriate public education (FAPE) in public schools as well as a summary of some of the key cases that have helped further define and refine the concept of FAPE.

Progress monitoring is an inherent part of the special education process, but progress monitoring results can be confusing, inconsistent, and too often not even an accurate measurement of the skill they are designed to measure. In this session, Atty. Erin D. Gilsbach focuses on the legal importance of progress monitoring. She discusses some of the common problems and pitfalls that prevent them from being able to accurately and easily monitor a student’s progress, and she provides simple, practical solutions for improving progress monitoring across educational settings.

What happens when a student requires a more specialized placement than the regular ed classroom? In this session, Atty. Gilsbach will examine different types of placements, including behavior and emotional support placements, autistic support classrooms, life skills classrooms, alternative educational environments, partial hospitalization placements, and more. She will discuss least restrictive environment (LRE) legal requirements and provide practical tips and guidance for IEP teams when considering specialized educational placements.

Section 504 and the IDEA are both federal laws designed to ensure that students with disabilities are able to fully access a free and appropriate public K-12 education, but what is the difference between the two laws, and which one applies when? In this session, Atty. Erin D. Gilsbach discusses the difference between the two laws, including eligibility determinations, programming for students under each law, and how and when they might overlap for students. Atty. Gilsbach shares important information for both parents and educators on the rights granted and obligations imposed by both laws.

Litigation can have devastating impacts on both schools and families. Fortunately, it is often avoidable through the development of positive relationships between parents and schools, based upon clear communication and mutual trust.

In this session, Atty. Gilsbach, with nearly 20 years’ experience practicing special education law, discusses how FAPE-related conflicts often result from a breakdown in communication between the parties. She uses case-specific examples to provide meaningful, practical tips and tools for both schools and parents to help facilitate positive relationships.

Today’s schools are often faced with complex challenges when educating students with medical needs. In this session, Atty. Gilsbach addresses issues such as Section 504 eligibility, identifying when nursing services are required, accommodating students during field trips and extracurricular activities, ensuring proper protocols for the administration of medication, addressing medical needs through the IEP and Section 504 process, and much more. She also provides strategies to help schools self-audit the legal defensibility of their programs and take measures to address compliance issues.

Using quick-reference graphics, practical reference guides, a touch of humor, and nearly 20 years of experience as a special education attorney, Atty. Gilsbach shares real-life, hard-learned lessons from schools and provides practical tips for issue-spotting to help schools avoid these all-to-common mistakes. This session is particularly recommended for special education directors, supervisors, case managers, and any others responsible for reviewing and monitoring the development of IEPs within their school and training special education staff.

This session is designed to provide practical information for special events in the K-12 setting, such as: What types of security measures should be put into place? Are protocols different when inviting members of the public? What disability accommodations are required? What advance measures should be taken in order to protect the school from liability?
This session is designed to provide practical information for schools planning special events. Attorney Gilsbach will discuss legal hot topics and identify best practices regarding advance planning and protocols for school events.

When do schools need to have a nurse present? Are schools able to use volunteer nurses on field trips in lieu of school nurses? What about administration of medication on school trips? This session analyzes the laws that may require schools to have nursing staff present and discusses practical solutions to nursing shortages. Atty. Gilsbach, a frequent presenter on school nursing issues, provides important and much-needed information on this difficult subject. All school leaders, school nurses, educators, and school event organizers need to have this critical information.

Schools often encounter complex family situations and issues. Can a step-parent view a child’s medical records without specific authorization? Can a custodial grandparent without legal guardianship agree to related services in an IEP? What rights do foster parents have? This session provides a practical approach to determining who has rights with regards to a student and what role non-parents may play in the education of a child. Atty. Gilsbach provides informational graphics, quick-reference guides, procedural tips, and memorable case studies to reinforce the important lessons learned.

Lawsuits involving allegations of Section 504 violations are increasing and can be very costly for schools, yet very few schools have legally-defensible procedures and practices with regards to Section 504. As an attorney who specializes in legal professional development for schools, Atty. Gilsbach has found that public schools across the nation are making the same liability-inducing mistakes. In this fast-paced, easy-to-follow training, she identifies areas of much-need improvement and helps schools identify and SOLVE some of today’s most significant Section 504 legal liability issues.