Seven Strategies to Help Schools and Parents Avoid Special Education Litigation (Volume 1, Episode 10)

Angela and Davey reflect on a recent blog post by Dr. Howie Knoff who is concerned about the increasing likelihood of special education litigation stemming from pandemic-related service disruptions. Dr. Knoff has been an Expert Witness on over 25 different federal special education or school law court cases since 1993. Your Hosts then move on to discuss Dr. Howie's experience that some school districts often prioritize short-term legal victories (i.e., winning their case in Court) without considering how the "win" will impact their future relationships with the same parents and students. They discuss a recent court case that Dr. Knoff was involved in as an expert witness to illustrate the potential consequences of prioritizing legal wins over collaborative solutions. Angela and Davey then review Dr. Knoff's seven suggestions that can help avoid special education litigation and needless Court appearances. These include improving communication and collaboration with parents of students with disabilities, emphasizing the importance of admitting mistakes, understanding parental perspectives, and maintaining a professional approach. They ultimately suggest that building strong relationships yields better long-term outcomes for students, staff, and the district as a whole, despite the fact that district tend to win many (most) special education cases at the due process or federal court levels.