Senate passes measure to create special education ombud

 

STATE HOUSE – The Senate today approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Melissa A. Murray to help families of special education students navigate challenges in getting their student’s educational needs met at school.

The bill (2023-S 0063) creates an ombud office for special education, independent of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, to ensure school districts throughout the state meet the standards required to comply with individualized education programs for students with disabilities.

The office would provide parents and teachers a place to bring up their concerns when they believe their child is not being provided the special education services to which they are entitled.

“Every child in need of special education is unique. For families, navigating the education system can be frustrating and challenging. There are often many questions about what educational services are available and what a district is required to provide. Having a Special Education Ombud would provide families, students and teachers a valuable, well-informed resource that can work to ensure children are getting the services to which they are entitled and which they deserve,” said Senator Murray (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield).

The office is modeled after the Office of the Child Advocate, which was created to collect data and investigate after injuries and deaths of children in Department of Children, Youth and Families care.

The office would also collect data about possible violations and would have investigative powers for both districts and state Department of Education. 

The legislation now goes to the House of Representatives, where Rep. Lauren Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport) is sponsoring similar legislation (2023-H 5166).

The Senate bill is cosponsored by Sen. Louis P. DiPalma  (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Newport, Little Compton, Tiverton), Sen. Bridget Valverde (D-Dist. 35, North Kingstown, East Greenwich, South Kingstown), Sen. Pamela J. Lauria (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence), Sen. Ana B. Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence), Sen. Samuel W. Bell (D-Dist. 5, Providence), Sen. Walter S. Felag Jr. (D-Dist. 10, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton), Sen. Mark P. McKenney (D-Dist. 30, Warwick), Sen. Alana M. DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham) and Sen. Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Charlestown, Westerly, South Kingstown).

 

 

 

Former President Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Former Vice President Mike Pence are all scheduled to address delegates at the North Carolina Republican Party Convention in Greensboro this weekend. The convention will be held June 8-11 at the Koury Center in Greensboro.       A top U.S. army official says Ukraine is "very well-prepared" for its upcoming counteroffensive against Russia. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said on CNN that he's confident in Ukraine's readiness for the move, which has been planned for months and will likely happen any day now. He's joined by other top officials including White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan in projecting their confidence.        New York congressman George Santos is facing a court order related to the three people who helped pay his bond after being federally indicted for fraud. Judge Anne Shields said Santos must respond by today at 5 p.m Eastern to motions filed by media that have asked for the unsealing of records that show the identities of the people. Santos was released early last month on a 500-thousand-dollar bond after getting hit with 12 federal criminal counts.        An Oklahoma school board has approved what would be the nation's first publicly funded religious charter school. It voted three-to-two on Monday to approve the application for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Catholic Charter School. The online school funded by taxpayer dollars would be run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese [[ DY-uh-sis ]] of Tulsa.        The director of U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement is leaving the agency. On Monday, an ICE spokesperson announced Tae Johnson plans to retire at the end of the month after leading the agency since 2021. The announcement comes less than a week after the Chief of US Border Patrol also said he would be stepping down.        Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are celebrating their Super Bowl victory at the White House. President Biden said Monday that it was an honor to host the NFL champs, but joked the first lady is a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. The president also honored the widow of the team's founder Norma Hunt, who recently died at the age of 85.