Connecticut Appleseed

Related Link: Recent Accomplishments

INCREASING PARENT ACCESS TO BASIC EDUCATION LAW INFORMATION

Parents whose children are having problems with the school system many times feel isolated, frustrated and unsure about their legal rights. Lacking familiarity with the legal/bureaucratic process, parents are often confused about how they can work with a school to ensure that their child gets the resources and support that they need. Surveys at our five 2007 Parent Empowerment Workshops found that more than 90% of parents were eager for more information on legally-related topics ranging from schools’ zero tolerance and suspension policies to Special Education.

Our Parents’ Access to Legal Information project responds by developing and providing legally-based but clearly-written informational guides. The project also includes “Ask a Lawyer” forums where related questions will be answered in order to help parents feel more positive about their ability to navigate their educational system and work with the school on their child’s behalf. As of July, 2009 we have successfully completed the following five handbooks for parents:

Special Education: The Policies and Your Rights After the Planning and Placement Team (PPT) Process
Zero Tolerance Suspension & Expulsion Policies
Bullying and Your Rights
The Nuts and Bolts Of How Your School Is Funded
Rights and Regulations in Working Proactively with your Child’s School District & Teacher

Pro bono attorneys at Day Pitney LLP and Robinson & Cole LLP spent more than 300 hours researching, writing, and editing these five booklets. Distilling complex information on educational law into easy-to-understand guides for parents is an ideal task for Appleseed’s pro bono partners. The final documents are parent-friendly, comprehensible and easy to use. Additionally, we were able to secure pro bono assistance to translate each of the booklets into Spanish.

Our “Ask a Lawyer” parent forums, conducted in partnership with school districts and parent-leadership/support groups, provide low-income and minority parents with a chance to get accurate and useful information on their legal rights and emphasize ways for parents to work with – rather than against - their school district. Forums to date have been held in Waterbury, Stamford and Norwalk, while others are being scheduled across the state in collaboration with parent-serving organizations that can connect with the interests of parents and mobilize forum attendance. The combination of Appleseed’s handbooks and forums give parents both written and in-person legal resources to answer their questions.

E-NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP:
Sign-up to receive our free e-newsletter. Simply type in your email address below and click on the submit button. QUICK LINKS TO OUR PROJECTS:

	Hartford H.E.L.P.
	Breaking Schools to Prisons Pipeline: Best Practices to Keep Kids in School
	Dental Care for Disadvantaged Children
	Education: Improving Parental Involvement in No Child Left Behind (“NCLB”)
	Education: Parent Empowerment Workshops in 2007
	Education: Increasing Parent Access to Basic Education Law Information
	Mental Illness and The Criminal Justice System
	Elder Law Education
	Expanding Immigrants’ Access to Financial Services
	Literacy Connects Inmates & Their Children

A PART OF THE APPLESEED NETWORK
www.appleseednetwork.org

Appleseed, a non-partisan and non-profit organization, is a network of public interest law Centers working to identify and address injustices in their communities. Appleseed works to build a just society through education, legal advocacy, community activism and policy expertise, addressing root causes and producing practical solutions. As one of the nation's largest legal pro bono networks, Appleseed Centers work both independently and collectively, bringing their own experiences to create local solutions that are nationally relevant. We connect the top private practice lawyers, corporate counsel, law schools, civic leaders, and other professionals to tackle problems locally, at their root cause.