- Law Office of Richard J Murphy, PLC
In-Person Sped Services in Under AZ Governor’s Executive Orders
Updated: Oct 16, 2020
On July 29, 2020, the Arizona Department of Education posted an Alert about "In-Person Special Education Services Under the Governor’s Executive Orders" which reaffirms the need to provide free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities.
If the IEP team determines the student needs "in-person" support, it must be provided when school resumes but no later than August 17, 2020. (This date may change with updated reopening recommendations after August 7, 2020.) This decision is not the parent's or school's preference but has to be an IEP team decision.
https://cms.azed.gov/home/GetDocumentFile?id=5f21e11203e2b315a0fe9c32
ADE also has a helpful list of considerations to assist in determining if an IEP amendment is needed based on the virtual learning environment. https://www.azed.gov/specialeducation/special-education-guidance-for-covid-19-for-school-year-2020-2021-reentry/
Also, with Governor Ducey's Reopening Executive Order, schools are required to directly contact families of students with disabilities to notify them of their intended school reopening operations.