Our KIDS Legal Aid Project posts several school-related items:
Homeless
Students' Right to Attend School (updated July 2004)
All Maine school-aged students have the right
to attend school. If you are a homeless and out of school, or you
want to help a homeless student attend school, start with this information.
What School District Do
I Go To?
More information about how
a student living with someone other than his parents can get permission to go to school
where he is living.
Maine Truancy Laws
Advises parents of their legal responsibilities under this Maine law.
Special Educatiion
If your child has a disability, she may be entitled to education services to address her disability
under a federal law called IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
This law can be confusing at first. For some good introductory information, check out these
KIDS Legal Aid Project resources:
Special Ed, a New Language
Learn the key concepts and buzz-words of the IDEA,
such as PET, IEP, FAPE and LRE.
IDEA Overview
This explains the process and timelines, from the initial
referral of your child for special ed through an appeal to court.
Expulsions and Suspensions of
Special Education Students
Special rules apply if your child has special learning needs.
Section 504 Education Law
Sometimes a school will recommend that your child receive special services under another law, usulaly referred
to as "Section 504." Learn about what this law is , and how it differs from the IDEA.
More educational information from
KIDS Legal Aid
Student Loans
The U.S. Department of Education posts a very comprehensive
Guide to Defaulted Student Loans. Find information there about loan consolidation
and
loan cancellation for eligible debtors.
The Legal Aid Network of Kentucky provides similar information on loan forgiveness:
Non-Bankruptcy Student Loan Discharge Law. It's written for legal advocates, so
is a bit difficult to read, but includes thorough information.
The National Consumer Law Center posts
Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project: A resource for borrowers, the families and advocates.
A more comprehensive site, if you're looking for more detailed information.
More on Special Education
The Disability Rights Center provides this hands-on guide:
Parents as Advocates Handbook:
A Guide to Special Education in Maine.
The Maine Department
of Education posts Maine Special Education Regulations, a
due process request form, resources for parents, and links to other Special
Education information.
The Maine Parent Federation, and
its major project SPIN
(Special-Needs Parent Information Network), provide
information, referral, support and training to parents of children with
disabilities. Their Fact Sheets
address many common questions about Special Education rights and procedures.
ASPIRE-TANF
The Maine Equal Justice Project explains how the program works in
Understanding ASPIRE-TANF--What Are Your Rights?
Post-Secondary Educational Opportunities
Find out about the Parents
as Scholars Program, for TANF recipients who want to get a college
education.
The Maine Department of Labor has a
Comprehensive Skills Scholarship fund. This program helps people who want to earn a certificate or degree
in an approved training program. The Maine DOL must approve the course of study.
Students' Rights
The American Civil Liberties Union offers several pages of information on
students' rights, including
Ask Sybil Liberty About Your Right to Equality in Education
