Michigan Parent, Advocate, and Attorney Coalition (MiPAAC)

Are you interested in shaping the future of special education in Michigan? The MI Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint Survey is gathering input from stakeholders to help create a more equitable funding system for students with disabilities. Learn more and take the survey here: https://lnkd.in/gkw7BCUw #MIBlueprint #SpecialEducation

Your voice matters! There’s still time to share your insights on special education funding in Michigan. With the evolving education landscape and discussions about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and shifting to block grants, the need for fair, sustainable funding for special education is more urgent than ever. The MI Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint Survey is gathering input from YOU to help shape a just funding system for students with disabilities in Michigan. Your insights are crucial in ensuring that special education funding meets the needs of the students and families we serve. By taking the MI Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint Survey, you can help shape a funding system that better supports students with disabilities. Take the survey now: https://lnkd.in/gkw7BCUw #MIBlueprint #SpecialEducation #YourVoiceCounts

Celebrating the 2017 unanimous, pro-child U.S. Supreme Court decision The Endrew F. decision was widely celebrated by the disability advocacy community in 2017. And still today – eight years later – advocates and attorneys continue to use its precedent to push for a higher standard in what the provision of FAPE means for students with disabilities. Read more on the MiPAAC Advocacy Blog here: https://lnkd.in/gJs-tyWB #IDEA #FAPE #MeaningfulProgress #DisabilityEducationJustice Autism Alliance of Michigan

The U.S. Department of Education plays a critical role in public education for Michigan’s 1.4 million students. It helps address school funding gaps, ensures accountability, and protects transparency—especially for our most vulnerable students. In a recent The Detroit News op-ed, Autism Alliance of Michigan President & CEO Colleen Allen and EdTrust-Midwest Executive Director Amber Arellano discuss what’s at stake if the Department is dismantled. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gD9gMt8p #EducationEquity #SpecialEducation

Announcement to shut down the Education Department - expected today (March 20, 2025) Media outlets are reporting there is an expected executive order Thursday calling for the shutdown of the U.S. Education Department, according to a White House official. A White House fact sheet said the order would direct Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gRMiscA8 The Autism Alliance of Michigan alongside advocacy partners have been calling for a measured approach to any structural changes that ensure the civil rights and protections of vulnerable students are guarded. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/grMYe3Cs

This week, the Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) provided public comment at the Michigan State Board of Education meeting on the findings from the Special Education Experience (SEE) Survey—calling for urgent action to address Michigan’s ranking among the worst in the nation for graduation rates of students with disabilities. AAoM outlined key recommendations for state leaders and policymakers to address these unacceptable disparities to achieve our 10-year goal: Students with disabilities graduating at the same rate as their nondisabled peers. The SEE Survey represents the collective voice of students with disabilities and families across Michigan. AAoM is dedicated to elevating lived experience, identifying systemic barriers, and amplifying the voices of parents & students with disabilities, while urging the State Board of Education to address the critical challenges within our education system for youth with disabilities. Read AAoM’s public comment here: https://lnkd.in/gKhYTSSx Read the SEE Survey report here: bit.ly/AAOM-SEE #MiSEEsurvey #EducationEquity #SpecialEducation

"Secretary McMahon and the Department must be held accountable for harmful actions taken to obstruct families’ access to OCR’s complaint investigation process,” stated COPAA’s legal director and co-counsel, Selene Almazan. The Autism Alliance of Michigan applauds the National Center for Youth Law and Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA) in filing a federal lawsuit on behalf of two parents who have pending claims with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) as well as COPAA. It asks the judge to order OCR to continue conducting civil rights investigations, as required by law, and for OCR to provide periodic updates to the court about its efforts to process and investigate civil rights complaints. Read the MiPAAC advocacy blog post about the lawsuit here: https://lnkd.in/daQvKZsc

There are many, serious issues related to education at this moment; however, there is a way you can engage and have impact with current policymaking efforts in Michigan... Register now! https://lnkd.in/diJ8rTzt Money matters. How money is targeted matters more... Efforts are currently underway through a statewide legislative project to re-examine the way Michigan funds special education. You have an opportunity to engage in the policymaking space! Register for the March learning series on Special Education Finance: https://lnkd.in/diJ8rTzt By registering, you'll receive the webinar recording and presentation materials even if you can't attend live. You'll also be connected to the ongoing information sharing network of the Michigan Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint project.

The statewide, non-partisan coalition, Michigan Partnership for Equity and Opportunity (MPEO), including the Autism Alliance of Michigan, responds to planned changes to U.S. Department of Education. The Trump administration’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education puts over 217,000 Michigan students with disabilities at risk: “The federal government’s role as a watchdog is particularly important in Michigan to ensure services are being met for all students, which is especially important for students with disabilities,” said Colleen M. Allen, Ph.D., President & CEO, Autism Alliance of MI. “It provides an important voice for parents, students and families when local school systems do not meet their needs or even disregard them. Federal oversight incentivizes districts to pay attention to and improve academic performance for all of their students. Without this oversight, schools may not be held accountable for meeting all students’ needs. Furthermore, dollars could be spent without any requirement that they be used for the services — and the students — for which they are intended.” The U.S. Department of Education also plays a crucial role in funding and enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Title I programs. Without it, vulnerable students may lose essential services and protections. MPEO and AAoM urge the federal government to maintain funding, support, data, transparency, and oversight to ensure all students can get the education they are entitled to. Read MPEO’s full statement here: https://lnkd.in/gnskHatb #MPEO #IDEA #SpecialEducation

Are you interested in shaping the future of special education in Michigan? The MI Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint Survey is gathering input from stakeholders to help create a more equitable funding system for students with disabilities. Learn more and take the survey here: https://lnkd.in/gkw7BCUw #MIBlueprint #SpecialEducation