Author Archives: Micki Moran

About Micki Moran

Micki Moran is the founding partner of The Child and Family Law Center, Ltd. She dedicates her practice to providing legal assistance to children and families who are in need of representation in the areas of special education, disability law, juvenile and young adult criminal law, abuse and neglect, guardianship, and mental health issues. Micki's practice is founded on the principle that children and their families require and deserve excellent legal representation with a multidisciplinary approach that works with multiple systems of care and creates communities that support and improve the quality of all peoples' lives.

Pending Legislative Changes Impacting Special Education

Illinois House Bill 3586 This bill was supposed to apply only to Chicago Public Schools. However, due to a “drafting error”, the bill reads that the following will apply to every school district in the state. If the bill is … Continue reading

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Restraint, Seclusion and Isolated Time Outs

In the past month, I have been involved in representing parents in several cases where a student was subjected to abuse at the hands of a staff member at a public therapeutic day school. The abuse was related to the … Continue reading

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Reading Disputes

The school year is nearly over. I finally have time to catch my breath and look back at what where the main legal issues in the special education area for the 2018-2019 school year that kept me occupied. Reading disputes … Continue reading

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Top Twenty Tips for Getting the IEP your Child Needs

Start with data. What is your child able to do? Accurate, data driven, present levels of performance are essential. Evaluations. (current and comprehensive) Develop an Agenda for the IEP meeting. Circulate this in advance. Get organized. Be clear and concise … Continue reading

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Groundhog Day

As February approaches I am reminded of the movie Groundhog Day where Bill Murray plays a weatherman who is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. Groundhog Day has become shorthand in popular culture as a … Continue reading

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Accelerated Placements: Illinois School Law Update

On July 1, 2018, 105 ILCS 5/14 as amended went into effect. It essentially requires that school districts have non-discriminatory gifted, talented and accelerated programs, and obligates school districts to develop a policy that allows for accelerated placement of eligible … Continue reading

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High Stakes Testing and Accommodations

High Stakes Testing and Accommodations           With the emphasis on high stakes testing, as well as the intense and overdone competition at many high schools, there is a push back from school districts and a tendency to deny extended time for … Continue reading

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Endrew F.-What have we learned?

The cases interpreting and applying the Endrew F. standard have continued to grow and expand the definition of what is required of school districts in their effort to provide a free, appropriate education to students. The following are bullet points … Continue reading

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Summary of Dear Colleague Letter-November 16, 2016, By Attorney Sharon Falen

On November 16, 2015, the United States Department of Education issued a “Dear Colleague Letter” in an effort to clarify for states and local educational agencies their obligations under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In summary, the Letter … Continue reading

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Equality in Education: The Denial of FAPE as a Result of a Systemic Breakdown

I started my practice on the North Shore of Chicago for a number of reasons. The most important one was that I lived in one of the suburbs, was a single mother with no family to count on, and the school … Continue reading

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