Congressman Bean Empowers Parents of Children with Disabilities

WASHINGTON— U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04), Chairman of the Early Childhood Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee, offered an amendment to H.R. 4259, the Think Differently about Education Act of 2023 to empower parents of children with disabilities to advocate for their child’s educational needs. Specifically, the amendment changes the parental rights notification requirement for individualized education program (IEP) team meetings from the beginning of the school year to whenever the first IEP meeting occurs each year. This change is being made to ensure that parents understand their right to seek legal, medical, or educational counsel and support at IEP meetings which typically occur in the spring before the start of school.

Replay Congressman Bean’s remarks HERE.

“When it comes to special education, parental involvement is paramount to the success of their child. The IEP process is complex, and most parents navigating the special education system do not fully understand their rights. My amendment will strengthen the Think Differentlyabout Education Act by ensuring parents are notified of their rights before the new school year even begins. In doing so, parents will be empowered partners in IEP discussions and better able to create an individualized learning plan to meet their child’s specific needs,” said Congressman Bean.

BACKGROUND

• This change is being made because most IEP team meetings occur in the spring to see what areas of the child’s IEP may need updating or adjusting for the next school year.
• H.R. 4259, the Think Differently about Education Act of 2023, amends IDEA to require educational agencies to notify parents of children with disabilities of the right to bring outside experts to IEP team meetings. Simply put, H.R. 4259 will help improve families’ access to resources to help their child succeed in school.

###