Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Training

Conference Summary:

On May 3rd, 2012 the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte will be holding a Wrightslaw Symposium entitled, “Special Education Law and Advocacy Training Program”. This educational event will be held at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is co-sponsored by the UNC Charlotte College of Education.

Wrightslaw offers a variety of special education law and advocacy programs taught by nationally-recognized experts in the field of special education law and advocacy.

Wrightslaw programs are designed to meet the needs of:

• parents and family members
• special educators, educators, service providers
• advocates & attorneys
• health care providers

The Special Education Law & Advocacy Training Program (one day, 6 hours) focuses on four areas:

• special education law, rights and responsibilities
• tests and measurements to measure progress & regression
• SMART IEPs (Individualized Education Plans)
• introduction to tactics & strategies for effective advocacy

Their goal is to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills to advocate effectively for children with disabilities.

Speaker Bio:

Pete Wright, Esq.

Pete Wright is an attorney who represents children with special educational needs.

In second grade, Pete was diagnosed with learning disabilities including dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD. He was fortunate - his learning problems were identified early. His parents obtained intensive Orton-Gillingham remediation for him by Diana Hanbury King.

Pete's determination to help children grew out of his own educational experiences.

While attending Randolph Macon College, Pete worked in a Juvenile Training School as a houseparent. After graduation with a degree in Psychology, he worked in another Juvenile Training School as a counselor and later became a Juvenile Probation Officer in the Juvenile Court system. In 1972, he was honored as Virginia's "Juvenile Probation Officer of the Year." During that time, Pete was also attending evening college in a graduate psychology program at Virginia Commonwealth University.

In 1977, Pete graduated from T. C. Williams Law School at the University of Richmond.

On October 6, 1993, Pete gave oral argument before the United States Supreme Court in Florence County School District Four v. Shannon Carter, 510 U.S. 7 (1993). Thirty-four days later, the Court issued a unanimous decision for Shannon Carter. (Learn more about Florence County v. Shannon Carter)

Pete is the co-author of Wrightslaw: Special Education Law (1999), Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind (2003), Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004, (2005), Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd edition (2005) and Wrightslaw: All About IEPs.

He appeared as the parent's attorney in in the award-winning DVD video, Surviving Due Process: When Parents and the School Board Disagree - Stephen Jeffers v. School Board (2004).

Pete and Pam Wright are advisors at the William and Mary Law School's Special Education Law Clinic (PELE). They are the founders of Wrightslaw, the #1 ranked website about education law, special education law, and special education advocacy. (Alexa rankings)