As the parent or guardian of a child in special education, your number one job quickly boils down to advocacy. Advocacy can take many forms, from a simple meeting with a teacher to a full-on lawsuit. We have listed links to some useful resources on the web. Remember, state and federal law guarantee your child to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment possible. Don't let anyone succeed in depriving your child of his or her rights.

California Department of Education (CDE) http://www.cde.ca.gov

If you believe a school district has violated a state or federal special education law, you can file a complaint with the CDE, as part of their Quality Assurance Process. This area of the CDE website also provides access to pdf versions brochures on the rights of parents and students and on the complaint process itself.

Jump to CDE Quality Assurance Process: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/qa.

Protection and Advocacy Inc  http://www.pai-ca.org/

PAI is the largest disability advocacy agency in the nation. Despite the "Inc" in its name, PAI is a nonprofit organization. PAI will provide advice, and depending on your case, legal support for special education issues.

Jump to PAI contact information: http://www.pai-ca.org/serving/how.htm

Reed Martin www.readmartin.org 

This is a very busy but informative website run by Reed Martin, a long-time special education lawyer.

Jump to the ABC's of advocacy at: http://www.reedmartin.com/abcsofadvocacy.htm

Wright's Law  http://www.wrightslaw.com/

Probably the web's most comprehensive site for special education law and advocacy. This is always a good place to start.

Jump to the advocacy section: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/advo.index.htm