School is back! As summer wraps up and students return to school, many students will be walking through the doors of their classrooms for the first time in nearly two years. The pandemic has and will irrevocably change the way students and their families interact with their education. As the pandemic began, schools ended in-person learning and school districts across the country attempted to create a patchwork of supports that could meet requirements as outlined in children's IEPs. Simultaneously, As students moved towards remote learning, parents found themselves in the role of both parent and educator. As the COVID-19 crisis continued, children with disabilities were often left behind, and because of the new structure, unable to meet their educational goals. Because of this, in the state of Pennsylvania, guardians of children with disabilities were given the option of retaining their child in the same grade as when the pandemic began with the hopes that the additional year would allow them the opportunity to meet those goals. Additionally, the Department of Education reaffirmed the need to fully implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as children return. Over the next few days, students are returning to in-person learning. As the pandemic surges once again due to new variants, the fragile status of face-to-face education has parents on edge. Recently, the Wolf Administration made the announcement that masks will be required in all educational settings. Should you have any additional questions, Disability Rights Pennsylvania has several resources on education as well as guidance regarding COVID-19 for Pennsylvania’s disability community. Should you need to speak to an advocate, please do not hesitate in calling 1.800.692.6443 or emailing intake@disabilityrightspa.org. If you identify with our mission and would like to contribute to our work, you can help us continue to support students and their families by donating to Disability Rights Pennsylvania. Regardless of your ability to support financially, we thank you for continuing to be in community with us. | |
"Over 323,000 borrowers who have a total and permanent disability (TPD) will receive more than $5.8 billion in automatic student loan discharges due to a new regulation announced today by the U.S. Department of Education. The change will apply to borrowers who are identified through an existing data match with the Social Security Administration (SSA). It will begin with the September quarterly match with SSA. The Department is also announcing two other policy items related to TPD today. First, the Department will indefinitely extend the policy announced in March to stop asking these borrowers to provide information on their earnings —a process that results in the reinstatement of loans if and when borrowers do not respond—beyond the end of the national emergency. Second, the Department will then pursue the elimination of the three-year monitoring period required under current regulations during the negotiated rulemaking that will begin in October." | |
