Mom said, "Not yet." Dad said, "Let's do it." The district was stuck in the middle. In this episode, Erin and Jeremy tackle one of special education's most uncomfortable questions: what happens when divorced parents with equal rights completely disagree about services? They review a recent case from Delaware and explore parent participation, consent, custody orders, and why school districts should avoid becoming family court judges. Buckle up, because this IEP meeting had more drama than a holiday dinner.

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon! 

When parents demand a detailed list of assessments before signing consent, what’s a district to do? Using a recent Connecticut case as a cautionary tale, Jeremy and Erin unpack what IDEA actually requires, why over-specifying can backfire, and how districts can preserve flexibility without sidelining parent participation. They also share practical tips for documenting conversations and keeping the focus where it belongs: understanding the student’s needs.

Here is the link to the earlier episode Jeremy references: On the Call: Bespoke Education/Methodologies

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon! 

A student escalates, the hallway gets loud, and suddenly everyone is asking: “Did we follow the IEP… like, enough?” In this episode, Erin and Jeremy break down a recent case from Massachusetts and how real-time de-escalation, “trusted adult” language, and short removals collide, and how strong documentation can keep your team out of hot water. Spoiler: implementing the plan doesn’t mean the plan magically works every time. 

Looking for more on this topic? Be sure to check out this past episode: On the Call: MDR Basics

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon! 

When does “waking up” a student become a wake-up call for the district? In this episode, Jeremy and Erin unpack a recent federal case out of Pennsylvania involving a student whose medication caused drowsiness and staff responses that allegedly crossed the line into disability discrimination. The discussion includes how Section 504 and the ADA apply when student behavior may be disability-related, what “deliberate indifference” looks like in practice, and why prompt, respectful, individualized responses can help your team reduce the risk of OCR complaints or litigation. 

Looking for more information on this topic? Be sure to check out these past episodes: 

On the Call: OCR Complaints & Records Requests

On the Call: When the 504 Plan Falls Short

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon! 

What happens when you have a homebound student and escalating parent behavior? Even when a parent’s conduct is the roadblock, the district’s obligation to implement the IEP does not disappear, so the move is to change what you can control. Erin and Jeremy review a relevant case from Washington State and share practical tips on when to reconvene the IEP team to consider a placement that can actually be implemented, how to use strong prior written notice, and how to set communication boundaries or campus restrictions without cutting off parent participation. This is a great time to pressure-test your protocols before the next crisis hits. 

If you're looking for more on this topic, we've covered it here: On the Call: Navigating Parent Communications and On the Call: Parent Participation.

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon! 

On the Call: SLAPP A classroom disruption sparks a parent letter packed with phrases like “prompt action” and “least restrictive environment,” and suddenly everyone’s asking: Who do we respond to, what can we say, and how do we protect staff without spilling confidential student information? In this episode, Erin and Jeremy review key takeaways from a recent case in Massachusetts and what it signals about parent petitioning, anti-SLAPP protections, and school communications. They break down what schools can address publicly, how to keep communications in the right lane, and practical ways to support staff while protecting student privacy.

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon! 

A little yelling, a lot of feelings, and one big legal question: MTSS and RTI or IDEA, which controls? School staff know that a student's involvement in MTSS or RTI does not always mean the student has a disability. But sometimes, parents might not see the difference. This episode breaks down when schools can be on the hook for utilizing MTSS or RTI in place of an evaluation under IDEA, and offers practical tips for conversations with families and staff when engaging in the MTSS or RTI process.      

Here's the past episode Jeremy and Erin reference: Season 4, Episode 11 Twice Exceptional.  

Here's a link to the children's book Jeremy references in this episode! 

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon! 

Parents want the best. The law wants appropriate. In this episode, Jeremy and Erin explore how those aren’t always the same thing and why giving in to a preferred methodology can sometimes create more problems than it solves. From music therapy to methodology myths, they break down what IDEA really requires (and what it doesn’t).  

Looking for more on this topic? Check out this earlier episode: Season 3, Episode 13 Methodology.

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon! 

When “a class within a class” becomes reality, what’s a district supposed to do? In this episode, Jeremy and Erin dig into the legal and practical considerations that come with moving a student from general education to a self‑contained environment. They walk through what teams must consider, what districts can do, and how to make sure support ends up where it’s most effective. A shift in placement isn’t about giving up; it’s about matching services to student needs in a defensible, well‑documented way.

Looking for more on this topic? Check out: Season 4, Episode 8: On the Call: Safety Fears and LRE Considerations, and Season 4, Episode 1: Kindergarten IAES

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon! 

What happens when a student with an IEP is caught with weed at school, and everyone says, “We don’t need an MDR! It’s drugs!”? In this episode, Jeremy and Erin unpack a federal court decision that turned that approach upside down. They talk discipline days, interim placements, settlement agreements that come back to haunt you, and how to keep your district out of the crosshairs while still holding students accountable. Spoiler Alert: “Ignore the IEP until this blows over” is not a winning strategy. 

Looking for more on MDR? Check out these episodes:

• Season 1, Episode 1: On the Call: MDR Basics
• Season 2, Episode 11: On the Call: MDR Unidentified Student and Request for Evaluation

Join us as we travel "Around the Moon and Back" with Ennis Britton's Special Education Team this October for legal updates, emerging trends, and practical strategies for special education leaders across Ohio. Register for the Roadshow here! Hope to see you soon!