GA Joint Committee on Education Hears Testimony Re: Due Process Hearing Burden of Proof
For the second year running, the Joint Committee on Education has raised the possibility of legislative override of the state regulation shifting the burden of proof in special education due process hearings to Connecticut school districts. Yesterday, in a hearing that started at 3:30 in the afternoon and went late into the night, the Committee heard testimony from advocates pro and con, on this issue as well as others currently under consideration. I was honored to testify before the Committee on behalf of the Connecticut Council of School Attorneys, an organization under the auspices of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) working on behalf of Connecticut school districts. According to CABE staffers, Connecticut is one of only 2 states in the country that always place the burden of proof on the school district; 48 other states place the burden of proof on the moving party, whether that party is the parent or the district. Looking for a copy of my testimony? Here it is. Want to see what everyone had to say? The entire hearing was televised on CTV. Have some feedback of your own? Write to your State Representative or State Senator and let them know. The measure faces fierce opposition, even within the Committee itself. Let your voice be heard.