Special Education and the Law

The essential resource for success in special education

Educators face major challenges when addressing the needs of students with disabilities. This includes understanding special education law. The authors, past presidents of the Educational Law Association and experts in translating legalese, have created a resource that examines legislation and interprets the statutes and their regulations in a reader-friendly format. With a preventative approach to litigation, this book features

- Developments from the almost-1000 cases decided since 2014
- Coverage of IDEA, ADA, FAPE, 504, discipline, IEPs, LRE, parental considerations, public vs. private school considerations, and attorney fees
- A focus on federal and state interpretations
Allan G. Osborne, Jr. is the retired principal of the Snug Harbor Community School in Quincy, Massachusetts, a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. During his 34 years in public education, he served as a special education teacher, a director of special education, an assistant principal, and a principal. He has also served as an adjunct professor of special education and education law at several colleges, including Bridgewater State University and American International University.Osborne earned an EdD in educational leadership from Boston College and an MEd in special education from Fitchburg State College (now Fitchburg State University) in Massachusetts. He received a BA in psychology from the University of Massachusetts.Osborne has authored or coauthored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, monographs, and textbooks on legal issues in education, along with textbooks on other aspects of education. Although he writes and presents in several areas of educational law, he specializes in legal and policy issues in special education. He is the coauthor, with Charles J. Russo, of five texts published by Corwin, a SAGE company.A past president of the Education Law Association (ELA), Osborne has been an attendee and presenter at most ELA conferences since 1991. He has also written a chapter now titled "Students With Disabilities" for the Yearbook of Education Law, published by ELA, since 1990. He is on the editorial advisory committee of West's Education Law Reporter and is coeditor of the "Education Law Into Practice" section of that journal, which is sponsored by ELA. He is also on the editorial boards of several other education journals.

In recognition of his contributions to the field of education law, Osborne was presented with the McGhehey Award by ELA in 2008, the highest award given by the organization. He is also the recipient of the City of Quincy Human Rights Award, the Financial Executives Institute of Massachusetts Principals Award, the Junior Achievement of Massachusetts Principals Award, and several community service awards.

Charles J. Russo, JD, EdD, is the Joseph Panzer Chair in Education in the School of Education and Allied Professions and adjunct professor in the School of Law at the University of Dayton. He was the 1998-1999 president of the Education Law Association and 2002 recipient of its McGhehey (Achievement) Award. He has authored or coauthored more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals; has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 40 books; and has in excess of 800 publications. Russo also speaks extensively on issues in education law in the United States and abroad.Along with having spoken in 33 states and 25 nations on 6 continents, Russo has taught summer courses in England, Spain, and Thailand; he also has served as a visiting professor at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane and the University of Newcastle, Australia; the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; South East European University, Macedonia; the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa; the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and the University of São Paulo, Brazil. He regularly serves as a visiting professor at the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University.

Before joining the faculty at the University of Dayton as professor and chair of the Department of Educational Administration in July 1996, Russo taught at the University of Kentucky in Lexington from August 1992 to July 1996 and at Fordham University in his native New York City from September 1989 to July 1992. He taught high school for 81/2 years before and after graduation from law school. He received a BA (classical civilization) in 1972, a JD in 1983, and an EdD (educational administration and supervision) in 1989 from St. John's University in New York City. He also received a master of divinity degree from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York, in 1978, as well as a PhD Honoris Causa from the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University, South Africa, in May 2004 for his contributions to the field of education law.

A well written resource for anyone involved in the Special Education process. This resource is one that should be referred to often when working with parents, schools, advocates, and courts.-- (06/08/2020)
Osborne and Russo provide a relevant, useful guide for practitioners working with students with disabilities and their families. The book is "busy-teacher" friendly, providing comprehensive information in an easy-to-read format.-- (06/08/2020)
The perfect resource for special education staff to refer to case law in a succinct presentation.-- (06/08/2020)
It is vitally important that teachers and building level administrators be versed in education law since it is often their actions that create litigation and consequent case law. This is particularly true in special education where statutory and procedural mandates are changing and complex. Drs. Osborne and Russo's 4th edition of Special Education and the Law presents a straight forward and easy to understand reference as well as an enjoyable read of essential knowledge and legal background for practitioners that should be required reading in all schools of education and administration.-- (06/08/2020)
Special education law is among the most complex legal fields because it requires precise educational plans for each individual child, collaborative interaction between school officials and parents, and involves extensive statutory, regulatory, and judicial mandates. Nonetheless, Allan Osborne and Charlie Russo make the complex simple while ensuring that the reader understands the subtleties of the law. The fourth edition, which includes updates on two landmark Supreme Court cases, should be an essential part of any school official's library.
-- (06/08/2020)