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Special Education
Ombudsman Works With Families, Schools for Education
Equality
By Chris
Barron
CISL Writer
chris.barron@k12.wa.us
Equal
treatment.
That’s
the goal and a big part of Kristin Hennessey's job.
Hennessey, the Special Education Ombudsman who works out of
the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in
Olympia, guides parents and schools through the
sometimes complex and overwhelming process that is
special education.
Special Education
Ombudsman Kristin Hennessey has worked for the
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction since
January 2006. She enjoys helping families make sense
of the sometimes complicated world of special
education. |
“I
like working with people
and find it rewarding to provide services that
expand understanding of special education laws and
regulations,” said
Hennessey, who started at OSPI in January 2006.
“Students receiving special education services are no
more or less important than kids who don’t. They’re
all equally important."
The
Special Education Ombudsman position was created by the
Washington State Legislature in 2005. The purpose of the
ombudsman is to provide support to families, educators and
students with disabilities, helping them understand state
and federal laws, rules and regulations. |
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One of Hennessey's
mantras is the use of deliberate language when it comes to
special education. Instead of using the term “special education
students,” she prefers “students who receive special
education services.” It takes away the label that’s
been used for decades in schools and hopefully, she
said, some of the stigma that goes along with it.
“Kids who receive
special education services are general education
kids first,” she said. “Language can be really
powerful because it can set the tone for how one is
valued or not valued as something part of a larger
whole. I don’t like the idea that kids who receive
special education services get separated somehow.”
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Hennessey hasn’t
had the benefit of a staff or a
marketing campaign to let families know she’s
available for them. However, word of mouth has
certainly proved to be efficient enough as she
handled nearly 700 cases in just her first year.
Being the parent of a child who receives special
education services, Hennessey said that helps her
bring a “sensitivity” to the job of Special
Education Ombudsman. However, she
believes her early success is in large part due to her
dedication to remain a neutral party, working with
both parents and schools to resolve issues.
“A big part of my job is to get families and
districts to resolve issues at the lowest level
possible,” she said. “I don’t necessarily think
parents are always right and I don’t think school
districts are always right. I feel really grounded in my
neutrality.
“Sometimes solving issues means an informal meeting
of the minds. And sometimes it doesn’t get resolved
that way, so that’s why these more formal means
exist and I’m there to walk them through those
processes.”
The first step for parents in the process, Hennessey
said, is to present their requests for special
education services in writing. A school or district
must, by law, respond to a written request within 10
days, and within 25 days, make a
determination on whether to conduct a comprehensive
evaluation of the student.
Should a district fail to comply with the required
timelines, parents can utilize their dispute
resolution options to have the issue formally
resolved. Dispute resolution options can be accessed
whenever a parent wishes to formalize a disagreement
or complaint they may have with their school
district regarding their child’s educational
program, including a disagreement over a student’s
eligibility for services.
“If you
get to the point where you feel like the district is
unwilling to provide services to your child that you think
are appropriate, then there are dispute resolution options
for you,” she said. |
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Hennessey
is not involved in the dispute resolution process,
but is available to answer questions about these processes.
Once a
child begins receiving special education services, Hennessey
said its imperative parents know what’s on their child’s
Individualized Education Program, or IEP.
“One of
the things about special education is that there’s an
enormous amount of paperwork involved,” she said. “Sometimes
the paperwork stacks up.
However, it’s critically important to be familiar with the
contents of your child’s IEP, for your child’s entitlement
is to the services identified on the IEP.”
Hennessey
recommends families download a copy of OSPI's "Special
Education Procedural Safeguards for Students and Their
Families" in booklet form, which is translated into
Spanish,
Cambodian,
Korean,
Russian and
Vietnamese).
This
document details the rights of parents/guardians of a
student who is or may be eligible to receive special
education and related services.
She suggests, at the very least, parents
review the index
to know what's in the booklet.
Working
with families and schools is a rewarding experience,
Hennessey said, and she thinks her position is an important one.
“I think
there’s a need for what I do,” she said. “Special education
can be overwhelming because it's difficult to navigate."
Did this story help you?
Please e-mail Chris Barron your comments and suggestions to
chris.barron@k12.wa.us.
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