David F. Bateman, Ph.D., is a Principal Researcher at the American Institutes for Research. He is also a professor emeritus at Shippensburg University in the Department of Educational Leadership and Special Education where he taught courses on special education law, assessment, and facilitating inclusion. He is a former due process hearing officer for Pennsylvania for over 580 hearings. He uses his knowledge of litigation relating to special education to assist school districts in providing appropriate supports for students with disabilities and to prevent and to recover from due process hearings. He has been a classroom teacher of students with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, intellectual disability, and hearing impairments. Dr. Bateman earned a Ph.D. in special education from the University of Kansas. He has recently co-authored the following books: A Principal’s Guide to Special Education, A Teacher’s Guide to Special Education, Charting the Course: Special Education in Charter Schools, Special Education Leadership: Building Effective Programming in Schools, and Current Trends and Issues in Special Education. He was also recently co-editor of a special issues of TEACHING Exceptional Children focusing on legally proficient IEPs.
For years, districts have debated whether virtual special education services could truly match the quality of in-person supports. After the chaos of 2020 and the patchwork solutions that followed, the field finally has what it lacked: evidence. Parallel Learning’s newly released 2024–2025 Outcomes Report puts numbers behind the question of whether virtual SDI […]
November 29, 1975 50 Years Ago Today Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, stands as one of the most consequential civil-rights laws in U.S. history, but its passage was neither inevitable nor uncontested. Before 1975, millions of children with disabilities were denied even the […]
When Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it marked one of the most transformative moments in American public education. For the first time, students with disabilities were guaranteed the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE), and their parents were […]
David Bateman and Parallel Learning Announce Free Webinar: Navigating Uncertainty — A Washington Update for Special Education Leaders Date: October 21, 2025Time: 3:00–3:45 PM (ET) This 45-minute session will explore how special education providers can respond to major shifts at the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) during the […]
In October 2025, the U.S. Department of Education executed one of the most consequential reductions-in-force (RIF) in its history—466 positions eliminated, including nearly all staff from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)—the federal backbone for IDEA oversight—was effectively dismantled […]
OverviewThe 2025–2026 Supreme Court term begins with a narrowed docket but potentially sweeping implications for K–12 education, particularly in civil rights, Title IX, and First Amendment jurisprudence. Following the end of Chevron deference, federal agencies—including the U.S. Department of Education—face weakened authority to interpret and enforce IDEA, Section 504, and […]
CADRE (https://cadreworks.org) has released national IDEA dispute resolution (DR) data that offers a stark picture of both rising demand and mounting strain on state systems. While families are exercising their rights under IDEA at unprecedented levels, the numbers show states are struggling to keep pace. These are excellent summaries and […]
Special education teachers operate at the intersection of instruction and legal compliance. Unlike most educators, their decisions are not only pedagogical—they are legal. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is not just a teaching tool; it is a legally binding document. A misstep in service provision or documentation is not just […]
Lead the Change: A No-Cost Opportunity for Principals Ready to Level Up Leading a school is not easy. The demands are high, the expectations even higher, and ensuring every student receives the support they need? That takes more than good intentions; it takes the right knowledge, tools, and community. That’s […]
In the unanimous June 12, 2025, Supreme Court decision in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools, the Court eliminates the “bad faith or gross misjudgment” standard, lowering the bar for Section 504 and ADA claims in education. Schools must now meet the same anti-discrimination standards as other public entities, with failures to provide […]
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