Mitchell L. Yell, Ph.D., is the Fred and Francis Lester Palmetto Chair in Teacher Education and a Professor in Special Education at the University of South Carolina. He earned his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Minnesota. His professional interests include special education law, IEP development, progress monitoring, and parent involvement in special education. Dr. Yell has published 124 journal articles, 6 textbooks, 32 book chapters, and has conducted numerous workshops on various aspects of special education law, classroom management, and progress monitoring. His textbook, Special Education and the Law, is in its 5th edition. He also had been awarded almost $16 million in grants. Dr. Yell also serves as a State-level due process review officer in South Carolina. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Yell was a special education teacher in Minnesota for 14 years.
In a recent blog (June 3rd), we addressed a case out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, William A. v. Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools System (2005). As a reminder, this case involved William A., a young boy with dyslexia who received language therapy and accommodations. However, William […]
Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that established that unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities is a form of disability discrimination under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The case involved two women, Lois Curtis (L.C.) and Elaine Wilson (E.W.), who had […]
As we previously reported, on Tuesday, June 7, the Trump administration announced that the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the US Department of Education would be moved to the Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, an office within OSERS, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), […]
On Tuesday, June 7, the Trump administration announced that the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the US Department of Education would be moved to other federal agencies. OSERS, which administers programs for students with disabilities and provides oversight and guidance to ensure that states follow the […]
The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is a nonprofit organization that is the largest legal advocacy for persons with disabilities in the U.S. In January, 2022, NDRN published “Out of the Shadows: Informal removals of children with disabilities.” We believe that this booklet should be required reading for all teachers […]
On Thursday, September 18, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada allowed a class action lawsuit to go forward against the Clark County School District in Nevada and the Nevada State Department of Education. The suit was brought by 12 families of students with disabilities. The lawsuit alleged […]
At 10:00 on June 12, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision, in AJ.T. v. Osseo Area Schools. The decision, which was written by Chief Justice John Roberts, sided with a student with a disability suing the Osseo public schools for not doing enough to accommodate her rare form […]
According to the IDEA, “the term ‘special education’ means specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings…(IDEA, 20 USC § 29). The […]
On September 26, 2024, Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The lawsuit was joined by the attorneys general from the states of Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, […]
What are we to make of the stances of the Trump administration and Project 2025 to the U.S. Department of Education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act? In an attempt to answer these questions, Dr. Federico Waitoller of the University of Illinois-Chicago interviewed Drs Mitchell Yell of the University […]
On June 22, 1999. the U.S. Supreme Court announced the 6 to 3 ruling in Olmstead v. L.C. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled on the integration mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In the majority opinion, Justice Ruth Baker Ginsburg wrote that the unjustified segregation of […]
July 2 was the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This law, clearly one of the most important pieces of legislation in our nation’s history, was the first of a number of civil rights laws. Title VI […]
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