Student Issues

Often times school personnel are placed in the middle of disagreements between divorced parents about their child's education. Other times, children live with relatives or other non-parent adults who claim to "have custody" or be the "guardian." We have translated the complicated Texas Family Code into a laminated easy-to-use chart to assist administrators and teachers in determining who has the right to make decisions regarding a child's education. For example, you will be able to determine if a divorced parent, stepparent, or other family member is entitled to:

• Enroll or withdraw a student from school
• Request that the student be tested for special education services
• Give permission for field trips
• Attend school meetings
• Receive official school notices
• Have access to educational records
• Consult with school officials
• Assert the parental rights enumerated in Chapter 26 of the Tex. Educ. Code
• Prohibit other parents, stepparents, or family members from being involved in a child's education 

The Texas Family Code lays out a complicated set of rules regarding parental rights. We have taken the Family Code and the IDEA and broken it down into an easy-to-use chart to assist special education staff in determining who has the right to participate and /or make decisions. For example, you will be able to determine if a parent, guardian, surrogate parent, foster parent, other family member or advocate is entitled to:

• Receive written notice to attend an ARD meeting
• Receive a copy of a student's records
• Request a due process hearing

Answers to these and other difficult questions are on our legal size chart. Footnoted explanations are on the flip side.