Inform Policy

What Do We Mean By Inform Policy?

The Center is the lead policy voice in the intersection of special education and charter schools. Our role is vital to policy discussions as we pursue excellence in federal and state policies that do three things: 1) ensure that students with disabilities have access to great public schools, including schools of choice; 2) provide charter schools the policy environments they need to serve those students well; and 3) prioritize transparent data and accountability systems that will hold charter and traditional public schools accountable for providing a free, appropriate public education to all of their students with disabilities.

Where Do We Work to Inform Policy?

The Center is engaged in policy discussions at the federal and state levels. On both of these levels, we focus on building relationships with stakeholders in the disability rights, civil rights, and charter communities, sharing data and information with them, and listening to their thoughts and concerns as we highlight strong policies and seek consensus on ways to improve policies to better support the education of students with disabilities.

Our Policy Networks

Policy work is best done in collaboration with others. We are fortunate to belong to several national networks that allow us to amplify our voice on policy.

PIE Network
Membership in Policy Innovators in Education (PIE) allows us to connect with, learn from, and share our work with other education advocacy organizations across the country.

Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD)
As a member of the CCD’s Education Task Force, the Center is able to engage with other national disability rights advocacy organizations to support federal policies that enhance opportunities for students with disabilities and their families.

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
The Center is honored to be a member of the nation’s oldest, largest, and most diverse civil and human rights coalition. As an active member of the Leadership Conference’s Education Task Force, we ensure that we approach our work with a civil rights focus.

Model Policies

Each state is different, with individual statutes, systems, and education environments that require different approaches.  However, there are some general areas where we have strong evidence regarding model policy. Here is our Model Policy Guide that sets out some of those areas and suggested policy language.

The Center Lends Its Voice on Policy Issues

Both individually and with our policy partners, the Center often engages with Congress and with the United States Department of Education to help inform policies that they are considering, through testimony, comment letters, and letters of support.