Hello December 2025!
- A New Advocacy Platform
- National Recognition for Our Work
- National Recognition for Our Work
- K Altman Law “In the News”
Join our upcoming webinar to explore the key differences between K-12 and college disability services, including changes in legal rights, documentation, accommodations, and the growing importance of student self-advocacy.
Highlights
The Advocacy Circle
Discover The Advocacy Circle, a caregiver-centered platform offering step-by-step guidance, practical resources, and AI-powered tools to simplify special education advocacy.
Empowered Feature
Explore our feature on Empowered with Meg Ryan, now airing nationwide. Get an inside look at our mission to protect student rights and expand educational equity.
Success Stories
Discover recent advocacy and litigation wins that safeguarded student rights, secured needed supports, and ensured fair outcomes for students and families nationwide.
Expert Insight
UNDERSTANDING ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS
The Advocacy Circle
For most families, the special education system feels like a closed world. Dense paperwork, unfamiliar jargon, and high-stakes decisions that shape a child’s future. The Advocacy Circle (TAC), created by members of the K Altman Law team, was built to change that dynamic.
The Advocacy Circle is a separate, subscription-based platform designed to democratize special education advocacy. Instead of help being limited to families who can secure a one-on-one advocate or attorney, TAC offers accessible, step-by-step tools that any caregiver can use: plain-language guides, planning checklists, letter templates, and structured workflows for IEPs, 504 plans, behavior issues, and school discipline. The goal is to make high-quality advocacy know-how available to far more families, far earlier in the process.
Equally important, TAC is a community. Parents and caregivers using the platform are not just downloading documents; they are connecting with others who are facing the same life-changing questions about their children’s education, safety, and independence. Through curated content, live and recorded sessions, and shared strategies, families can learn from each other’s experiences instead of navigating alone.
The Advocacy Circle does not provide legal advice and is not a law firm, but it is informed by the same real-world cases our attorneys and advocates see every day. When an issue crosses the line from an advocacy problem into a potential legal dispute, TAC is designed to help families recognize that moment and decide on next steps.
We invite you to explore The Advocacy Circle and share it with families, professionals, and community partners who need both practical tools and a supportive network on this journey.
The Advocacy Circle Preview Held on Dec 11
K Altman Law hosted an exclusive preview of The Advocacy Circle, introducing families and professionals to a new way to navigate special education with confidence. The session highlighted TAC’s easy-to-use curriculum and AI-powered tools, designed to organize documents, clarify state-specific rules, and create custom templates, giving caregivers practical support to manage advocacy independently and effectively.
We’re honored to be featured in Empowered, a national public television series highlighting organizations driving meaningful change.
Our work advocating for students with disabilities and defending educational rights is showcased in a full-length profile and a 30-second national TV spot, airing across FOX Business, CNN, MSNBC, Discovery, and The Family Channel.
These videos capture our mission: defending rights, expanding access, and empowering families. Please watch and share, we’re stronger together!
Special Education Advocacy
This month, our Special Education advocates secured several impactful outcomes for students and their families. They successfully navigated multiple Manifestation Determination Review hearings, obtaining findings that properly recognized students’ behaviors as manifestations of their disabilities. These results opened the door to critical new services, supports, and behavior interventions instead of punitive responses.
Our team also guided a highly contentious matter through a resolution meeting that ended in a constructive agreement, avoiding escalation while securing meaningful relief for the student. In addition, our advocates helped place students into programs that provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment, ensuring each child has a real opportunity to learn and thrive.
Student Defense Advocacy
Our Student Defense Advisors also achieved important victories for both educators and students. In one matter, a teacher was wrongfully terminated based on allegations involving physical redirection of students. Through persistent advocacy, we secured the teacher’s reinstatement with retroactive pay, underscoring the importance of due process and fairness in employment decisions.
In other cases, students facing dismissal and the loss of their educational path were able to return to school because of our team’s efforts. By combining strong advocacy with strategic collaboration, we helped these students remain enrolled and regain stability.
Across both practice areas, these successes reflect our core mission: to protect rights, restore opportunities, and support families and educators through some of the most stressful moments in their educational journeys.
Can Good Grades Disqualify a Child with Serious Behavioral or Executive Functioning Challenges from getting an IEP?
Many schools assume good grades mean a child doesn’t need support – but IDEA says otherwise. Behavioral, emotional, and executive-functioning challenges can still limit access to education, even when academics look strong. Learn why grades alone can’t determine IEP eligibility and what parents can do when schools refuse evaluations. Read More
What Should I Do About My Student Loans if I’m Being Dismissed but Planning to Appeal to Get Back into School?
Being dismissed can trigger loan repayment – but you may be able to pause payments while you appeal. Learn how to work with your loan servicer, protect your deferment, and avoid unnecessary repayment as you work toward reinstatement. Read More
Strategic Partnerships
Strategic partnerships are a core to how K Altman Law advances educational equity nationwide. This month, we continued building collaborations that expand access to specialized instruction for students with IEPs and 504 Plans through one of the largest virtual instruction companies; deepened our work with a major higher-education fraternity to support members facing academic integrity and Title IX issues and to provide proactive risk-mitigation workshops for their members, alumni and the enterprise; and contributed to the next generation of advocates through Keith Altman and Melanie Roy’s presentation at the Coelho Law Group / Loyola University program on disability rights and legal pathways. Together with educators, clinicians, Greek-life organizations, and referral partners, we are growing a coordinated network that helps families access legal support, services, and evaluations when it matters most. If your organization is interested in strengthening student support systems and building mission-aligned solutions, please contact Teri Byrkit at [email protected].
Core Services Reminder
Title IX compliance is more than a regulatory requirement, it’s how K-12 schools, districts, and colleges protect students and stay out of legal and reputational trouble. K Altman Law works with institutions on the compliance side: reviewing and updating policies, designing fair procedures, and training Title IX coordinators and teams to handle reports consistently and lawfully. That work is strictly institutional. We do not represent schools in individual Title IX cases. When it comes to case handling and disputes, our representation is limited to students. If your institution wants to proactively strengthen its Title IX compliance, please contact Dr. Amanda Stewart at [email protected] to learn more.
Keith and Barbara from K-Altman have been the best! I experienced some difficulty with my program and both of them made sure I got the best possible outcome which I did. Keith incredibly knowledgeable and has vast experience working with graduate programs and he made sure to advocate for me in the best way possible. Barbra has been a great communicator, answered any and all questions I had and make sure I was informed throughout this process. I highly recommend if anyone is looking for an education law attorney.
Mary
Contact K Altman Law if you need to speak with one of our Student Defense Advocates. We are committed to holding schools accountable for doing the right thing for students – including yours!
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