Educational Law and Your Child’s Rights Appropriate Education is a Right - Not A Privilege! Children with ADD, mild to moderate learning disabilities and other developmental difficulties, usually study in a regular/ mainstreamed classroom. Due to a myriad of reasons, too often the educational needs of these children are overlooked, and they “fall through the cracks”. Any child with a documented disability is entitled to receive services and accommodations. Parents must know their rights and formulate a plan of action which will best help their child succeed!
Knowing What to Ask For Recognizing Limitations Working the System Home Resources Search		Knowing What to Ask For Below is a list of some of the services and accommodations a child with a documented learning disability may be eligible to receive. Resource Room Hours (Horaah metakenet) - Shaot MATYA Private or semi-private lessons provided during the school day by an Israeli certified special education teacher (usually 2 hrs per week). Techi (tochnit ishi - Israeli equivalent of an IEP - Individualized Educational Plan). There is variable between schools regarding the writing and implementation of these plans. These plans are important towards ensuring accountability of appropriate educational goals.  Educational Accommodations and Reduced Workload/ Testing (Hakalot and Hatamot) The law entitles LD students to receive variances in their educational requirements to accommodate their disabilities. These do not cost any money, but are too often overlooked or not implemented with consistency between teachers and throughout the school year. (i.e. Receiving the homework in a written form rather than copying it from the boards, extra time to take tests, reduced homework assignments) Sayaat (educational helper) during classroom time A sayaat, assistant or shadow, is assigned to an individual child for a pre-specified number of classroom hours, depending on the nature of his disability. Vaadat Shiluv/Vaadat Zakaut - A committee which meets in the child’s school (grades 1-9) to determine eligibility for support services within the mainstream school. This process does not guarantee that the child will receive services. Vaadat Hasaama This committee meets at the Iriyah every three years, or when the child changes school, to determine if the nature of his disability warrants placement in a special education classroom or school. (Gan through grade 9)  Tofes 07 A tofes 07 is granted students in grades ten through twelve. This status grants students the right to five hours of resource room teaching each week and unlimited accommodations on the bagruyot. This is determined through a Vaadat Hasaama.
Recognizing Limitations Ideally decisions regarding eligibility and granting of school services, are expected to be done by the staff of the Ministry of Education, local municipality and your school, without parental intervention. Unfortunately the “system” does not have enough manpower and financial resources to service all the children who are in need. Here in Israel there are also unfortunate distinctions between districts or municipalities, regarding their individual willingness and financial ability, to provide educational supportive services to children “who fall through the cracks”. Each municipality as well as each individual school within a given district has a certain degree of autonomy when deciding how to allocate funds and services. Children with the same diagnosis or similar types of learning difficulties may receive different services depending on the municipality in which they live or based on which school they attend within a specific municipality. In other words, eligibility or entitlement by law to a particular service is not equivalent to the facts on the ground. Be prepared with information about your school and district, as well as maintaining realistic expectations when planning your strategies for advocacy. For these reasons, it is those children, whose parents are able and prepared to invest time and resources advocating for their needs and rights, who benefit in the end and receive the available services. Working the System At Partners with Parents, we: Inform you about you child’s educational rights under Israeli law. Explain which services and accommodations your child may be eligible to receive. Teach you how “the system” works - who to speak to, where to go and what to expect. Advocate on behave of your child’s specific educational, social and emotional needs, so he can receive the best appropriate services within the least restrictive environment. Represent you and your child, (as your legal representative), at all official school and municipality meetings to ensure your child receives supportive services, classroom accommodations and individualized programming. Serve as case manager and maintain continuous communication with school staff, ministry of education and municipal personnel and supportive professionals. Stay actively involved in your child’s education, throughout the school year. For additional information about Educational Law in Israel and Your Child’s Right’s Contact Us.

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