Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc.

10/11/2026

Join Cynthia and David for an engaging discussion on Advocate Late Nite tonight at 8 PM ET! This week’s topic is “Advocating Across Language and Cultural Barriers.”

We are excited to welcome Daysi Ortiz, COPAA’s Cross-Cultural and Spanish Engagement Coordinator, to our conversation. We'll hold this discussion in English.

🗓️ 8 PM ET | 7 PM CT | 6 PM MT | 5 PM PT
🔗 Link in bio: https://learn.copaa.org/p/advocatelatenite2026



ATL- A picture of a blue background with the text "Advocate Late Night" and the COPAA logo
ALT - A picture of Daysi Ortiz

10/11/2026

Families in California’s Central Valley are raising urgent concerns about student safety in special education classrooms — and they’re calling for cameras to be installed, just as states like Texas and Louisiana already allow.

But California law creates major barriers. A 1976 statute prohibits recording in classrooms without both the teacher’s and principal’s permission, making it nearly impossible for families to request cameras even when safety concerns are serious.
Across the country, the issue is gaining traction among families of students with disabilities. Chris Roe, COPAA’s director of state policy and a parent himself, explains why:

“A lot of students in these classes are unable to explain what is happening. Students have come home that have had injuries or marks or signs of trauma that they can’t explain.”

Other states have already acted. Texas passed a law in 2015 requiring schools to install cameras in self‑contained special education classrooms when requested by a parent, staff member, principal, or school board. The footage isn’t used for surveillance — it’s only reviewed if there’s an allegation of abuse or neglect, and recordings are kept for 90 days.

Advocates in California say similar safeguards could help protect the most vulnerable students —while still respecting teachers’ rights and avoiding misuse.

🔗https://edsource.org/2026/parents-demand-special-education-cameras/765434

Suspected cases of teacher misconduct have prompted parents in the Central Valley to demand that cameras be placed in self-contained special education classrooms.

10/10/2026

📸 These aren’t just pictures. They’re MEMORIES. 💙

Four women. One backdrop. One moment in time. And a movement that brings us together.

Because behind every picture is a story. A new connection. A friendship that started with a conversation. A friend who brought a friend, and a community that keeps growing.

At COPAA, we don’t just come together to learn and advocate. We come together to CONNECT. We turn strangers into friends, conversations into partnerships, and moments into memories that last long after the conference ends.

And when we meet again in San Diego, California, we want YOU in the picture! 🌴
We can already imagine the smiles, group photos, new friendships, and familiar faces gathering in front of that COPAA backdrop.

Now it’s your turn! 👇
💙 Tag the friend you’re bringing to COPAA 2027.
📸 Tell us who you want standing beside you in that picture.
🤝 Invite someone who needs to find their community.

Come make memories with us at COPAA’s 29th Annual Conference in San Diego!

We’ll save you a spot in the picture. Will you be there?



ALT - Four women are standing in front of the COPAA backdrop while another woman takes their picture at the 28th Annual COPAA Conference.

10/10/2026

Connecticut’s top budget official delivered a stark warning this week: the state’s special education funding system is “truly broken.” Comptroller Sean Scanlon says districts are facing unsustainable pressures — from severe staffing shortages to rising out‑of‑district and out‑of‑state placements — all while serving a rapidly growing population of students with disabilities.

Connecticut School Districts spent $3.3 billion on special education in the 2024–25 school year, covering transportation, teachers, paraprofessionals, specialists, equipment, and more. For students with the highest needs, costs can reach $200,000 per year for a single child. And nearly 1 in 5 Connecticut public school students now qualify for an IEP, a dramatic increase from past years.

Scanlon emphasized that while state education funding has gone up, the underlying structure hasn’t kept pace with reality. Connecticut — along with Rhode Island — is one of only two states that does not use a weighted funding formula for special education. That means districts shoulder wildly different financial burdens depending on the needs of the students they serve, creating inequities and instability across the state.

“The good news,” Scanlon said, “is that whether through the Citizens’ Assembly I’m working with or the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission, there is real momentum to finally replace this broken system with the true, structural change we need to reform how education is funded in Connecticut.”

🔗https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/hartford/state-working-to-fix-connecticuts-broken-special-education-funding-system/

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Comptroller Sean Scanlon said Connecticut’s underlying system for special education is “truly broken” in a budget surplus update Tuesday, highlighting sta…

10/10/2026

Join Cynthia and David for Advocate Late Nite this SUNDAY at 8 PM/ET for an engaging discussion! This week, the topic will be "Advocating Across Language and Cultural Barriers."

We are excited to have Daysi Ortiz, COPAA’s Cross-Cultural & Spanish Engagement Coordinator, joining us.

🗓️ 8 PM ET | 7 PM CT | 6 PM MT | 5 PM PT
🔗 Link in bio: https://learn.copaa.org/p/advocatelatenite2026



ATL- A picture of a blue background with the text "Advocate Late Night" and the COPAA logo
ALT - A picture of Daysi Ortiz

10/09/2026

You see an empty ballroom.
We see ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.

We see YOU.

We see the next generation of SRI students. 🎓
We see youth advocates.
We see parents.
We see attorneys.
We see educators.
We see changemakers.

We see voices that haven't been heard yet.
We see ideas that haven't been shared yet.
We see connections that haven't been made yet.
We see futures that haven't been written yet.

We see you.
We hear you.
We are you.

And we're coming. 🌴

Because when you call for community, we fill the rooms.
When you call for knowledge, we bring it.
When you call for advocacy, we show up.

This room won't stay empty for long.

COPAA 2027 is coming to San Diego.

So book your hotel room. 🏨
Bring your people.
Tag the friend who's on this journey with you.
Bring the next generation.
Bring your voice.

Be in the room.
Be part of the conversation.
Be part of what's next.

We can't wait to see you there.



ALT: A ballroom with endless possibilities at the 28th COPAA Conference.

10/08/2026

Treasury Proposes Regulations for Federal K-12 Tax Credit Program

Last Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department (Treasury) issued proposed regulations for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit that was placed into federal law through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR 1) in 2025 and is schedule to take effect in 2027. Since the law’s passage, States have been in the process of determining whether to participate in the new program with 30 States currently opting in. States have until January 1, 2027 to decide and States must opt into the federal education tax credit program each year. The regulations were issued last week in two forms: 1) as an Interim Final Rule (IFR) for 2027; and 2) as a proposed Rule for future years. While the IFR and Rule mirror each other in substance, the IFR -intended to immediately support State planning- takes effect as issued; while the Rule supports longer-term implementation. Treasury could change either in response to public comments which are due on December 1, 2026.

Interim Final Rule (IFR) - https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/02/2026-20264/federal-scholarship-tax-credit

Proposed Rule - https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/02/2026-20277/federal-scholarship-tax-credit

The Federal education tax credit allows individual taxpayers to redirect up to $1,700 of federal tax liability to scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs), which may provide K-12 vouchers to children in families with incomes up to 300 percent of the area median gross income. The IFR and proposed Rule re-establish the purpose of the new tax credit according to the HR 1 and include key definitions and a framework for States to implement the program through approved SGOs. As part of the requirements, the regulation dictates how Governors need to compile the list of SGOs that will be authorized to provide vouchers in their State—and includes prohibitions against States imposing or adding additional oversight, reporting requirements, accountability measures, civil rights protections or other restrictions on SGOs. Additionally, SGOs will not be required to monitor student outcomes, and participating schools will not be held to standards comparable to those that apply to public schools. The regulations include a “safe harbor” for “special needs” students in low-income areas; however, except for household income, no detail is provided regarding how a school would “select” the qualifying child(ren) or the types of services that would qualify for reimbursement. Treasury requested input on the safe harbor provisions. The regulations also explain how taxpayers can get the tax credit, including the clarification that joint taxpayer households may each claim the $1,700 credit, for a total of $3400 per household. COPAA is reviewing the Rule and plans to make informed comments by the December 1 deadline. COPAA also joined civil rights and disability partners last week in a joint letter urging Governors [who have not yet opted in] to reject participation in the Federal tax credit program. To read more about COPAA’s work regarding the impacts of voucher programs on the education and civil rights of students with disabilities, see the 2026 report, Private School Choice Programs: Is There a Seat for Students with Disabilities?

Joint letter -https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/Letter-from-Civil-Rights-Organizations-to-Governors-on-Federal-Private-School-Voucher-Scheme-1.pdf

Private School Choice Programs: Is There a Seat for Students with Disabilities?
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.copaa.org/resource/resmgr/pdf/2026-01-24_private_school_.pdf

10/07/2026

Join Cynthia and David for Advocate Late Nite TONIGHT at 8 PM/ET for an engaging discussion!

This week, we will hear from Yael Cohen and friends about the efforts to unite parents and advocates in the Rockies.

🗓️ 8 PM ET | 7 PM CT | 6 PM MT | 5 PM PT
🔗 Link in bio: https://learn.copaa.org/p/advocatelatenite2026



ATL- A picture of a blue background with the text "Advocate Late Night" and the COPAA logo

10/06/2026

The federal government spent $793 billion in 2025 on contracts with federal contractors, which employ over a million American workers. Section 503 of...