McAndrews Law Offices P.C.
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Area Law Firm Established in 1983
Dennis McAndrews founded McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. in 1983 to provide the families of Pennsylvania with exceptional legal representation in special education, estate planning and disability law. Our firm has since expanded to include over 20 highly skilled lawyers and professional staff members. We now offer services in issues involving:
Estate planning Estate planning for individuals with disabilities Special Education Elder law Long-term medical care planning Public benefits for seniors Guardianship Estate administration and probate Personal injury
July 2019
Many of the parents we represent are interested in how to support other students with disabilities in their schools or how to get involved to improve the overall experience in their schools for students with disabilities.
For parents in Pennsylvania, one way to get involved in systemic work while accessing information and training to help their own child is through their Local Taskforce on the Right to Education (LTF).
What is an LTF? On May 5, 1972, the Federal District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania made final the order, injunction, stipulation, and consent agreement in the suit filed by PARC, currently The Arc of Pennsylvania, against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Secretary of the Department of Education, the State Board of Education, the Secretary of the Department of Public Welfare and all their instrumentalities on behalf of 13 Children with intellectual disabilities who had been denied access to public education.
The agreement mandated the development of COMPILE and COMPET, as well as the establishment of due process procedures.
These documents were developed through the coordinated effort of the Pennsylvania Departments of Education and PARC. They were reviewed for contents and approved. COMPILE provided for the establishment of a state task force and 29 local task forces (one in each intermediate unit) whose primary purpose is to help assure that the intent and spirit of the right to Education Consent Decree was carried out. In 1975, Public Law 94-142 was passed, which guarantees all children with disabilities a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment.
LTFs are parent majority organizations that work collaboratively with administrators from the intermediate units, school districts, and with community agencies to improve, strengthen, and expand educational services for students with disabilities. The LTFs also serve as liaisons and information resources for families. Each IU in Pennsylvania has its own LTF. In addition, the LTFs are information resources for families of students who receive special education services in district schools, charter schools, or Approved Private Schools (APS). The state LTF meets 5 times a year and local LTFs meet as often as monthly during the school year. To get involved in your local LTF, reach out to the Chairperson and ask for this year’s meeting schedule. PaTTAN keeps an up-to-date list of contact information and meeting schedules at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-5acLxQ_k0Oohn0-R2hVEtaqtbrN6PEf/view . The attorneys at McAndrews Law Offices are available to come to speak at your LTF meetings and share vital information with families. Call us today at 610-648-9300 or Contact Us Here!
McAndrews Law Offices P.C. is a nationally recognized firm that provides families of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Area, and New Jersey with exceptional legal representation in Special Education, Estate Planning, Abuse of Vulnerable Citizens, and the representation of individuals involved in higher education allegations of misconduct.