Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates
Encyclopedia
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) is a national American
advocacy
association of parents of children with disabilities
, their attorneys, advocates, and others who support the educational and civil rights of children with disabilities. COPAA has more than 1,000 members in 48 states and the District of Columbia. COPAA was founded in 1998 and is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
.
COPAA's mission is to level the playing field for parents of children with disabilities—through access to resources, information, and a network of professionals—so parents may collaborate as equal partners with school districts on their children's individualized education programs. COPAA focuses on the rights of children who receive special education
, and who are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
and other statutes.
This includes working to ensure that children with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
. COPAA endeavors to improve the quality and quantity of legal assistance for parents of children with disabilities. COPAA does not represent individual parents but provides a network to assist, train, and inform parents, advocates, and attorneys. COPAA also provides a directory of special education attorneys and advocates. Advocates are nonlawyer professionals who work with parents to advocate for appropriate educations for their children with disabilities.
COPAA was formed in 1998 and works to:
(Membership in COPAA is not available to attorneys who represent, or individuals currently employed by, education agencies receiving federal or state IDEA
funds.) COPAA offers a national conference each year to further its mission of training attorneys, advocates, and parents.
In addition, COPAA files amicus curiae briefs with the courts in cases of national significance.
COPAA has filed amicus curiae briefs with the United States Supreme Court in Schaffer v. Weast (2005), arguing that school districts should bear the burden of proof in IDEA cases because of their greater resources; Arlington Central School Dist. Bd. of Ed. v. Murphy
(2006), arguing that parents who prevail in IDEA cases should be able to recover their expert witness fees like other civil rights plaintiffs; Winkelman v. Parma City School District (2006), arguing that pro se parents may represent themselves in IDEA cases in court; and Board of Education of New York v. Tom F. (2007), arguing that parents may seek tuition reimbursement under IDEA for a child who has been denied a free appropriate public education (FAPE) but who did not previously receive special education services from the school district.
COPAA also adds its voice when Congress considers legislation affecting the educational and civil rights of children with disabilities. For example, COPAA has advocated with states to override the Schaffer v. Weast decision and place the burden of proof on school districts, which the organization believes to be more equitable and fair. COPAA has also worked to support the IDEA Fairness Restoration Act, which would enable parents who prevail in IDEA cases to recover their expert witness fees. According to COPAA, few parents can afford the thousands of dollars needed to pay qualified medical, educational, and technical experts in IDEA cases.
In 2009, COPAA published the Monograph, Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities, written by Jessica Butler. It documents 180 incidents in which children in special education were subject to restraints, seclusion, and other abusive interventions. Ms. Butler's Monograph also makes recommendations to Congress to adopt legislation that will protect children with disabilities from abusive practices. Unsafe in the Schoolhouse was one of two reports included by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its national report on restraint and seclusion. Unsafe in the Schoolhouse was also cited by the national media, including National Public Radio,, and Education News. In 2008, COPAA had issued a Declaration of Principals Opposing the Use of Restraint, Seclusion, and Abuse of Children with Disabilities. The Declaration expresses the view the use of restraints, seclusion and aversive interventions as part of educational programs for children with disabilities.
Furthermore, COPAA provides a variety of tools on its website, including a comparison of IDEA 2004 and IDEA '97.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
association of parents of children with disabilities
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
, their attorneys, advocates, and others who support the educational and civil rights of children with disabilities. COPAA has more than 1,000 members in 48 states and the District of Columbia. COPAA was founded in 1998 and is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
.
COPAA's mission is to level the playing field for parents of children with disabilities—through access to resources, information, and a network of professionals—so parents may collaborate as equal partners with school districts on their children's individualized education programs. COPAA focuses on the rights of children who receive special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
, and who are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities...
and other statutes.
This includes working to ensure that children with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Free Appropriate Public Education, or FAPE, is an educational right of children with disabilities in the United States that is guaranteed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act...
. COPAA endeavors to improve the quality and quantity of legal assistance for parents of children with disabilities. COPAA does not represent individual parents but provides a network to assist, train, and inform parents, advocates, and attorneys. COPAA also provides a directory of special education attorneys and advocates. Advocates are nonlawyer professionals who work with parents to advocate for appropriate educations for their children with disabilities.
COPAA was formed in 1998 and works to:
- Enable parents to work more effectively with school personnel to plan and obtain effective educational programs for their children with disabilities;
- Encourage more attorneys and advocates to undertake representation of parents of children with disabilities in their efforts to plan and obtain effective educational programs;
- Provide advocate, attorney, parent and other professional COPAA members with the practical resources, training, and information they need to obtain appropriate and effective educational programs for students with disabilities;
- Provide an annual conference to train parents, advocates, and attorneys in advocacy and litigation techniques;
- Enable members to network and share information and legal resources.
(Membership in COPAA is not available to attorneys who represent, or individuals currently employed by, education agencies receiving federal or state IDEA
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
funds.) COPAA offers a national conference each year to further its mission of training attorneys, advocates, and parents.
In addition, COPAA files amicus curiae briefs with the courts in cases of national significance.
COPAA has filed amicus curiae briefs with the United States Supreme Court in Schaffer v. Weast (2005), arguing that school districts should bear the burden of proof in IDEA cases because of their greater resources; Arlington Central School Dist. Bd. of Ed. v. Murphy
Arlington Central School Dist. Bd. of Ed. v. Murphy
Arlington Central School District Board of Education v. Murphy, 548 U.S. 291 , was a United States Supreme Court case about experts' fees in cases commenced under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act . Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, ruled that IDEA does not authorize...
(2006), arguing that parents who prevail in IDEA cases should be able to recover their expert witness fees like other civil rights plaintiffs; Winkelman v. Parma City School District (2006), arguing that pro se parents may represent themselves in IDEA cases in court; and Board of Education of New York v. Tom F. (2007), arguing that parents may seek tuition reimbursement under IDEA for a child who has been denied a free appropriate public education (FAPE) but who did not previously receive special education services from the school district.
COPAA also adds its voice when Congress considers legislation affecting the educational and civil rights of children with disabilities. For example, COPAA has advocated with states to override the Schaffer v. Weast decision and place the burden of proof on school districts, which the organization believes to be more equitable and fair. COPAA has also worked to support the IDEA Fairness Restoration Act, which would enable parents who prevail in IDEA cases to recover their expert witness fees. According to COPAA, few parents can afford the thousands of dollars needed to pay qualified medical, educational, and technical experts in IDEA cases.
In 2009, COPAA published the Monograph, Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities, written by Jessica Butler. It documents 180 incidents in which children in special education were subject to restraints, seclusion, and other abusive interventions. Ms. Butler's Monograph also makes recommendations to Congress to adopt legislation that will protect children with disabilities from abusive practices. Unsafe in the Schoolhouse was one of two reports included by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its national report on restraint and seclusion. Unsafe in the Schoolhouse was also cited by the national media, including National Public Radio,, and Education News. In 2008, COPAA had issued a Declaration of Principals Opposing the Use of Restraint, Seclusion, and Abuse of Children with Disabilities. The Declaration expresses the view the use of restraints, seclusion and aversive interventions as part of educational programs for children with disabilities.
Furthermore, COPAA provides a variety of tools on its website, including a comparison of IDEA 2004 and IDEA '97.