Community Conversation on Family Engagement in West TN!

Do you have a child receiving Special Education services in Tennessee? We would love to have you join us in a community conversation to help us better serve you and your child. The Arc of Tennessee is partnering with the State Department of Education to host community conversations across the state to open a dialogue between families and schools and see how we can continue to work together and strengthen family engagement in special education.

The Department of Education has been giving out surveys to families for years, but the response rate has been pretty low. We're hoping to collect even more feedback from families with children receiving services from birth all the way to age 22 so that we can use that data to strengthen family engagement. Our number one goal is to be sure that we are making it as easy as possible for families to feel welcomed and involved in their child's education with the end goal being the best possible outcome for the child.

If you live in West Tennessee, please join us on April 9th for our next Community Conversation! We will meet at the Christ United Methodist Church at 4488 Poplar Ave in Memphis from 6:30-8pm and refreshments will be provided. If you can't join us in person, feel free to chime in on our Facebook page! We will broadcast the event LIVE and you'll have an opportunity to share your thoughts even if you can't attend the event.

To register for this FREE event: CLICK HERE
To follow along on Facebook: CLICK HERE

We hope to see you there!

Corporal Punishment in Special Education

Corporal Punishment at School for Children with Disabilities in Tennessee

What Parents Need to Know 

In 2018 Tennessee’s legislature passed a new law about corporal punishment for students who receive special education services through an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or a 504 Plan under the Rehabilitation Act.

The new law prohibits corporal punishment (defined as paddling in Tennessee code) of students who receive special education services unless:

1. School system has a policy that allows corporal punishment; and
2. Parent of the child receiving special education services has given written permission for corporal punishment.

A parent’s permission for corporal punishment for their child must be in writing and include:

1. Type of corporal punishment allowed; and
2. Circumstances in which it is permitted.

Parents may change their mind about corporal punishment at any time and withdraw this permission in writing to the school principal.

Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, each school system must submit a report the Tennessee Department of Education about corporal punishment that includes:

1. School where each corporal punishment occurred;
2. Reason for each corporal punishment;
3. If a student paddled had an IEP, the student’s primary disability category; and
4. If a student paddled had a 504 plan, the reason for which the student has a 504 plan.

The report the schools send to the State will not include student’s names.

Each year, the Tennessee Department of Education will report on its website the number of times each school system paddles a student and the number of times they use corporal punishment on a student who has an IEP or a 504 Plan.

The Tennessee Department of Children's Services will have rules about corporal punishment and the circumstances that warrant corporal punishment in their special school district. These will allow for corporal punishment only as is reasonably necessary. Records will be kept about who requested a student be paddled with a brief description of the circumstances.

For more information, contact Loria Hubbard at lhubbard@thearctn.org.