The Essentials of Special Education Advocacy

The field of special education has been built by advocacy efforts of families, students, educators, and people with disabilities. This bookprovides educators with the tools they need to advocate successfully for themselves, their students, and their schools.

Andrew M. Markelz is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education, assistant department chair, and director of Graduate Studies at Ball State University. Dr. Markelz is editor of the Journal of Special Education Preparation and co-author of The Essentials of Special Education Law. Dr. Markelz is committed to expediting the novice-to-expert teaching curve by preparing special educators to implement proactive classroom management strategies and develop meaningful and legally defensible individualized education programs according to special education law.

Sarah A. Nagro is an associate professor in the Division of Special Education and Disability Research, director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Research and Development in Teacher Education, and professor in charge of the Special Education PhD specialization at George Mason University. Dr. Nagro is committed to identifying best practices for preparing professionready teachers who can sustain and grow in the profession to improve the learning experiences of all students including students with disabilities.

Kevin Monnin is a doctoral fellow in the Special Education Program at George Mason University. His research interests focus on studying strategies to attract, prepare, and retain high-quality teachers, often including nontraditional methods for preparing teachers in high-needs fields. Mr. Monnin previously worked as a special education teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia. He earned his Master of Education in special education at George Mason University and received his bachelor's in Government and International Politics.

David F. Bateman is a principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research. He is a former due process hearing officer for Pennsylvania for hundreds of hearings. He uses his knowledge of litigation relating to special education to assist school districts in providing appropriate supports for students with disabilities and to prevent and to recover from due process hearings. He has been a classroom teacher of students with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, intellectual disability, and hearing impairments. Dr. Bateman earned a PhD in special education from the University of Kansas and has published numerous articles and books pertaining to special education law and administration.