The New York City Department of Education promotes the participation of parents, families, and communities in the education of children with disabilities. There may be times when a parent or guardian will have a concern related to his or her child's education and the services offered by the Department. If this concern cannot be resolved between the district and the parent, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides parents with Due Process Rights to address special education concerns, including requesting an impartial hearing, and/or requesting mediation. For more importation about support available for families of students with disabilities,
The Impartial Hearing Office's role is to oversee the administration of special education due process cases, which includes everything from processing complaints to scheduling hearings, ordering interpretation and translation services, to processing decisions and certifying the record for cases on appeal among other things. Issues raised at hearings include - but are not limited to - evaluation, educational placement, or provision of a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities (ages 3-21).
For questions about an impartial hearing order that has been issued, please contact the Impartial Hearing Order Implementation Unit.