Dispute Resolution

COVID-19 and Special Education

View information for educators and parents to support students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 resources for special education

Dispute Resolution Options

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) offers three options under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for resolving disputes related to special education: mediation, state complaints, and due process complaints. Click on a button below for more information on each option.

Mediation

State Complaints

Due Process Complaints

Compare Dispute Resolution Options

Parent and Child Rights in Special Education

The Procedural Safeguards Notice explains the rights of a parent of a student with a disability and the procedures that protect those rights under state and federal special education law, including the Exceptional Children's Educational Act (ECEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

ECEA and IDEA require that a school district, a board of cooperative educational services (BOCES), or a State Operated Program provide the Procedural Safeguards Notice to parents at least once per year and on the following occasions: upon initial referral or on request for evaluation; upon receipt of the first state complaint and upon receipt of the first due process complaint in a school year; upon a disciplinary change of placement; or upon parent request. With parental agreement, a public agency can provide a parent an electronic copy of the procedural safeguards notice (e.g., through email) instead of a paper copy.

Procedural Safeguards Notice (PDF)

Aviso de garantías de procedimiento (PDF)

Dispute Resolution Office Operations during COVID-19

The CDE's top priority is the health and safety of all students, educators and communities in Colorado. During this time of unprecedented national emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, access to CDE's Office of Dispute Resolution—located at 1560 Broadway in Denver—has been restricted from guests and visitors.

For this reason, the CDE is not presently accepting hand-delivered state or due process complaints. The CDE is still accepting complaints by mail at:

Dispute Resolution Office
Colorado Department of Education
Exceptional Student Services Unit
1560 Broadway, Suite 1100
Denver, Colorado 80202

If you have any questions about this, or if you are unable to mail a state or due process complaint, please contact us.

Mediation and Due Process during COVID-19

Where the COVID-19 pandemic prevents parents or school staff from attending mediation in person, they may agree to mediate virtually through a video conferencing platform, such as Zoom. For more information on mediation click here.

Where the COVID-19 pandemic prevents parents or school staff from attending a resolution meeting in person, they may participate in a resolution meeting virtually through a video conference or a conference call subject to parental agreement. For more information on due process complaints click here.

Office of Special Education Programs and Office for Civil Rights COVID-19 Resources

Helpful Resources

Contact Us

Brandon Edelman, Esq.
Supervisor, Dispute Resolution
Email Brandon Edelman
303-866-6876

Ashley Schubert, Esq.
State Complaints Officer
Email Ashley Schubert
303-866-6311

Ross Meyers, Esq.
State Complaints Officer
Email Ross Meyers
303-866-3801

Jennifer Woods
Dispute Resolution Paralegal & Coordinator
Email Jennifer Woods
303-866-6889

CiCi Lyman
Program Support
Email CiCi Lyman
303-866-4797

Exceptional Student Services Unit, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80202 | Phone: 303-866-6694, Fax: 303-866-6767

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If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact our web content coordinator Amanda Timmerman at Timmerman_A@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.