As a brief skim over the deep waters of special education law, this textbook hits its mark.

Mitchell L. Yell, Fred and Francis Lester Palmetto Chair, Teacher Education and professor, special education, University of South Carolina

Understanding special education law is critical for practicing educators, but too often, special education law is overlooked in teacher preparation programs. The Essentials of Special Education Law is a timely resource designed to fill this gap, making special education law and policy accessible for educators and other school personnel. From providing a comprehensive overview of the history of special education, to highlighting key vocabulary terms, to thoughtful discussion questions at the end of each chapter, Dr. Markelz and Dr. Bateman have created a resource to demystify special education law. This text is a valuable resource to improve legal literacy among educators.

Paula E. Chan, associate professor of special education, Cleveland State University

The Essentials of Special Education Law is a straightforward textbook for candidates in all licensure areas. A key feature is an easy-to-understand refresher on U.S. Government and foundational knowledge related to special education history—this provides a critical framework for understanding special education law. Markelz and Bateman seamlessly embed court cases and federal law in each chapter as legal exemplars of the IDEA pillars to inform candidates how to develop and deliver legally sound special education programs. Throughout the text, they masterfully identify practical suggestions to engage parents in the special education process. Each chapter concludes with excellent resources that link the theory to practice gap. An essential textbook for all candidates in teacher education preparation programs.

Cynthia Dieterich, Baldwin Wallace University

The Essentials of Special Education Law serves as a comprehensive and readable source of leading legal issues in special education. Relatedly, Markelz and Bateman’s book can be effectively adopted in special education law or related courses ranging from undergraduate pre-service teacher preparation programs to specialized graduate-level programs in educational leadership, school counseling, school psychology, and special education. This book will significantly improve the special education legal literacy of those that work closely with students with disabilities.

Kevin P. Brady