Washington State Office of the Education Ombuds (FBA’s & BIP’s pt.2)
The Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO) in Washington state is a statewide agency established in 2006 to help remove barriers to education. A small team of nine addresses concerns from students, families, and professionals, focusing on strategic priority groups including students of color, students with disabilities, and those experiencing homelessness or involved in the juvenile justice system. Services include informal conflict resolution, information sharing, and policy recommendations, acting as an independent resource separate from school districts and the state superintendent's office. The OEO prioritizes special education questions and offers services such as intake support and, in certain cases, casework with senior ombuds for up to 120 days per student.
For Part 1 Visit: https://www.peacenw.org/presentations/functional-behavior
Part 2 of this presentation on FBA’s and BIP’s describes the work of the Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO), a statewide agency in Washington created in 2006 to remove barriers to education. The OEO is an independent office, separate from the State Superintendent's office and school districts. It serves as a resource for anyone, including students, parents, and the general public, with questions or concerns about education policies and procedures.
The office has a small staff of nine, which includes two associate ombuds who answer calls and four senior ombuds who handle priority cases. Anyone can contact the OEO with a question or concern and receive support in the form of brainstorming, information sharing, and assistance in finding relevant policies.
The OEO prioritizes certain groups of students for assignment to a senior ombuds. These strategic priority groups include:
Students who are out of school
Students with disabilities on partial days (not including collaborative partial-day plans)
Students of color, including Black and Indigenous students
Students experiencing homelessness
Students in kinship or foster care
Students involved in the Juvenile Justice or Rehabilitation system
Immigrant, refugee, asylee, or migrant students
Students or families whose primary language is not English
Students receiving wrap-around with intensive services (Wraps) or in long-term patient care
Transgender and non-binary youth
The OEO works through informal conflict resolution and can provide information on formal dispute resolution options. They also provide training on topics such as special education, IEPs, 504s, attendance, and truancy. Additionally, the OEO engages in policy work by offering annual recommendations and serving on policy committees to give real-world insight into how policies are impacting students and families.
To reach the OEO, individuals can use the intake line, which can be accessed by phone, email, or an online form. The intake process involves gathering information to either provide immediate resources or assign the case to a senior ombuds if it falls within the strategic priorities. Cases can last up to 120 days per student. All OEO services are confidential, and the office will only communicate with a school with written consent. The most common issues the OEO handles include special education, student discipline, harassment, intimidation, bullying, enrollment, transportation, attendance, and language access.
For more information visit: https://www.oeo.wa.gov/en