Request for mediation

WHEN TO USE MEDIATION:

Mediation provides parents, adult students, and public-school districts or state educational agencies with a way to resolve disputes related to special education or 504 accommodations. This includes issues under 34 CFR § 300, 603 CMR § 28, and §504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, regardless of whether a due process complaint (hearing request) has been filed. These matters can involve the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of a child with a disability, ensuring the students receives a free appropriate public education (FAPE), and any other issues covered by the above-mentioned statutes and regulations. Importantly, parties can pursue mediation without first filing a due process complaint.

Examples of issues that may be mediated include, but are not limited to: 

• FAPE 
• Eligibility 
• Evaluation 
• IEP Accommodations/Modifications 
• IEP Goals 
• IEP Service Delivery Grid 
• IEP Other 
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)/Placement 
• Extended School Year 
• Transition Programming 
• Compensatory services 
• Transportation  
• 504 Accommodation Plans 
• Issues raised in a parentally filed hearing requests, in lieu of a BSEA Due Process Hearing 

Resolution Session 

• Early Intervention programming disagreements 

Parties can use voluntary mediation to settle a filed BSEA due process hearing or pending Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Problem Resolution Systems (PRS) complaint. Mediation is also available even a due process hearing or PRS complaint has not been filed. The specific issues to e addressed in voluntary mediation are agreed upon by all parties involved.

Please reach out to the Mediator who covers your region or to the Coordinator of Mediation with questions about what can be mediated. 

WHO MAY REQUEST A MEDIATION?

Student:

•              Adult Student who is 18 years old or older 

•              Parent of Student who is under 18 years old 

•              Guardian of Student 

•              Education Surrogate for the Student 

•              Advocate on behalf of the Student/Family (with permission) 

•              Attorney on behalf of the Student/Family (with permission)

School District

•              School District Special Education Director 

•              School District Mediation Representative 

•              School District Attorney on behalf of the School District (with permission) 

•              School District Superintendent

HOW TO REQUEST A MEDIATION

Requests for mediation are made directly to the mediator assigned to the region where the student’s school district is located. If you would like to request an alternate mediator be assigned to your case, please reach out to the Coordinator of Mediation.  

To request mediation, you can either CALL or EMAIL the mediator who covers your region or the Coordinator of Mediation. 

***If you need an interpreter for your conversation, please notify the mediator and they will add an interpreter to the phone call and/or have emails and all forms translated into your preferred language.***

Coordinator of Mediation & Facilitation

Myrto Flessas                                 857-260-4541                  myrto.flessas@mass.gov  

Western MA and Boston Public Schools 

Archie Archibald                             857-294-0162                 steven.archibald@mass.gov 

Central MA

Mara Shulman                                781-572-2644                   mara.shulman@mass.gov 

South Shore, Cape, and the Islands 

Matthew Flynn                                617-997-2291                 matthew.flynn@mass.gov 

North Shore 

Rebecca Stone                                857-294-0132                  rebecca.stone@mass.gov 

Metro North Suburbs and Boston Charter Schools 

Leslie Bock                                      857-378-6707                   leslie.bock@mass.gov 

Metro South Suburbs 

Beth Ross                                        617-997-2343                   beth.ross@mass.gov

IEP Team Meeting Facilitation (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/facilitators-for-iep-team-meetings) 

Becca Comiskey            857-268-3065           rebecca.comiskey@mass.gov

Please reach out to Myrto Flessas, BSEA Coordinator of Mediation and Facilitation (857-260-4541; Myrto.flessas@mass.gov) if you have any questions about your assigned mediator or if you would like to have an alternate mediator assigned to your case. 

Bureau of Special Education Appeals

14 Summer St., 4^th Fl

Malden, MA 02148

781-397-4750

More information on BSEA Mediation can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/bsea-mediation-manual/download

To request an ADA accommodation, please reach out to our ADA Coordinator, Jim Rooney, at james.rooney@mass.gov or (781) 397-4750.