Join us for an interactive special education workshop on the topic of Manifestation Determination Review. We are excited to host Peter Grabowski, Parent Ombudsman for Special Education with the Virginia Department of Education, on An Overview of Discipline Procedures for SWDs Including the Manifestation Determination Review.

Peter Grabowski is the Parent Ombudsman for Special Education in the Department of Special Populations at the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). He serves as a designated neutral party who advocates for fairness and provides confidential, informal assistance and support to parents, guardians, advocates, educators, and students with disabilities. Mr. Grabowski’s passion to serve children and their families remains evident in his daily interactions throughout his continuous pursuit to coordinate the Ombuds office in a manner that improves outcomes for students with disabilities. Outside of "Ombudsing", Mr. Grabowski enjoys exploring the great outdoors, training for his next long-distance running event, family bike rides, reading, and spending time in a hammock.

Participants will:

1.) Review discipline procedures relevant to students with disabilities
2.) Discuss the MDR process and apply this information to given scenarios
3.) Examine issues related to the MDR meeting in efforts to assist IEP/504 teams with navigating this complex topic

Target Audience: Special Educators, Administrators, School Board Office Personnel, School Psychologists, Section 504 Case Managers, Parent Resource Center Personnel, and General Educators.

Date: October 6th, 2026 

Time: 9:00 am-Noon

Cost: Free

Where: Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, One Partnership Cir, Abingdon, VA 24210

BREAKFAST SNACKS PROVIDED

If you have any questions about your registration, please contact T/TAC at VT at 1-800-848-2714. For questions about the program, please contact Jennifer Baldwin jebaldw3@vt.edu or Natalie Howard at NAH22@vt.edu.

We look forward to learning and growing together!