Parent Information Center of New Jersey, Inc.

The first parent information center in the United States was founded in 1977 by Marilyn Arons because of Melody’s unmet needs. Originally a local parent organization, it became a nationally recognized parent advocacy and training center by the early 80s. Its history can be found at www.marilynsuearons.com. Beginning as a publishing organization of parents and professionals who had children with disabilities, PIC evolved into a unique national model that utilized nonlawyers to represent parents in special education due process hearings. This impetus originated when Dr. and Mrs. Arons took Teaneck to due process in 1976 as a result of the school district’s refusal to provide Melody with the services her parents believed she needed. They won that hearing and the news soon spread. More and more parents came to them for help and PIC was born. It continued without a break until July 31, 2007, when the Board of Trustees dissolved the corporation.

The work of PIC and its sources of funding were reviewed by the United States Supreme Court three separate times, 1987, 2002 and 2006. In 2006 the Arlington Central SchoolDistrict versus Pearl and Theodore Murphy was argued before the court and a 6-3 ruling published. Up until that time PIC consultants could be paid by school districts as experts for nontrial time in a hearing when parents won their cases. After the Arlington decision, consultants were no longer paid by school districts through prevailing party fees in special education litigation. The impact of this decision, and the failure of Congress to provide clear language relating to prevailing party fees in the 2004 IDEA reauthorization, deprived PIC of the necessary funds to fulfill its mission of accurate information dissemination, parent training, advocacy and representational services without regard to cost to parents and children. Its 30-year history and the 30,000 children it helped are fitting legacies for the men and women of PIC who gave of their time and talent for three decades.