David Bateman

David F. Bateman is a principal researcher at AIR, and co-principal investigator of LEAD-IDEA, the OSEP funded training center focusing on principals and special education. He also works on program reviews for AIR. He is a former professor at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Educational Leadership and Special Education where he taught courses on special education law, assessment, and IEP implementation/development. He is also a former due process hearing officer for Pennsylvania for over 580 hearings. He uses his knowledge of litigation relating to special education to assist school districts in providing appropriate supports for students with disabilities and to prevent and to recover from due process hearings.

Dr. Bateman has been a classroom teacher of students with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, intellectual disability, and hearing impairments. He has recently co-authored the following books: A Principal’s Guide to Special Education (4th ed.), Developing Educational Meaningful and Legally Sound IEPs, and Current Trends and Issues in Special Education, A Teacher’s Guide to Special Education, Special Education Law Case Studies, and Special Education Leadership: Building Effective Programming in Schools. He was recently co-editor of a special issue of TEACHING Exceptional Children focusing on legally proficient IEPs. He is also co-editor of the new Special Education Law and Policy Series for Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.

Since 2020 Dr. Bateman has been involved in 115 due process hearings. During COVID he led the Pennsylvania Department of Education monthly presentations on working with students with disabilities in virtual environments. He also works with multiple state education agencies on system-wide change, including working as the neutral fact-finder in the class-action lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Education.