10 Surefire Ways to Make Your IEP Meeting an Utter Fiasco

Here are 10 actions parents can take that would likely lead to a less productive meeting:

 

1.     Arrive Late: Show up to the meeting without regard to the scheduled start time, disrupting the proceedings and potentially missing crucial information.

2.     Skip Homework: Don't review your child's current IEP or progress reports before the meeting, leaving you unprepared to discuss their needs and progress.

3.     Ignore Participation: Don't provide any input or ask any questions during the meeting. Remember, your voice is essential in shaping the IEP.

4.     Bypass Communication: Don't establish a relationship with your child's teachers or therapists, which can make it difficult to understand and discuss your child's progress.

5.     Keep Your Concerns to Yourself: If you have concerns about your child's education, don't share them. This will prevent your team from addressing them in the IEP.

6.     Don't Follow the Jargon: Do not ask for clarification if professionals use educational jargon or technical terms you're unfamiliar with.

7.     Forget the Documents: Leave any important documents, assessments, or reports at home.

8.     Become Overly Emotional: Allow emotions to overshadow the discussion, leading to potential conflict or miscommunication.

9.     Neglect the Long-Term Vision: Forget about the long-term goals for your child and focus solely on the here and now.

10.  Avoid Follow-Up: After the meeting, don't read the finalized IEP document, don't check to see if the plan is being implemented, and don't stay in touch with the IEP team.

 

     Remember, these are things you want to avoid. Doing these things could lead to an unproductive IEP meeting. 

Student Records - Why we keep them!

Maintaining an organized record of your child's academic and related activities can be beneficial for several reasons, including:

1.     Historical Reference: Having a record of your child's progress over the years can help you and educators identify trends, improvements, challenges, and potential issues that may need to be addressed. This is particularly important if your child has any special educational needs.

2.     Development of IEP or 504 Plan: If your child has or may require an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan, having a well-documented history of their academic performance, behavior, and any previous evaluations or services can support the development and modification of these plans.

3.     Resolving Disputes: If disagreements arise between you and the school regarding your child's education or services, having clear records can be crucial. This could be related to your child's special education needs, disciplinary issues, or discrepancies in reported grades or achievements.

4.     Transitions: If your child changes schools, the academic records will provide a history of their learning experience, special education services (if any), and achievements. This can be useful to new teachers or special education teams in understanding and meeting your child's needs.

5.     College Applications: For high school students, having an organized record of academic performance, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and awards can be very beneficial when it comes to college applications.

6.     Adult Services and government benefits: You will need records if you apply for adult services or programs, and government benefits. 

7.     Evaluations and Medical Records: Keeping copies of these documents can be useful when making educational decisions or planning for accommodations.

 

     Remember, it's important not only to keep these records but also to review them regularly to track your child's progress and to be proactive in addressing any potential issues.

     Here is a template you can use to request your child’s records.

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[City, State ZIP Code]

[Date]

 

[School Name]

[Address]

[City, State ZIP Code]

 

 

Re: Request for Records

 

Dear [School Official],

 

I am writing to request access to my child's education records, as provided for by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, and its implementing regulations, 34 C.F.R. Part 99, and as also provided by IDEA 2004, and relevant state laws.

 

Please provide copies of the following records for my child, [Child's Name], who is currently enrolled at [School Name]:

 

All records, including by not limited to: Academic records, including report cards, transcripts, and standardized test scores; Disciplinary records, including any records related to suspensions or expulsions; Health records, including immunization records and records of any medical treatment provided at school; Special education records, including any records related to evaluations, IEPs, or other special education services; any correspondence retained between myself and the school officials; any correspondence written between school personnel regarding my child including emails; any document that is personally identifiable to my child. 

 

Please let me know if there are any fees associated with this request, and if so, please provide an estimate of the cost. I do not expect any costs. I prefer electronic records. 

 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Sincerely,

 

[Your Name]