Banned from IEP/504 Meetings!!!

Do the parent want you in attendance? If so, the parents can request that you be there. Don't know how your supervisor will react. But as a parent, I certainly would suppot you!

This does not surprise me at all. I have recently found an advocate to work with me because I don't feel that I can trust the school or district. Even when you have someone on your side, they are pressured. I love my dd's teacher, but she is so young and new and impressionable by the special ed staff who is pressured by the district that I fear she could get caught in the middle. We are currently disputing the fact that I am removing my dd from school for private therapy. I told the teacher that I am working it out with the principal and that I did not want her to feel caught in the middle if anyone asks her if I am still taking her out of school.

And when we got to our meeting we could tell that the staff had already had some sort of a pre-meeting. Like, a meeting WITHOUT the parents to discuss where they stand on everything. I don't know if the general ed teacher is all that involved in that process, but I'm sure the resource specialist and the school psychologist is there as well as anyone else from the district.

To answer your question, yes the parents are supposed to be part of the team, but every suggestion I have ever made has been shot down. I would bet that if I had a suggestion that they liked, they would shoot that down too, just because they wouldn't want me to think that I am running the show. I have been put in my place on things, as has my private SLP who answers NOT to them, and my wrist has now been slapped for taking my dd out of school for private speech therapy, which has already shown to be helpful to her, because it doesn't coincide with their plans for sending her down the path of low expectations.

Good luck. All I can say is to keep advocating for your students because you have to look yourself in the mirror and you have to be able to sleep at night knowing what is best for your students. You know the students and their families better than anyone else at the school or district.

Kathryn

Just my honest opinions on how to help the student. Sometimes the district has their own agenda, and it's not always in the students best interest. Also, most parents don't even realize the kinds of things they can put in IEPs and 504 plans, so I'll suggest what I think would be helpful.

It's sad. I love working with my students. When I help a struggling child learn, or build a positive relationship with a defiant child, it makes it all worthwhile! But I hate being excluded from meetings, where my input could be helpful. I am so FRUSTRATED!!!! I don't know where to turn. Everything is so political, and I don't want to lose my job!

You were banned because you became a part of the problem and not the solution.

Always Wondering,

This is not too complicated to understand. Mermaid is an employee of a school district and her advocacy is an expectation to be afforded to her role as a public school employee. Should Mermaid wish to come into meetings and address matters that compete against her own interests as an employee, more power to her. I believe her longevity in her current role as member of that committee and even perhaps that school may be quite short lived. There is enough confusion as it is to sort out issues with parents and school districts of what they do and don't understand. But to have a member of the school staff to add to the dilemma becomes a practical problem that should never take place. A parent must ubderstand that every person around anIEP table is an advocate for the child. Public school personnel by and large are the largest advocate organization in the world.

So do I still think Mermaid is part of the problem?: yes. Would I remove her from future meeings?: yes, you betcha'.

DRHD