- You are a team member, and an important one.
- Your school district will most likely appreciate you advocating for your child.
- If you have concerns, let the school know.
If your
child has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), you should be informed on a
quarterly basis about the progress your child is making on the goals/objectives
in the plan. These updates are usually sent at report card time.
If you
notice your child is not progressing as the school providers thought, it is
your right to ask the reason. Most school districts appreciate any concern a
parent has regarding a student. As a parent, you are also your child’s
advocate, and the best advocate possible.
The
procedural safeguards, sometimes referred to as “Parent Rights,” state parents are a team member. If you or any team
member notice a trend in a lack of progress with your child, it is appropriate
for you or the team member to ask for a re-evaluation. There is a set number of
days by which the school district must reply to your request. Check the
procedural safeguards for this information.
If the
district agrees to an evaluation, there is also a set number of days by which they
must complete the re-evaluation. Your procedural safeguards will also tell you
the process to follow if there is disagreement between you and the school
district.
While the
various members of the IEP team are experts in their respective fields, you are
an expert, too; an expert parent to your
child.
Communication
and “team” are key.
