May I legally disagree at an IEP meeting concerning placement of a student in a particular career technical course (vocational)? I thought this was one of the purposes of the IEP meeting. I am a career tech. teacher who disagreed at an IEP meeting with the plan of a particular student. I thought that I could go on record with me disagreeing, but that the student could still be placed in my program if the majority of the IEP group thought the student should be in my program. Please let me know what are the do’s and don’ts concerning this. Thanks.
Re: IEP Meetings
The student was not placed in my program but I am afraid that hard feelings were developed because of this. Higher-ups (supervisor, principal, and supt.)were notified that some (I guess me) career tech teachers were being difficult.
I feel really hurt that others may think that I am being difficult when I was only looking at the better interest of the student, in my opinion. The whole situation has left me feeling sort of depressed and a big dread with the next IEP meeting!
Re: IEP Meetings
That can happen and it is unfortunate. It is part of the risk you take when you speak out. It doesn’t sound as though you are uncomfortable with your decision though since you don’t give particulars- and you surely don’t need to here. Obviously, given that the placement wasn’t made, you must have convinced the team that your reasons were good. It is a team decision- one person should not have the power to negate the combined power of the team. You do not have sole power of refusal. Nor does any other member of the team have the power to force a decision the other way- though it frequently seems as though they might. As for the hard feelings- well- adminstrators/casemanagers/teachers are human and while it is certainly unprofessional to “notify” adminstration about “difficult” teachers, if you were doing the right thing then the only person who is going to be hurt by that sort of backbiting in the long run is the one doing the biting. Good luck…
Robin
Re: IEP Meetings
I agree! Did you add your “professional judgement” as an addendum tot he IEP so your judgement was in writing and there for evrybody to see and read? Sometimes that is a good safeguard to hurt feelings because it is written in the form of professionalism and in the best interest of the student. An IEP should not be any one (or two) persons soul forum. If you were thinking of the child’s needs first and foremost and did not think he would be best served in that setting than kudos for you for standing up for what you believe. Don’t worry, the others will soon get over it!! Good luck! Gayle
Re: IEP Meetings
As far as I know, that is the way it should work. Any member of the team is allowed to disagree with the recommendations of the team. So… what happened?
Robin
Re: IEP Meetings
The student was not placed in my program but I am afraid that hard feelings were developed because of this. Higher-ups (supervisor, principal, and supt.)were notified that some (I guess me) career tech teachers were being difficult.
I feel really hurt that others may think that I am being difficult when I was only looking at the better interest of the student, in my opinion. The whole situation has left me feeling sort of depressed and a big dread with the next IEP meeting!
Re: IEP Meetings
That can happen and it is unfortunate. It is part of the risk you take when you speak out. It doesn’t sound as though you are uncomfortable with your decision though since you don’t give particulars- and you surely don’t need to here. Obviously, given that the placement wasn’t made, you must have convinced the team that your reasons were good. It is a team decision- one person should not have the power to negate the combined power of the team. You do not have sole power of refusal. Nor does any other member of the team have the power to force a decision the other way- though it frequently seems as though they might. As for the hard feelings- well- adminstrators/casemanagers/teachers are human and while it is certainly unprofessional to “notify” adminstration about “difficult” teachers, if you were doing the right thing then the only person who is going to be hurt by that sort of backbiting in the long run is the one doing the biting. Good luck…
Robin
Re: IEP Meetings
I agree! Did you add your “professional judgement” as an addendum tot he IEP so your judgement was in writing and there for evrybody to see and read? Sometimes that is a good safeguard to hurt feelings because it is written in the form of professionalism and in the best interest of the student. An IEP should not be any one (or two) persons soul forum. If you were thinking of the child’s needs first and foremost and did not think he would be best served in that setting than kudos for you for standing up for what you believe. Don’t worry, the others will soon get over it!! Good luck! Gayle
As far as I know, that is the way it should work. Any member of the team is allowed to disagree with the recommendations of the team. So… what happened?
Robin