Starting the new school year....frustrated again!

School personnel are often overloaded, and verbal requests are easy to postpone. Written requests are much more likely to be acted upon in a timely manner.

I wouldn’t wait a week. I’d write a letter to the coordinator of special ed, saying you just want to recap your telephone conversation saying that your understanding is that a meeting will take place in the coming week (or whatever you can fit in to what you discussed on the phone. If that wasn’t discussed, add that the meeting needs to take place in such-and-such a week in order for your daughter’s needs to be met in the coming school year). Copy it to the principal and your daughter’s homeroom teacher.

The issue is not one of politeness. Sometimes parents need to be politely assertive, not politely courteous. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Mary

I’d like to second Mary’s suggestions. Put your request in writing and hand-deliver it to the school on Tuesday. (Have a second copy for yourself so that you can witness them stamping both copies RECEIVED…just in case you need the documentation at some time in the future.)

504 plans are difficult for schools….they don’t fall under special education law and are usually monitored by someone from a more general education orientation.

Despite the best intentions at the time the plan is written, in my experience (as the parent of a child with a 504 plan and a sped teacher), you need to assume that you must act as the case manager in order to get things done in a time frame that meets your child’s needs.

No, it’s not the way it’s supposed to work, but my child’s needs have to come first. I’ve learned to gently remind my child’s school as soon as preplaning begins.

The letter should be totally polite and professional. Really, the only way you’re going to be *able* to be polite is if you are also assertive because you’re acting polite now while you’re getting more and more frustrated. This way you’re much less likely to get put on a back burner while all their pots that are boiling over have them dashing back and forth; and if you do, you’ve got documentation that the sped person’s slacking off. Try something like “I appreciate you taking the time to speak to you on the phone last Friday in the midst of this busy time just before school starts. {Optional: I regret that we were unable to schedule a meeting at that time because you did not have my daughter’s case manager’s name available.} I would like to schedule a meeting with you and my daughter’s case manager on/by X date (whatever works) at your convenience so that we can revise her 504 plan, as Mrs. Toobusy was unable to meet with me last year. Please let me know by Y date (tomorrow?) when we can meet. Also, at your earliest convenience, please inform me who my duaghter’s case manager is, as my daughter will already have started school before we can meet, and I would like to have her accommodations in place and her needs met without further delay.”

I was wearing a path like a revolving door at my child’s middle school last week. It took me 3 DAYS of going in every day to make sure that they had her IEP and class schedule ready for orientation. Well…they first needed proof of shots…I gave those to them on Friday but somehow between Friday and Tuesday they lost them… I blew a gasket…they said she was on the computer, then they say she isn’t on the computer…then said they couldn’t find her cummulative file…I told them NO way I saw it in June…you just better find the big black hole that it is buried in…I put in writing what I wanted back in the IEP in June and they hadn’t done anything. I again put my requests in writing, called the RSP teacher from last year and asked her to help them find the cummulative file. I was so MAD….but I was teasing mad with the…..I used to work there and I told them….I know about the bubble gum, bandaids and rubber-bands that keep this place together… By Wednesday, which was the orientation the RSP teacher from last year went in to help them and they had it all amazingly straightened out….GEE Whiz, my daughter has some really great teachers and I am still keeping my hawk eye on the few that I don’t know about and if they aren’t up to snuff she will be out of there and into another class so fast…

Sure keeps us on our toes….but our kids are worth it!

I out mine in writing and meailed and snail mailed them. I also followed with a phone call confirming receipt of the email. That way they were received earlier and there were 2 written requests, along with an email receipt.

Excuse me that was PUT a-and EMAILED. I am tired!!!