Please help!
Today was parent/teacher conference day for my ninth grade son who is on an IEP for a language based learning disability. He is supposed to have access to the curriculum in a digital format so that he can use technology to help him with reading his textbook and for all homework, tests and quizzes. I have spoken to the high school to ensure that this was being done.
Well, today his social studies teacher showed me my son’s grades for the quarter (there were at least 20 of them for different assignments). He had nine A+s for various work - essays, map quizzes, etc. He also had one F, 4 Ds and 1 C on his book quizzes and chapter tests - I didn’t know about these scores at all. The one C he received was when the learning center teacher read him the test.
This is the first time that it was confirmed to me that first of all, my son requires the technology to help him access the text and secondly, that the school has failed my son by failing to comply with his IEP.
All his teachers reported that he is a great student, ALWAYS passes in him homework, quiet in class but they all like him.
What are my options at this point? The quarter ends on Friday. I believe that the grade that he receives doesn’t truly reflect what he has done this quarter but reflects the school’s failure. Do I have any recourse?
(I will post this in the parenting section as well)
Well, first you can go to the principal and see what he/she has to say about this. Then you can go to the special education coordinator for your school system or the superintendent of education with your concerns. If you still don’t receive any satisfaction, you can then file a formal complaint against the school alleging that they have broken his IEP with your state board of education.
We went through this process last year with my 13yo son. If you have to go all the way to the state level they are much more apt to act quickly if you have followed the chain of command to complain even though it seems like it takes forever. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is going to be a lot you can do about getting his grades changed unless you reach an agreement with the school system to let him redo the assignments within the parameters of his IEP and to change the grades to those results.
Good luck! I’m sure there will be many more people with other ideas as to how you can proceed along soon.