Please help. Our son is moving to high school next year, and we live in an area where the high school is a different district than K-8. We had our IEP meeting yesterday. The IEP was done on a laptop and we were handed the paperwork as we walked out. It had already been a 2.5 hour meeting, and I assumed that the Present Level of Performance, Goals, Criteria for mastery, etc would be similar to what is on my son’s current IEP.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. The IEP is a joke, and does not come close to properly reflecting my son’s deficits and needs.
While we signed an attendance page at the beginning of the meeting, we didn’t sign anything that indicated that we agreed with the IEP they gave us.
Can we reject this IEP? If so, what do we need to do, who do we need to contact, etc?
Thanks in advance for your help. LS
First off, you need to really read all the small print and make sure all you signed was attendance as you assume.
Then, regardless of whether or not the IEP was signed and agreed to, you need to get a well thought out letter, sent CERTIFIED MAIL, requesting receipt to be signed by the head of special ed, sent out pretty quickly.
Make sure you do not do any attacking or negative feedback, other than that you took the IEP home to review and approve, as you understood you only signed for attendance, and you have some questions regarding this document and your son’s new IEP.
Request, in writing (CERTIFIED), that you require a follow up IEP meeting to discuss the questions you have regarding this IEP and that this is crucial to your approval and signing the document. That you do not agree to the document as it is written, and you are very interested in having your son’s IEP made effective as soon as possible.
REQUEST THAT THE DISTRICT RESPOND TO YOU IN WRITING.
Do not get caught up with some beaurocrat calling your home at an odd hour like around dinner time, when your hands are full with family stuff, and getting caught off guard. They will ask what is wrong, and you will have a difficult time wording things at that time. Put your phone machine on and put all family members on notice to let the machine screen ALL CALLS.
If/when a district person calls your home, you can choose to e mail, fax, call back at a time that is appropriate for you and request that the district respond in writing to your letter, and advise you when you can meet again for your son’s IEP.
If they tell you that you signed and agreed, ask them to establish how that is the case; again, put it to you in writing.
You may even want to look into getting the help from an advocate if that is possible. Just to help things go smoother and take some of the heat off you guys.
Do not go into the next IEP meeting unprepared. Start researching the sites that will help you with the laws, your rights, your son’s rights and the district’s obligation to abide by the law. Sites like www.wrightslaw.com, www.edlaw.com, Sock’s site from this bb is another great one you need to spend time at and start brushing up on these things.
Then, when the next meeting is set up, go in prepared. With notes. With goals and items that you wish to have added onto the IEP. Request re-writing the areas you dispute and get everything in writing. This is a step ahead of what you need to address now.
Formulate your letter, review it again and again prior to sending it out certified. Keep all emotion out of it. Simply state you are not in agreement and wish to call another IEP meeting to address what you dispute (do not agree with). Keep it simple, truthful and respectful.
Start tracking it all with a binder, and keep all documents in chronological order. Again, once you send the letter, DO NOT ANSWER YOUR PHONE, LET THE PHONE MACHINE SCREEN ALL CALLS. Particularly at the odd hours, after you “think it’s safe”. You’ll be amazed.
Good luck and keep your wits about yourselves.
Andy