Just had the most frustrating IEP re-eval meeting. Although, the school agrees that my 8th grade son has a language-based learning disability, in MA to qualify for an IEP he must also demonstrate that he is NOT making effective progress without support.
The team told me that my son is making effective progress (got As, Bs and a C+) so he didn’t qualify for SPED. It took an additional 45 minutes for me to convince them that the only reason he is making “effective progress” is because he receives 7 periods of learning center support during a six day cycle and 2 reading support periods a week. Plus all the support that I give him at home!
They were ready to pull all that and leave him to flounder. And here I thought I was attending a meeting to write the IEP! Two hours later, all we had to show for it was their agreement that yes, he does qualify for an IEP! Another meeting is scheduled for next week. Why do they make it so difficult? It doesn’t HAVE to be adversarial!
{{{hugs}}} Hope you have an exercise bike and can channel out the frustration healthy-like ;)
Schools do get this strange mind-set that they have to have “cured” as many LDs as possible — gotta keep life simple (or, as my math teacher would say, “simple things for simple minds”).
Sometimes it can really help to find even a single like-minded soul at the school. If it’s a teacher s/he may be hard put to give really vocal support at meetings (but, having been in that place, there are other ways we can give support too even if they’ll be whacking us under the table if we act like maybe we should focus on teaching the kids, not just getting the paperwork legalities covered).
Sometimes, alas, the school folks know taht what they’ve got to offer in the way of help really isn’t what a bright LD kid needs. They can’t come out and say that, though ;( What kinds of classes is he in? What are his goals for HS?