i was floored when i saw my son's IEP!?

Question

my son is now in the 8th grade. i had his iep last june at the end of the 7th grade yr. well they couldn't print it at the meeting for some reason and said they would mail it to me. well i never got it. so i waited for school to start again and requested it from the spec ed secretary. i got 9/12/07.
i compaired the 7th and 8th grade ieps and it looks like they just used 7th's as a template and added a few paragraphs. it says he is still reading at the same level (same book, same section) there are 2 paragraphs that say the exact same thing but one says he is at a 4th/5th gr reading level and the says he is at 5th/6th gr reading level. the iep is horrible written.
then the other thing is, my son was put back on meds in may. we had the iep in june. but the iep says i refuse to put him on meds. (it makes no sense) it goes on and on how i will not go to the school during school hours, which is a lie, i work 4 block away and i always tell them to schedule things around my

lunch hour. im always there in 5 min if they need me. bottom line they are bad mouthing me and my son, and the iep is all screwed up!
who should i take this to? the principal or the superintendant of schools?
im affraid they will retaliate against us if i complain.

Answer 1

I am wondering if you signed the new IEP?? You should always get a full copy of the new IEP and read it before signing. If you have not signed it yet, then you can refuse to do so and demand a meeting to address the issues you can and get corrections in place. If you have signed it, you can file a complaint and ask for an immediate reveiw to be done to address the concerns. I can't stress to parents enough...never , ever wait more than a few days for a copy of an IEP. If you don't have it in your hand when you leave that meeting, call the school the next day to pick it up. If they say they sent it out and you don't have it within five days, call them and demand they have it ready at the office that afternoon...period. Waiting though the summer lost some valuable time.

Now it is not unusal for schools to have "canned" IEP comments...they use the same comments and adjust for grade levels and for new goals. However, no two IEPS should be identical except for comments here or there. Schools should also do their best to accomodate to your schedule, but they may have made comments if you refused several offered dates or had to reschedule frequently. Now why that is in the IEP am not sure...is it possible those are copies of the meeting notes bundled up with the IEP? You should get copies of notes as well, so that is possible.

Contact the school and get another meeting schedule immediately. Keep track of the time limits they have for setting it up...look in the copy of parent's rights you should have gotten..and keep on them to be sure they meet it. Good luck.

Answer 2

Don't be upset. As Teacher, I tell my students, there are no problems,just opportunities. Unfortunately not all teachers do well with special needs students. I am so sorry his teacher is acting this way. However, look at this as an opportunity. As articulated earlier (and quite well) there are certain things in place to help you out here. The teacher cannot legally hold your child back as he has an IEP. The IEP involves, you, your son, his Special Ed Teacher, The Speech Pathologist, his Reg. Ed Teacher and an administrator. You all have to agree to the goals and objectives on his IEP. Now you can call a meeting anytime during the year. This is what I recommend as a teacher. First have a friendly talk with his teacher. Maybe she is new to the profession and is learning the ropes. Maybe she just doesn't get it. It's good to b gentle with this conversation. So she says something to trigger your emotions. Don't yell, politely end the conversation and move up to the Special Needs Teacher. I'm sure if you voice your concern, he/she will address it. If it still continues, ask to have an IEP meeting, they can't refuse you by law. I really don't think it will get this far. If it needs to go further, you contact your local Dept. or Board of Education and register a complaint. Again, I really don't think it will get to this point. As a teacher, I find that most worries and conflicts can be solved via communication between parties. I have the greatest faith that this can be resolved easily, quickly and friendly. Good luck and God bless.

Answer 3

Don't go to the Principal that's not where the IEP's are drawn up. They are drawn up at the Special Education Office of your school board. You need to either go there or call there and let them know that you won't sign it. But know this if you don't sign it they will have to use last years until a new one is written up. Than I would request another IEP meeting ASAP and let them know that you're not happy with the way that things were done and that you except them to be done better the next time. You need to make sure that when you have the meeting that you make notes so that if what was said was not written on the new one you have proof of what was said at the meeting. You also need to get your attorney on board just in case you need him to rattle the cage a little. But request a new IEP meeting now and tell them you want it before the Columbus day off. That gives them about 3 weeks.

Answer 4

Who attended the iep meeting? When my kids were in speech they had to write ieps. I know I had to sign it, the speech teacher had to sign it, the regular teacher had to sign it and an administrator. I think when my oldest daughter joined the TAG program that iep came from the county level. If I were you I think I would try to find the highest ranking person on the iep, whether that be the principal or someone from the county level. Call and set up an appointment to go over what is written on the iep. Take a note from the doctor showing that your son started the meds in May. It might be beneficial to have your son's teacher in the meeting also. Just show them the information that you don't agree with and ask that it be rewritten. If you can't get the school to do anything then go to the county level. Remember, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the oil.

Answer 5

Request a new IEP, given the reasons that you mentioned. Don't take no for an answer.

Don't worry about complaining. You have most of the power in the situation. The way you complain will make a difference as to whether you are heard the first time. Be firm and insistent as opposed to being angry and demanding.

If they refuse to write a new IEP, then it is time to go to the principal. Then go to the superintendent. If nothing works, file a complaint with your state's Department of Education.

Finally, read the Parent's Rights that should have been given to you at each meeting. That will help you structure your complaint. If they have not given one of these to you, that in and of itself is a cause for complaint that will cost the school district money. Remember though, that any money the school district loses results in less money for children.

Answer 6

Meds for what? I am guessing ADD or ADHD. My 14year old son is ADD. We have not had him on meds and he is flunking everything! I would write a very detailed letter. Explaining that you do not appriciate being treated like this. The school has gotten way too full of them selves. You are a working mom and SO ARE THEY! I would lay out exactly what you want to change. Like
" I expect my son and myself to be treated with respect at all times. I want the iep (im not sure what that is exactly) to reflect the truth re; all aspects of my child including medications"
I would include a note from your Dr. stating when meds started I would personally hand deliver a copy to the special ed sec, the principal, the PTA president and the board of education. Mention pulling him out and homeschooling him. They loose federal and state money if you do. Don't back down. They do not have to be your friend but they DO have to treat you and your son with respect and dignity. Be as professional as possible (hard for me i'd be in their faces) and make them be the same.

Answer 7

YOU have all the rights. Do not sign it and contact the Special Ed teacher and request a meeting, this is a thing they MUST do. Have them explain the IEP to you and their rationale. In the end, it is YOU and your SON who must be satisfied with what is going on with your son's education. Try and be nice and if you do not get satisfaction within the school and the district, contact the Dept. of Education in your state, they can help you seek advocacy and they do take these things very seriously. I do not know both sides of this situation, but generally speaking, parents have all the power when it comes to their children who receive services....keep that in mind.

Answer 8

Do you have a copy of your parental rights? If not you may be able to download from your district website under special ed. Or call the district SPED office and get them to send you another copy. On it it should have the contact numbers who to call. Take this one above the principal.
States may vary but it is obvious they screwed up. Call another IEP to amend the errors.Take someone with you to the next IEP to listen objectively

Answer 9

What you may want to do is request and IEP update, submit the "changes" in writing, like meds, etc. It may be that they wrote the plan a few weeks ahead of time and didnt include the new info. This way, you dont put blame on anyone but get what you want.

Answer 10

I would take it up with a program specialist or program coordinator for the special education department. If your district doesn't have one of those go to the director of special education. In addition you can call a new IEP. The district should schedule one 30 days after parent request is made, and if you feel their assessment of your child is incomplete or inaccurate you can request a full re-assessment of your child's present level of functioning. Also if you feel your child is not making adequate progress you should state that also.
www.wrightslaw.com has great information on advocating for your child and using the right legal language to make the school sit up and take notice.