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Some Prepandemic Reminders For Normal Times

By: Rochelle Eisenberg, PK Law Attorney 

Slowly but surely, we are getting back to normal. “Normal” includes making the same mistakes as before. For instance:

When a private assessment report indicates the presence of a Specific Learning Disability, do not ignore it. If need be, do your own testing. But if you ignore the private findings without doing any testing, and the student remains behind in reading, math, or writing, then you risk losing a due process hearing for failure to address the SLD.

Always have a general educator at the meeting. This is true for IEP and 504 meetings. While schools are short-staffed, you can always bring in the general educator for a few minutes and then ask permission for the general educator to be excused.

If you are meeting on a 504 Plan due to a student’s health issue, have the school nurse at the meeting. Just as with the general educator, the nurse needs to be in the Health Room and not in the meeting, so bring her into the meeting and then ask permission for her to be excused.

Get those 5-day documents out in time.

Please do not call the parents “Mom” and “Dad.” Many people view that as disrespectful. They are not your Mom and Dad. Call them Mr. Smith and Ms. Smith.

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