Missed Some Tips? Click HERE to access the full list of past Tips.
Rochelle’s Special Education Tips
The Games People Play
Scheduling IEP Team Meetings and Sending Home 5-Day Documents
IEP teams need to stay in control of the scheduling of IEP team meetings. When meetings have to be scheduled by a certain date, forward the Notice ASAP. Give yourself time to reschedule with 10 days’ notice if the parent asks for a different date or cancels. Or if weather interferes. As soon as you learn that the meeting will need to be rescheduled, reschedule. Write on top of the second (or third) Notice-“Rescheduled at request of (name of parent).”
If you are dealing with parents who claim not to receive Notices or who lose documents, send the Notice using two (2) forms of delivery, such as e-mail and First Class Mail or Certified Mail.
When you send home 5-day documents, list the documents in the cover letter. You should have a boilerplate form letter for this purpose. This will help to avoid accusations that you did not send home the documents.
Most parents request that IEP team meetings be rescheduled for legitimate reasons and most open their mail and do not lose confidential documents. A minority operate differently. You must be prepared to deal with the minority as your regular way of doing business.
