Re: time to get tough I think

September 9, 2006

:

One thing I'd include in your letter is your observations from the day you

observed. State that you appreciate a parent who wants to be involved and

insure their child's needs are being met; however, you as a parent of another

child in the same room cannot condone a parent interfering with your child's

education.

Most school systems will allow parents to observe and/or volunteer, but

almost all of the 'policies' I've seen or heard about insist that the parents

not

interfere with the staff, their teaching and/or the students and their

learning. From what you have described she is doing all of the above! Your

observations will point that out. You could also end your letter with a

statement

that basically says if this parent cannot abide by the 'rules' of

observations and continues to interfere with your child's teacher/aide or

learning you

will be force to request a modification to your daughter's IEP that forbids

this particular parent from being in the RSP when your child is there to learn.

Good luck!

Cari

(Oh, I had a RSP teacher try to tell me I needed written permission from

every child's parent to visit her classroom {the school system was pushing to

place my son there} supposedly due to HIPPA. I contacted the state BOE and was

told no that was not the state policy; however, each county could set a

policy. I then checked with our county and that was not case. Yes, they req

uested I make an appointment to view the classroom but permission from other

parents was not required. My feeling is this spring I will call the various

options of schools and make an appointment with the principal to visit and then

request permission to observe the suggested placement sometime during the week

(not give an exact day).)

September 9, 2006

The privacy issue is covered somewhat under FERPA (see other letter) -

pertaining to " educational records " . It got invoked in our district a few years

ago such that parents can't help teachers with grading anymore. However, there

is nothing about a parent generally observing a class that is necessarily a

" privacy " issue.

HOWEVER --

Since your child is in Spec Ed, I'ld make a pitch that the disruptive

parent's activities in the classroom are interfering with your daughter's

access to

a Free and Appropriate Public Education, since the teacher can't deliver

instruction when distracted by the excessive demands of the other parent.

As for Principal saying she is " working on it, and has already alerted

someone at district level " - our district has procedures for severely limiting a

parent's access to a school when parent is interfering with instruction or

otherwise considered a problem. (I know an activist parent who had a restraining

order issued against her...). No doubt your district has a policy/procedure

for roping in out-of-control parents.

From the way you describe mom, I suspect she has some kind of issues

herself. I' ve know a couple of parents who got so fixated on their kids issues

as

to have an unhealthy compulsion. They didn't want help or insight on how to

work effectively for change, they just wanted the personal attention that came

with making a ruckus over the injustice they perceived was being done to their

kids.

Good luck!

- Becky

In a message dated 9/9/2006 9:04:31 PM Eastern Standard Time,

leslie-kerrigan@... writes:

Does IDEA give any privacy protections anywhere? What can I do/say to

keep her out of there (at least when is there....... they'll

have to fight there own battles otherwise, LOL)?

September 9, 2006

Hi-

What is a PITA mom? And what is an RSP teacher? Thank you,

Dawn

CMancari@... wrote: