What I found out....

[Guest guest]

Question for everyone....

How many of you with IEP's for your children, have ever been told that the

signature page that signifies ATTENDANCE will be also used to signify AGREEMENT?

Or... how many of you have been told that " there doesn't need to be a signature

page for team agreement. " ? Seems to me, that this is an issue for me. Quite

possibly, this will become a nationwide issue, because most LEA's don't know

what the laws are surrounding this sort of thing. I was initially told that we

would use the SAME page for BOTH purposes.

Three " professional educators " today, in my child's school, did not have an

answer to this situation. Sad, very sad. Aren't they supposed to know the

procedures regarding IEP's?

I made some phone calls today and ended up talking to someone down in Washington

DC about this very issue. I spoke to an Education specialist with Congressman

Platts office. The woman seems to take the position that a signature page for

agreement, is required - this ensures that the IEP is properly implemented and

enforceable. After spending a significant amount of time with the person on

the phone, she is going to get some research done to see if there is any

provision anywhere in IDEA that calls for the signatures of all IEP team members

to sign an acknowledgement of agreement. I also said to her, if there isn't

any provision, then this makes every single IEP in the United States null and

void because of the lack of an agreement signature page. I also said to her

that if this proves to be the case, then our legislators need to call an

emergency session to make an amendment to IDEA to have this requirement

implemented into IDEA. From my understanding, an IEP is a Legally binding

" contract " . So, going on this - anytime someone has a legally binding contract

for whatever, it's usually signed, thus making it legal. No agreement signature

for and IEP makes the contents of the IEP null and void.

I am having this issue with my child's school. I have been told that there is

NO signature page for agreement and that there isn't one needed. What an

insult. The woman in Congressman's Platts office in DC is sending me copies of

the 2004 CFR as well as a copy of IDEA itself. I have a formal IEP meeting

scheduled for November 1st. I plan on letting them know that they are in

violation of IDEA regulations and that everyone MUST sign a signature page

indicating agreement with my child's IEP. The School District will also be

hearing about this as well.

For those that wish, I can keep you posted. Whether or not our children are in

inclusion, this is a situation we all need to be aware of.

Judi

[Guest guest]

Judi: I forwarded your email to a friend of mine who is an advocate for

kids with special needs. Here is her response.....

Liz

> If the placement changes or the IEP changes so significantly that it is

> effectively a placement change then the school must issue a notice of

> recommended placement (NOREP), if not then the parent should request a

> NOREP, that is when they have the opportunity to disagree, otherwise the

> previous placement and IEP remains in place, which from the initial

> placement an agreement must be signed.

>

> Colleen

>

>

> Re: What I found out....

>>

>>

>>> Well, I received an email from the woman that I spoke with in DC today.

>>> She

>>> did some research and there isn't anything anywhere either in IDEA or

>>> the

>>> CFR that specifically states that team members or parents MUST sign an

>>> agreement sheet indicating they either agree or disagree with the

>>> contents

>>> of the IEP. This is scary because by NOT having to sign anything other

>>> than

>>> the attendance sheet, it pretty much leaves it up to the school to

>>> determine

>>> whether or not they comply with the IEP. Serious accountability issues

>>> here

>>> if you ask me. And the fact that my school district does not require

>>> signatures of this kind, really makes my blood boil. I'm quite sure

>>> there

>>> are other states that DO have a sheet that gets signed by parents and

>>> other

>>> IEP team members to signify agreement (or disagreement), but so far, not

>>> here and not on a federal level.

>>>

>>> If someone knows more than I do and can specifically point out the

>>> requirement for this within the contents of IDEA or the CFR, please let

>>> me

>>> know. Thanks!

>>>

>>> Judi

>>>

>>>

>>>

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