Guest guest Posted April 2, 2003 Report Share Posted April 2, 2003 Dear Melinda, I'm not insulted that I sound like your mother. I think part of the problem is not that you're asking too much, but that you're asking for it too tentatively. Your expectations are perfectly reasonable. It is the principal and the teachers who are uninformed, and who are trying to convince you that 's problems are your fault (because they don't know how to solve them). In this situation, I think there is something to be said for not being so polite as you have been so far, and for showing them just how irritated and angry you are. The difficult part is that you have to do this civilly, without screaming or crying. You could say something like, " I can't believe that this is still a problem after all this time. My son has a disability which is not being properly understood by his teacher, and he is not receiving the accommodations he is entitled to under federal law. Under the IDEA, he cannot be punished for behaviors which are the result of his disability. The school is obligated to deal with them by using a positive behavior plan, and I am willing to work with you on figuring out what this plan needs to include in order to be effective. When can we sit down together and talk about it? " If they suggest waiting until his IEP meeting, you can either agree, or say that you need to have a meeting before that. I wouldn't be above subtly threatening legal action if you don't get results within a reasonable time. But you have to be willing to follow through on that if they call your bluff. If you don't want to use a threat you can't follow through on, then you will have to use the tried and true method of just hammering away until they get your message. They have to know that they can't get rid of you by citing rules and regulations. You can cite regulations from the IDEA right back at them. As for the idea of letting the teacher know ahead of time when you'll be coming so that she can plan " appropriate activities, " the whole point of your visit would be to see what a typical school day looks like, not how things work when the teacher has had time to set up a perfect situation. That would make whatever observing you did completely invalid! Don't give up! We are all behind you! Jill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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