In Tips

Missed Some Tips? Click HERE to access the full list of past Tips.

Print

Rochelle’s Special Education Tips

Will This Meeting Ever End?

Whatever happened to the one hour IEP meeting? Why are IEP team meetings taking up an entire morning or afternoon? It is obvious that the losers are the children. Plus, how effective is the team after sitting and debating for hours? Sometimes people will sit for hours without even taking a break. Often, these long meetings are connected with advocates pushing an agenda. Or more often, the parents or advocates are teasing out every nuance in every Present Level or goal or objective. What to do? Set an ending time for the meeting. A two hour meeting is long enough. Learn to say, “We have heard and considered your concerns, but a decision has to be made. The goal is going to read, _____. We will note your disagreement in the Prior Written Notice.” Have a written agenda distributed to the meeting participants. If you are dealing with parties who digress or enjoy debating, not only have the written agenda distributed to all team members, but post the agenda on an easel or blackboard so you can point to it when people go off topic.

Rochelle’s Special Education Tips (“Tips”) are designed to be helpful and thought provoking, but should not be considered legal advice as they may not be accurate for use in all situations. Tips are based on my opinions and positions in accordance with federal and Maryland law and my over 35 years of experience in the special education legal field. – Rochelle S. Eisenberg, Esquire
Copyright © 2017 Pessin Katz Law, P.A. All rights reserved.
Tips may be reproduced for distribution within the educational institution, the individual school or school system and is for use by their staff. Additional distribution must be approved by author.
If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, please e-mail Rochelle S. Eisenberg at reisenberg@pklaw.com, put “unsubscribe” in the subject line and your name will be removed.
10500 Little Patuxent Parkway
Suite 650
Columbia, MD 21044
410-938-8800
information@pklaw.com
www.pklaw.com
[wpmlunsubscribe]