We’ve heard schools districts say all sorts of interesting things. Here’s a list of the most common special education myths we’ve come across.
“We can’t provide individual instruction for your student. We would like to, but . . .”
A school principal once said this when I was both present and recording the meeting. I can let some things slide, but this is not one of them. Saying you cannot provide individualized instruction for a student with an IEP is just plain wrong. The “I” in IEP stands for “individualized.”
“We want to put your child in Special Day Class to learn how to focus and then put him back in regular education.”
Uh, no. How does a child learn how to effectively participate in regular education by spending the school day in Special Day Class? Why don’t we talk about additional supports and services in regular education first?
“Call an emergency IEP.”
From the moment either a parent or a district requests an IEP meeting, a 30-day timeline is triggered. If you have urgent concerns, you can request that the district schedule it sooner; However, they are not required to hold it sooner than 30 days.
“We need to discuss your assessment request at an IEP team meeting.”
Nope. While it’s true that the school district must agree to an assessment, you do not need to wait for a meeting of any sort.
Put your assessment request in writing, and document your reasons for submitting it. Sending a written request starts a 15-day timeline. If the district rejects or does not respond to your written request, file a compliance complaint with the California Department of Education.
As parents, we understand. As experienced and trained advocates, we can help.