So today I have to go to an IEP meeting for a student. We just had one last week, but the parent wanted to "do-over". So the student, her mother, six teachers, a special education teacher, an assistant principal, some district compliance person, and a smattering of other people with VIT (very important titles) come to our school to meet.
The parent is distrustful of someone - probably not me - but wants to have the entire conversation taped. So the English teacher heads off to find a tape recorder of one sort or another. Nobody has one. Well, we did find an old one but we don't have any cassette tapes, so it won't do any good.
Resolution? A do-over tomorrow. It is nice to think that I had to tell my students that the after-school help the day before their test tomorrow can't happen because I had to attend this (non-)meeting today.
Sure, the district doesn't really have to pay us for our time after school, but if our time is really worth something, I would imagine this meeting really cost the district's ten or so people quite a bit. (In other words, to me and my kids it had a cost; to the district, well, it cost nothing).
Can't wait for tomorrow!
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11 comments:
Public schools are a scam and nothing more than propaganda mills that suck the taxpayers dry.
These kids would be better off home-schooled.
It is criminal that you are expected to go to IEP meetings off the clock. Our last principal got in big time trouble for that.
Tapping isn't that bad of an idea though. We tape all our ARD meetings, to protect us.
Hopefully you'll actually have the meeting at some point.
It figures that no one would a name because the ridiculous first comment.
First off...welcome back. Missed your posts.
I hate going to IEP meetings. My first one I sat there as our school psych, the parent, and my dean talked about where a F rounds to a D. To which I said I don't round...there is no magical number. My boss smiled and said it's his grade scale he doesn't have to. Surprisingly, the parent requested her child be removed from my class.
Others went a little worse, the classic pass her as long as she tries. Those are the worst. It takes all power away from you.
I had a SPED kid come in today to talk to me about her grade for the grading cycle that just ended. She ended with a 65 and actually thought she had a chance to get me to change it to a 70. When I explained that it was originally a 62 before I dropped a few low scores, she seemed unmoved and still wanted me to change the grade.
Then she said something about her learning disability in math and I then reminded her of all the resources she has available that she did not use. She continued to beg and plead and then tried flattery "I really respect you..." etc.
I think she must've thought IEP means pass even if you don't really pass.
Sorry for your wasted time.
"The parent is distrustful of someone - probably not me - but wants to have the entire conversation taped."
Recording a meeting is not always about distrust (second parent who can't make it, parent is lousy at taking notes, etc), and it is well within the parents' rights to record a meeting. If a school or district feels threatened by that, shame on them.
Too bad you feel IEP meetings are a waste of time and money. I don't understand how this parent gets to do a "do-over," but if the meeting is to nail down the IEP, then it's worth everyone's time.
Mr W. wrote: "I think she must've thought IEP means pass even if you don't really pass."
Kudos to the "SPED kid" (very derogatory, BTW) for advocating for herself! You did teach her a valuable lesson in that advocating doesn't always get you the results you want, but at least she was concerned enough to try. Better that she came to you rather than the parent..
I'm sure non-IEP students also try to eke out a few more points here and there, but this student is remarkable b/c she is in special education?
How would've been a better way to refer to her? "Learning disabled in mathematics"?
It was not meant to be derogatory. What was remarkable about the situation is that she came to me 4 days into the new grading cycle. Her real reason had less to do with passing the course than with being eligible for an extra-curricular activity.
What also makes it remarkable is that she is labeled LD in math and is still taking an upper level math course by choice.
btw, that comment belonged to me, not Mr. W.
We call those VIT peeps "power dressers"
Those same ole same ole same ole peeps whose job titles change every year. We refer to that (career) path as "The _______ ____________ Plan"
(insert name of power dresser.)
That said, I wrote (or allegedly wrote) something along these lines on Feb 17 (2007) I can't write (you can: that's the good and bad news:))
Annnnyway, if you ever have time, try to find and read it and see if it doesnt ring a bell or ten.
It's entitled
"Allergic to school"
And this MAY??? be a link you can paste in to find that entry...
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:ASzsbtbg2JgJ:nmlb.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html+allergic+to+school+nmlb&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=safari
I am not going to try to sort out all of the who said whats, but in looking in on this blog from time to time it does seem to both post and draw comments that are generally derogatory towards students with disabilities and their parents.
For the person who asked what else should s/he call a "SPED kid", I suggest a perusal of this http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/peoplefirstlanguage.htm website which has a good bit about person first language--and why it is preferable to references like SPED kid. In the instance cited, I am not certain why disability is referred to at all--since many students of all ability levels, and with many motivations have been known to request an upgrade to their grades.
Seems to me all they care about are the 'rights of the child'. If the kid doesn't want to be called by her name, then what does she want to be called by?
I don't see any support for the teachers, or for skills based learning.
It's the dumbing down of our education and the UNESCO is to blame as is Goals 2000 and the feds who enforce it. This person is likely a good math teacher and has to suffer with this nonsense.
It is not teacher's fault, they are pawns in the whole game. It's a nightmare.
- 35 years in the public schools
Mekei:
It was said in the meeting by a parent liason from the district that the parent was distrustful of "someone", but they never mentioned who it was. I was assuming while waiting for a tape to be found that we'd find out eventually...but only when everything was being recorded.
I certainly don't care if the meetings are being recorded. But I would expect either the parent or the parent's lawyers/liason/supporters to call ahead to forewarn us or to bring a recording device of their own.
And I don't think that IEP meetings are a waste of time. If you read my post, you'd see that about ten people (who probably each get paid about $40 per hour) sat around for too long when nothing could ever be said because we didn't have access to a $0.99 tape. So it cost ten district employees plenty of time to get or give no information that would have helped the student. You don't think that is a waste of time?
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