| Who is accountable for your child's education | | | | Do you know the key components that should be |
| when they have special needs? Over twenty | | | | in each and every goal on your child's IEP? |
| years ago I watched my mother hold the school | | | | Are you using your parent addendum to it's |
| accountable for my brother's education. He | | | | full potential? Finding the answers to these |
| has Down Syndrome and was not learning to his | | | | questions tailored to your child is the first |
| potential. After completing both a | | | | step in learning how to navigate an |
| Bachelor's and Master's degree in Special | | | | appropriate education for your child. |
| Education I was under the impression the | | | | |
| school system had changed and I would be able | | | | Take Action! When the mechanics of an IEP |
| to teach my students to reach their | | | | are learned, the shadiness of the system |
| potential. | | | | starts to diminish. It becomes clear what is |
| | | | and is not being done for your child. Now is |
| I could not. Administrative policies and | | | | NOT the time to violate the trust you have |
| unwritten understandings behind the scene | | | | built through investigation process. It is |
| made it impossible to teach what needed to be | | | | the time to begin working with the staff |
| taught. I became ill from the stress month | | | | through the difficulties. Parent instincts |
| after month and began calling parents to | | | | most of the times are to either become |
| teach them how they could help their child. | | | | aggressive and demanding or to justify what |
| There are many laws and policies in effect to | | | | the staff has been doing. Find your path in |
| help these children, but it's up to the | | | | the middle. Take steps to work with the team |
| parents to hold the schools accountable. | | | | and to become a true active part of the team |
| | | | to remedy the inappropriate parts of your |
| Investigate! How do you hold schools | | | | child's day. You must be firm, but not |
| accountable for your child's education? Find | | | | accusing. |
| out what is truly happening in your child's | | | | |
| school day. Are the therapists completing | | | | Follow Through! Holding a school and the |
| their sessions? What does your child's | | | | team accountable is not a one-time action. |
| school day look like? Is the Individual | | | | You must find a way to follow through |
| Education Plan (IEP) being followed through | | | | consistently with you child's education. |
| with? When was the last time you read the | | | | This will entail consistent information |
| IEP? How is your child supposed to be | | | | gathering from the staff. Active |
| evaluated and what data has those evaluations | | | | participation in decision making for your |
| provided? All of these answers should be | | | | child's education and continued education for |
| provided in writing by the staff that works | | | | yourself in regards to both the school system |
| with your child. Be creative in finding | | | | and your child's needs. |
| answers to assure open communication between | | | | |
| yourself and the school. The key is to | | | | Remember, I was a classroom teacher. Taking |
| investigate through relationship building | | | | these steps can bring your child miles |
| with the staff. | | | | towards success within the school system. |
| | | | Stay positive, yet firm about your choices |
| Get Educated! There are many other questions | | | | about your child. Do not blame others for |
| to ask to assure accountability within the | | | | your child's failures or education path; take |
| school system, but the key for each and every | | | | responsibility for what has happened and what |
| parent is to become educated and focused on | | | | is happening. Hold your school accountable |
| their child's education. You need to become | | | | for your child's education by becoming an |
| educated! Do you know what a proper Present | | | | active participant in the education team! |
| Level of Performance looks like on an IEP? | | | | |