Why Don't Teachers Want to Read IEPs?

[CookiesKid]

Hi everybody. I'm new to this board and this is my first post. My son is 6 years old and in kindergarten. He has an IEP and is in a general education classroom. I know that by law a teacher does not have to read a student's IEP, which I think is ridiculous. He has a personal aide but she seems unfamiliar with his IEP, too. I am wondering why teachers don't want to read a student's IEP? How can they know what's right for the student if they don't read the IEP? Wouldn't reading the IEP and becoming familiar with the student's needs and goals help the teacher as well as the student? It drives me crazy.

I feel like I am always "educating" them about my son's issues because they don't seem to "get it". And I also feel like they don't appreciate me "educating" them. But unless they know his diagnosis and how to work with that diagnosis, how can he have a successful school year? What good is an IEP if the teacher and aide are unfamiliar with its contents? His year so far has had its ups and downs but I feel it could be so much better if they knew the things that I know. It's so frustrating. Any thoughts?

 

[Terrij1116]

I would ask his case manager to do a mni conference with the general education teacher to inform her of her resposbilities when serving your child. I know that I take the role as my students' case manager on their IEP's to do the gen.ed teacher educating. Hope that helps!
Terri

 

[CookiesKid]

Terri,

Thanks for that advice. I will definitely do that. Hopefully everyone will cooperate. Not all case managers are as helpful as you are it seems. I'm sure the parents of the students you deal with are very appreciative of all you do for them. Thanks again.

 

[Sheila]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What good is an IEP if the teacher and aide are unfamiliar with its contents? </div></div>

A piece of paper stuck in a file cabinet or desk drawer is worthless.

Some school districts do not give IEPs to teachers. They are responsible for advising teachers their responsibilities as specifically related to IEPs. If I were a teacher, I would not be happy with-this type situation in that they are responsible for carrying out the IEP whether they get a copy or not.

Teachers are at liberty to access the IEP, evaluation reports, etc., in the special education file. If there's a school district "policy" that says otherwise, override it by giving written permission.

If your school district doesn't give teachers complete IEPs, ask that they do so in writing.

If the teachers choose not to read it, that's their choice and I'd nail them every time. Your responsibility is to see to it that your child gets what s/he needs in school.

I've had the same problem you are experiencing. To resolve the issue, two years in a row I requested in writing that the sd bring in our IEE team leader to go over the IEP with-difficult child's educators prior to school starting -- that included all teachers (coach included), the school counselor, principal, assistant principal, and Speech Language Pathologist (SLP). It helped immensely. It was quite pricey for the sd. I didn't ask for it this year, but if I feel the need in the future, I will not hesitate to do it again.

It was very helpful for the educators and I think they appreciated it. (Besides, the info came from someone other than the parent. lol)

The team leader was able to do the educating and he was very responsive to the why questions from the teachers. I suspect many are like me: It's hard to remember to do something consistently if you don't know the reason behind it.

I do not expect educators to be perfect. I do expect them to follow the law and respond professionally and reasonably.

It may sound like I'm one of those "difficult parents." As a general rule, I'm not. As long as they are putting in a good effort attempting to follow difficult child's IEP, I'm flexible. But when they start picking on my kid, being obstinate, or trying to bull doze their way over me, etc., it's a whole new ball game.

Welcome aboard. :smile:

 

[CookiesKid]

Sheila,

Thanks for that information. I like the way you handled this situation. I guess this is what I'm going to have to do, too. I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that my son is getting what he needs at school. Thank you.