We just finished up a week of watching my parent’s dog, Lily. She is a really sweet dog and very easy to take care of, but there was something interesting that we discovered during her stay. She did not know how to push a door open with her nose so it is wide enough for…
The day my son graduated from high school was one that I had anticipated for a very long time. It was very emotional for me and in the weeks leading up, I had moments where I would suddenly hold him tight and burst into tears. Those moments had not been as often as I thought…
I will not say that the progress of my students or my son is a miracle, because a miracle implies that the impossible occurred. I’ve always believed that growth and skill development are possible and when we maintain this perspective, we contribute to a more effective IEP process. The truth of the matter is, parents…
Read more Advocacy Series #7 Keep the focus on student success…
Transparency and honesty are essential to the IEP process. The relationship that is established between educators and parents is crucial to student success. Communication is a cornerstone to this relationship. When educators and parents are honest, open and respectful with their communication this provides optimal support for students. I remember early on as a parent…
Read more Advocacy Series #6 Promote open, honest, and respectful communication
Every year when award season rolls around and the media seems to inundate society with who was nominated for what, who wore it best, and who might win an Oscar, I have been known to joke about the lack of red carpets, gold statues and SWAG gifts in the profession of education. I would absolutely love…
Read more Advocacy Series #5 Educators believe in your child too…
the I.E.P. or as we prefer to call it…
Every student MUST have a general education teacher… I struggle with even writing this post because the foundation of Equitable Teaching is to ensure that every student has their learning outcomes met through the accessibility of their general education teacher. The truth is however, is that this is often not the case. Every student with…
Read more Advocacy Series #4 Every student MUST have a general education teacher…
Many of my early experiences with Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings as a parent were extremely intimidating and overwhelming. I would walk into the meetings carrying the weight of world on my shoulders in the form of worry, concern, hopes and dreams for my son. Yet, expressing all of those thoughts and feelings is difficult to…
Read more Advocacy Series #3 Hey Parents! They can’t have the meeting without you!
Yes, the student is a member of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) team. This may seem like an obvious statement, because isn’t the student the reason the IEP team exists in the first place? However, the truth is many times the thoughts, feelings, insights and opinions of the student in relationship to their education are…
Read more Advocacy Series #2 The student is part of the educational team…
The foundation of any Individual Education Program (IEP) or Educational Evaluation that is done within the United States is truly rooted in the laws outlined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Yet, my goal will not be to detail those verbatim because quite honestly that would be really boring for me to write…
Read more Advocacy Series #1 Yes, it is a legal process, but that shouldn’t scare you away…