We Had The First Meeting, What's Next?

So, you went to the school and you had your first meeting.  You took good notes, you asked your questions, you put a plan in place and you have a second meeting scheduled.  Good job!

Now it's time for the results meeting.  You go to the meeting and discuss the observations of the teacher, the counselor and your home observations.  It's time for a decision. 

Let's say that you come together and decide that your child probably doesn't need an IEP.  What are your options then?

This is a tricky situation because every school is different.  However, if you have legitimate concerns about your child's academic progress, you need to press on and find a solution.  In the results meeting, you should have clearly identified academic areas of weakness and strength for your child.  Ask the teacher and guidance counselor if there are any after-school tutoring programs or homework assistance programs.  If there are, ask about getting your child into such a program.  If there are not, you can ask if the school has a list of approved tutors or if the teacher would be willing to tutor your child after school.  (It is, in my opinion, unethical for a teacher to charge a fee for after school tutoring if they are tutoring one of their own students AND if they are tutoring for a fee on school property.  Many states and districts have policies regulating this process.  In my opinion, it is NOT unethical for a teacher to tutor after school and to charge a fee if he/she does so on his/her own time and at a neutral location as long as it is not a current student of his/hers.)

You may also want to look at businesses that specialize in tutoring or working with children who are behind academically.  If no such business exists in your area, there are online tutors available.  Before agreeing to pay for online tutoring, make sure all of the details are covered.  Ask for a contract spelling out the tutoring agreement. 

If, at the meeting, it is decided that an IEP is necessary, then you will have to take a different course of action. I'll cover that in the next post.