78 Be Involved in Your Child’s Education

According to IDEIA, parents are included in the IEP meetings to help guide your child’s education and interventions. Being consistently involved in your child’s schooling can make these meeting more comfortable and more productive for everyone involved. Being involved can come in many different forms such as communicating with the teacher, being a participant in your child’s instruction by carrying over at home, and advocating for your child’s instruction and services. These guidelines are some ways to make your involvement more successful.

Meet the teacher

Start by giving the teacher and therapists any information you think they will need to know about your child. This will open the lines of communication that will be carried on throughout the school year. Feel free to request a time to meet with them around their schedule so that you can get to know him or her and be able to ask questions about the structure of the classroom or their expectations of you as a parent.

Communication

Discuss with your child’s teacher what forms of communication would be most desirable and possible. Would you rather communicate by letters home, email, or phone calls? How often would you like this communication from the teacher? A positive communication system will bridge the gap from home to school and allow everyone to be on the same page.

Visit The Classroom

There are many ways to visit or become involved in your child’s classroom. Some ideas would be meeting your child for lunch, volunteering to work in the classroom, and attending field trips. Teachers appreciate the support so try to be as consistent as possible when planning your visits and try to do so on a regular basis. Offering your time and support will help with best meeting all the needs of  the students.

Meetings and Conferences

Back to School Night

These nights are meant for parents to get to meet the teacher and see the classroom at the beginning of the school year. Due to the number of parents that flow through the classroom during this time, these are not meant to be a one-on-one meeting with the teacher. Use this time to get a feel for the classroom, ask about the structure of the school day, and learn some background information about the teacher

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Put these dates on your calendar early. Each district will vary on how often these conferences occur, but make the effort to attend each one. Go in prepared with specific questions you have for the teacher and be sure to tell them anything of importance about your child. Leave the meeting on a positive note with an action plan in place and what you will be doing to support it at home.

IEP Conference

Be a participant and be prepared. These meetings are held annually, at the minimum, to review your child’s progress and make goals for the next 12 months. Your child’s teacher and therapists will be in attendance as well as other school mandated people. You know your child best and have valuable information to share. Go in with ideas of your child’s strengths, weaknesses and behaviors at home. Also be prepared with your concerns and some goals for the following year.

Reference

Staples, K. E., & Diliberto, J. A. (2010). Guidelines for successful parent involvement: Working with parents of students with disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42 (6), pages 58-63.

Flanigan, C.B. (2007). Preparing preservice teachers to partner with parents and communities: An analysis of college of education faculty focus groups. The School Community Journal, 17 (2), 89-109.