Friday, October 17, 2008

I Call B.S.!

Alright, I should have known it was a set up from the get go. MM's parent teacher conference was yesterday. It was scheduled for 6:30pm. I told DH that I bet she scheduled us for the last meeting of the day so we don't disturb the others. When DH & I got there at 6:20, the doors were already locked. We jiggled every door and stood there a minute. Someone came out, letting us in. We waited outside the teacher's room for 10 minutes, then we were let in. She immediately informed us that we only had 15 minutes to talk cause they were locking up the school & setting the school alarm. WHAT?!? I did not get in all my questions, they only had her report card & not her IEP progress report. When I asked Ms. X about the report, she claimed she knew nothing about it. Then, her phone in her office began to ring (she acted very surprised by it). She went and answered it. She then came out and said we had to leave right then. Hmmm... I smell something that I don't like. I find it hard to believe that we were the only meeting in the whole school scheduled for that time. I also find it amazing that they knew to call directly to her room. I did not have it in me to argue last night, but I will be sending an email to the principal, requesting a meeting. Isn't it amazing that fall break is next week as well.

So, like I said, I call BS!

4 comments:

Nancy said...

Ok, the special ed teacher in me has to defend her just a little. When report card conferences roll around for the kids I see who have IEPs, we still hold the conference as just a report card conference. Only because technically, the IEP can not be discussed without proper invitation sent and proper representation from the district. It sounds silly, but it's to protect the teacher from saying something that she isn't sure about. It's also to protect the parent from the teacher discussing something that she may know nothing about regarding the child. So what you experienced isn't all that out of the norm. But I do think that they should have at least warned you that the conference would be to only discuss what MM is doing in the classroom as far as academics go.

Also, the progress report on the IEP goals cant be talked about because technically it's not an IEP meeting. LIke I said, they have to send notice for that and have representation on both sides. She should have been able to at least give you the progress reports on the goals though. That is, unless the therapists didn't turn them into her on time.

That being said, the phone call is a bit fishy to say the least. I would be complaining about the doors being locked and being rushed out of there as well.

MMMom said...

They did have one therapist there- the SL/T. I knew it wasn't going to be a meeting, but any other time, her IEP progress report has come with the report cards. This is the first time it hasn't. Again, I want to know who is doing the data collection on it. It says on the IEP that the teacher is responsible for some of it. I really don't understand all of this. Thanks so much for the input from the "other side", it really means alot to me & I could use all the help I can get!

Nancy said...

She may have been able to give you an update on the data that she is supposed to be collecting. Unless she was told not to discuss the IEP at all. And she may very well have been. Even if the SLP is there, they may not qualify as district representation. Typically, that is a psych or coordinator, someone like that.

That is odd though that you didn't get the progress report with the report card. I know whenever I have to update goals, they always need to be done by the quarters end in order to go home with the report card. My instinct tells me that someone did do what they were supposed to do.

So did you hear from the principal or anyone as to why you didn't get the reports or why they had locked all of the doors?

I swear, teachers are really pissing me off this week!! Sad coming from a teacher isn't it!!!

MMMom said...

No answers yet on anything; but, it is fall break this week. Trust me, I am going to be all over this next week- especially since I have had time off work, I am a little refreshed & ready to fight with them again. ITA that I am getting the vibe that somebody hasn't done what they were supposed to. It is so frustrating! These teachers are dealing with little people, NOT machines! If I effed up as much as they do, people would die! UGH!