I often speak to special education directors when they want to hear a " parent perspective " regarding special education procedures and dealing with parents. A few years ago I gave a presentation and provided a tongue in cheek view of how the interaction with parents can push a difficult situation into the due process zone. The topic was the Sure Fire Ways to Guarantee a Due Process Request. Here are my top "tips" that I am happy to report were recieved with a few laughs. Regrettably, I have been at IEP's where these incidents have occurred. Here they go:
1. Roll your eyes at the parent or their experts every time they attempt to speak.
2. Ignore the material they brought to the meeting.
3. Look at your watch repeatedly and ask how long is this meeting going to take?
4. Dismiss the parents experts who they have paid to come to the meeting and treat them with barely disguised contempt.
5. Hint that the mother may have a problem and need counseling.
6. Suggest that the " apple doesn't fall far from the tree".
7. Remind the parent repeatedly that if things were better at home then the child would be doing better at school. Do this a few times during the course of the meeting.
8. Make sure that the team is warned ahead of time not to provide much information.
9. Provide as little service and support as possible.
10. Delay sending any paperwork or evaluations to the parent until the meeting.
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