I’m going to tell you a secret that schools don’t want you to know. Three little letters P. W. N., Prior Written Notice. Prior written notice is when you ask the IEP team for a specific service or accommodation and the IEP team says no. Guess what. You probably guessed it. The discussion does not end there. It is part of the Procedural Safeguards. You know, that thick packet that explains your rights? That the person running the meeting asks if you understand at the beginning of every meeting? Now technically, if you say you do not understand them, the school is required to explain them to you. IDEA says Procedural Safeguards are required to be in a language that the parent/guardian understands. Have you ever read them? It took me two teaching degrees, a law degree, and several years in the field to fully understand them. I am still tempted to have a client say, I don’t understand the Procedural Safeguards. Please explain. I just want to see how the school would react. When I taught in Florida and ran meetings, I actually had a one page explanation of the highlights to read to parents. Hmmm, maybe I will create one. But, I digress. PWNs. The school said no to your request. You ask for an explanation of why. What data does the school have to support a no? Say, please make sure the PWN is very clear about why the rest of the IEP team feels the support or accommodation is unnecessary. If the PWN you receive after the meeting is not clear and does not mention the support or accommodation, you can write a letter to be included in the file. Or call me. Below is a video on the subject. And remember, if you have any suggested topics, please feel free to comment here or send me an email. As always, I am here if you need me to help you have a Stress-Free IEP™ experience.
The Secret About PWNs
I’m going to tell you a secret that schools don’t want you to know. Three little letters P. W. N., Prior Written Notice. Prior written notice is when you ask the IEP team for a specific service or accommodation and the IEP team says no. Guess what. You probably guessed it. The discussion does not end there. It is part of the Procedural Safeguards. You know, that thick packet that explains your rights? That the person running the meeting asks if you understand at the beginning of every meeting? Now technically, if you say you do not understand them, the school is required to explain them to you. IDEA says Procedural Safeguards are required to be in a language that the parent/guardian understands. Have you ever read them? It took me two teaching degrees, a law degree, and several years in the field to fully understand them. I am still tempted to have a client say, I don’t understand the Procedural Safeguards. Please explain. I just want to see how the school would react. When I taught in Florida and ran meetings, I actually had a one page explanation of the highlights to read to parents. Hmmm, maybe I will create one. But, I digress. PWNs. The school said no to your request. You ask for an explanation of why. What data does the school have to support a no? Say, please make sure the PWN is very clear about why the rest of the IEP team feels the support or accommodation is unnecessary. If the PWN you receive after the meeting is not clear and does not mention the support or accommodation, you can write a letter to be included in the file. Or call me. Below is a video on the subject. And remember, if you have any suggested topics, please feel free to comment here or send me an email. As always, I am here if you need me to help you have a Stress-Free IEP™ experience.
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