By: Frances Shefter, Esq. (and mom)
As the school year winds down, many schools are trying to squeeze in final IEP meetings before summer break starts. If you are a parent heading into one of these meetings, I want you to remember something important: do not let the school rush you.
I see this happen every year. Schools often schedule IEP meetings for one hour, no matter how much needs to be discussed or how many documents need to be reviewed. But scheduling is the school’s responsibility — not yours. You do not have to rush through important conversations about your child just because the school only set aside a certain amount of time.
As both a special education attorney and a mom, I want parents to know that you have the right to ask questions and fully understand what the school is proposing. If the meeting starts to feel rushed, or if someone starts hinting that time is running out, it is completely okay to say, “Let’s schedule another meeting so we can continue this discussion properly.”
That is not being difficult. That is advocating for your child.
If the school has deadlines they need to meet, that is their responsibility. They should have planned accordingly. You should never feel pressured into making decisions without enough time to think, ask questions, or review documents carefully.
I was in a meeting recently where the school said, “Well looking at the time, we really only have time to discuss ESY, the rest of the IEP is okay, right?”. I responded by saying, “Actually, no. It is fine with us to discuss ESY first, and then we can schedule a continuation meeting to review the rest of the IEP.” ESY, or Extended School Year services, often comes with registration deadlines, and we understand that. It is fine to discuss parts of the IEP out of order, but not to rush through the rest of the parts.
That approach worked well. We handled the urgent issue first and gave the rest of the IEP the time and attention it deserved.
Another issue I see often this time of year is schools sending documents at the last minute. Schools are supposed to provide documents a “reasonable” time before the meeting. In Maryland, schools are required to provide documents at least 5 business days in advance. Virginia requires 2 business days, while DC follows the federal standard of “reasonable” time.
When schools provide documents early enough and families have time to review them, meetings can run much more efficiently. At Shefter Law, we review all the documents in advance and meet with parents to make sure our comments and concerns align with what the family wants. We also make sure that parents understand everything or if they want the school to explain things more. Then at the meeting, we often ask the school if we can skip reading reports and the IEP word-for-word and instead focus on the areas where the family has questions or feels the need for more discussion. Most schools are happy to do that because it saves time for everyone.
But if documents are sent late, that changes things. Parents cannot meaningfully participate in a meeting if they are seeing information for the first time while sitting at the table. I have absolutely made comments in meetings like, “Had we received these documents earlier, this meeting probably would have been much shorter.”
And honestly, it is true.
As parents, we must advocate for our children. Most educators truly do care and want to help, but rushing through an IEP meeting is not okay. These meetings involve important decisions about your child’s education, services, supports, and future progress.
You have a legal right to meaningful participation in the IEP process. If you feel rushed, your questions are not being answered, or you do not fully understand what is being discussed, that is not meaningful participation.
So as the school year comes to a close, remember this: slow the meeting down if you need to. Ask questions. Request another meeting. Take the time your child deserves.
