Due Process Cases

[SLP]

Here is your chance to ask and vent about due process. It seems that for the past 5 years or so, we special ed teachers & therapists seem to be forced to attend more due process/legal workshops and less workshops that help us improve our actual teaching skills. Tell us your experiences in due process. Of course, be careful not to use actual names (maybe not even your own!)

[honeybuns]

Our district is very proactive with due process. While we do have inservices on this topic. It starts with good communication with the parents and ensuring that their voice is heard. I am very thankful that I have not had to attend a due process hearing yet and hope I don't have to.:)

[javamomma]

ok, I will show my non knowledge. what is due process? Is it the amount of time from referal to testing?

[honeybuns]

Due process occurs when parents and the school for whatever reason cannot come to an agreement on a students IEPs.

Honeybuns:)

[christiw]

Leadership comes from the top and fortunately, I am surrounded by administrators in the know. Cultivating relationships, team focus on IEP's, and striking the delicate balance between being "legally informed" and given tools for teaching is my current environment. Through teacher friends, I see the fear in districts and teachers as our society has become more litigious.

[km693]

I have no experience with due process because I just started teaching special ed a week ago. I do imagine this will come about very soon though if I can't get into complaince with my IEPs. Can someone help me out with some legal IEP stuff though? It took me three days to get copies of the IEPs, which were not in the classroom for the first two weeks because the person who was in for me (cause the district was trying to process my paperwork last minute) did not bother to get them. Parents are already asking about complaince with them, so I've tried to read them this weekend. There is a spot where it says percent of time in sped. For the ones that say 75% of the time (instead of 95%), am I supposed to find them a gen. ed. placement? Are the pull out teachers required to provide me with their schedules because I have none? When it says "teachers records" by a goal, am I supposed to create my own forms for records?