Preparing Yourself for a School Meeting
The 5 Rules
for a Successful Meeting:
1. Know what you want.
School representatives have a tendency to ask parents “what do you want us to do with your child?” This question puts parents ‘on the spot’ and that can be an uncomfortable position to be in when making important decisions. Communicating concerns with your Advocate before the meeting is key. You and your Advocate can explore ideas and create solutions to help your child receive the services they need. Allowing your Advocate to guide you through this process will help you make the best choices for your child.
2. Do not play the blame game.
Stick to the facts. It’s easy to become emotional in a meeting when your child’s education is the topic. Blaming and criticizing should be avoided when possible. A meeting can be immediately adjourned if the meeting's leader feels that the meeting has become adversarial.
Members of the meeting can become defensive. As a parent, you must be able to identify defensiveness in the meeting and not react. Defensiveness harbors the possibility to escalate emotions, leading to irresolution and potentially derail the meeting. If emotions do become escalated, communicate this to your Advocate, your advocate is there for you and your child’s needs.
By not criticizing, you can building good report with the meetings members and this can work to your advantage. Your Advocate knows the way of negotiation and will stick to the facts, follow their lead.
3. Care for the parent-school relationship.
Personal opinions and biases can at times mix into the negotiation. Again, stick to the facts. If you view the people and the problem as one and the same, emotions may overflow. Keeping a good line of communication open and being attentive to the school's views can work in your favor. If your requests are not being met, communicate that feeling, keeping in mind the importance of maintaining a good parent-school relationship.
4. Work towards the win-win solution.
School representatives have a tendency to advise parents that bringing an Advocate will only hinder a meeting's productivity. The truth is, without an Advocate you are more likely to enter a lose-win situation that is not in your favor. Schools typically view Advocates as a hindrance to their advantage over the parent's choices. An Advocate can inform clients of all the possibilities that exist to help the child, not just what is being offered by a school representative.
If you wish to resolve problems with a school, don’t play hard ball. Communicate with your Advocate any challenges you have been experiencing with the school. Your Advocate's job is to direct you in the most effective route for your child’s educational needs. Leave the careful negotiations to the Advocate. The more reasonable you are with the school, the greater the likelihood that the school will work harder to meet your child's needs.
5. Recognize the school district’s position.
See the situation through the school district’s eyes. The more conscious you are about a situation, the greater the likelihood that you will have the benefit. Your Advocate is well-versed in understanding the school district's priorities, policies, procedures, and laws. Your Advocate has the advantage when representing your case.
1. Know what you want.
School representatives have a tendency to ask parents “what do you want us to do with your child?” This question puts parents ‘on the spot’ and that can be an uncomfortable position to be in when making important decisions. Communicating concerns with your Advocate before the meeting is key. You and your Advocate can explore ideas and create solutions to help your child receive the services they need. Allowing your Advocate to guide you through this process will help you make the best choices for your child.
2. Do not play the blame game.
Stick to the facts. It’s easy to become emotional in a meeting when your child’s education is the topic. Blaming and criticizing should be avoided when possible. A meeting can be immediately adjourned if the meeting's leader feels that the meeting has become adversarial.
Members of the meeting can become defensive. As a parent, you must be able to identify defensiveness in the meeting and not react. Defensiveness harbors the possibility to escalate emotions, leading to irresolution and potentially derail the meeting. If emotions do become escalated, communicate this to your Advocate, your advocate is there for you and your child’s needs.
By not criticizing, you can building good report with the meetings members and this can work to your advantage. Your Advocate knows the way of negotiation and will stick to the facts, follow their lead.
3. Care for the parent-school relationship.
Personal opinions and biases can at times mix into the negotiation. Again, stick to the facts. If you view the people and the problem as one and the same, emotions may overflow. Keeping a good line of communication open and being attentive to the school's views can work in your favor. If your requests are not being met, communicate that feeling, keeping in mind the importance of maintaining a good parent-school relationship.
4. Work towards the win-win solution.
School representatives have a tendency to advise parents that bringing an Advocate will only hinder a meeting's productivity. The truth is, without an Advocate you are more likely to enter a lose-win situation that is not in your favor. Schools typically view Advocates as a hindrance to their advantage over the parent's choices. An Advocate can inform clients of all the possibilities that exist to help the child, not just what is being offered by a school representative.
If you wish to resolve problems with a school, don’t play hard ball. Communicate with your Advocate any challenges you have been experiencing with the school. Your Advocate's job is to direct you in the most effective route for your child’s educational needs. Leave the careful negotiations to the Advocate. The more reasonable you are with the school, the greater the likelihood that the school will work harder to meet your child's needs.
5. Recognize the school district’s position.
See the situation through the school district’s eyes. The more conscious you are about a situation, the greater the likelihood that you will have the benefit. Your Advocate is well-versed in understanding the school district's priorities, policies, procedures, and laws. Your Advocate has the advantage when representing your case.