LEA Training

LEA Representatives: Facilitation of IEP Meetings

Policy Team, Special Education Services
2019-2020

Shiloh Lewis, Director

Notes:
If a parent wants to record the meeting, then we record as well.
Documentation and compliance are really important.
We need to make sure we are doing what’s right for the kid.

Special education teachers can LEA a meeting if the principal designates them to do that.
IEPs are legal documents and we must follow what is written in it.
People that are in an IEP meeting need to know what resources are available. Once you have a
meeting, you are committing the district to provide the resources.
We have over 20,000 special education students in WCPSS.
Parents have a right to request a meeting at any time and we have to respond in a timely
manner.
Meeting once a quarter is not unreasonable.

School personnel does not make assignments to regional programs.

A happy parent doesn’t mean a compliant IEP.
A happy parent doesn’t mean an appropriate IEP.
A happy parent doesn’t mean we won’t be sued.

LEA Responsibilities:
- Ensure the meeting was scheduled appropriately with a written invitation to IEP meeting
- Follow appropriate process for type of meeting
- Facilitate decision making
- Ensure IEP team remains intact
- If the LEA has to leave the meeting, the meeting must pause.
- Decisions are data-driven
- Ensure the IEP is implemented
- Ensure Progress Monitoring of IEP Goals
 - If it isn’t documented, then it didn’t happen.
- Ensure Special Education Teachers are utilizing Best Practices
- Best practices for everyone!
- Meetings are held compliantly and adhere to the timelines

The items above in red are required.

Once a student will be 14, they must be invited to the IEP meeting.
Once a child turns 18, we invite the parent as a courtesy but they do not have to be present.
The child takes over in this role.

Definition of Parent Policy NC 1500-2.24 Parent

- Biological or adoptive parent
- Family member acting in the place of a parent (grandparent or stepparent) with whom
the child lives
- Foster parent
- Legal guardian
- Surrogate parent

Who cannot serve as the parent?

- Therapeutic foster parents (works for an agency)
- A social worker from DSS or CPS assigned to the case

Surrogate Parents:
- Required if parental rights have been terminated
- If parental rights not terminated, document good faith efforts to involve them
- Who: Retired teachers, ministers, sped parents, PTA members, volunteers, etc…
- Surrogate parent powerpoint training in ECATS
- Submit approval of surrogate form to Shiloh Lewis
 - LEA’s family member can’t serve as a surrogate parent

Who else can attend?

- Another individual who…
- Has knowledge or special expertise about the child
- Just know; this may require special management (they should not be running the
meeting), They are one member of the team.
- Advocate
- Agency? Role? Ask them!
- Are they also an attorney?
- Do they work for an attorney?
- Attorney
- If the parent brings an attorney, the meeting must be rescheduled so that our
attorney can also attend.
- As a school, we do not speak to the family’s attorneys. Call Shiloh Lewis.
What if there are extra people in attendance? Ask them their role!

Ensure that Parents are informed of rights…

- Procedural Safeguards: Handbook on Parents Rights (easiest to just offer at every
meeting)
- Participation and Involvement in all Decisions
- Explain Dispute Resolution Process When Parents Disagree

Provide an explanation of the DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS

- Facilitation - can be requested by the school or by the parent
- Mediation - come to a mutually agreed upon agreement in order to move forward
- State Complaint - parents file
- Due Process Petition - legal counsel involvement

If you get a record request from a parent, let the Special Education department know. They
want to make sure they have a copy of what the parents are getting.

If a child with an IEP gets suspended, once we hit day 11, we must provide them with services.
(access to general education and special education).
The MD is an IEP meeting with the IEP team.
SES Process Guides - available online, ECATS - Special Education Learn Central resource

Admin interns can take minutes.

Invitation to IEP Meeting -

3-2-1
We invite them 3 times to the same meeting. If you change the date, you are starting over with
the invitation.
2 different methods (email, phone, mail, w/ student)
1 must be in writing!
7-10 days notice prior to the meeting.
If the child didn’t accomplish the goals last year, we aren’t going to reuse that goal. We are
going to try something different.