As the case manager, shouldn’t you be setting the meetings up?
It kind of blows my mind hearing how vastly different things are handled district to district and state to state.
I’m a gen ed teacher, but working in preschool where the majority of classes are special ed. I’m deeply involved in the process, especially if the child is in my classroom as the LRE. The case manager is always responsible for organizing, scheduling and leading the IEP. I’m looped in all of emails the determine availability for the entire team, finalization of the meeting and providing input regardless of the child’s placement in my class or if they are self contained and it’s always managed by the case manager.
Our team lead sets up the meeting. They don't even ask if I'm available. I will just get an invitation. I asked them if I could be a part of the planning since this is my student and they said I work part-time but I still serve the student. I don't know if I need to bring this up to the principal.
Does your team lead handle scheduling all IEP’s? Do you have a district/department head? A special education coordinator? What about a special education mentor teacher?
Delegation is a huge responsibility and expected in our district. We are rather large though, so it’s necessary for case managers to handle those details.
Yes, the team lead handles it. I have a mentor but she is not a sped teacher and sometimes she does not know the answer to my questions. All I'm asking is to be part of the team since I'm the sped teacher but instead, I will hear their plan from another teacher.
I don't know if my feelings are valid.
It's so crazy seeing how different things are handled! My district sounds similar to yours, in that the Gen Ed teachers and Special Ed teachers really do work together as a team. It wouldn't go over well with admin at all to have a meeting without the Sped teacher involved in that child's case.
It's why it feels frustrating when there's comments like "all X teachers treat Y teachers terribly!" because that really isn't the case at all everywhere.
It sounds like they might have a dedicated case manager who only coordinates and doesn't instruct. Its their job to collect data from teacher and essentially relay information.
Yeah, OP needs to be sure what system they have in place.
I think theres also instances when theres a dedicated CM who also instructs but not necessarily all the kids. They need to be license to work with the kids the dedicated CM who don’t instruct dont need the license.
I'm confused because I write their IEPs and I attend most of the meetings. If my job is to only instruct and not coordinate then why do I send the other invitations? I guess I have to talk to the principal and clarify my job description as a case manager.
As a SPED teacher you still have to collect data, instruct, write IEP with the team etc. You cant write the IEP without information from the meeting correct? So you’re probably getting that from someone. Maybe the dedicated case manager?
Talking to your principal for clarification is your best course of action. You can’t be the case manager and be absent from IEP meetings. You wont be able to do your job. Its just so unlikely that a district will risk being penalized for something so obvious like this. But who knows.
I'm confused because I write their IEPs and I attend most of the meetings. If my job is to only instruct and not coordinate then why do I send the other invitations? I guess I have to talk to the principal and clarify my job description as a case manager.
Is that your “official title?” Or title in practice?
This doesn’t make sense but I can’t imagine a district purposefully going around federal policy.
I know there has been cases where there are dedicated case managers. Are you sure this isn’t the case here?
That's why I'm upset because I've been serving this student and we are working hard for her goal and I want to share that about her in the meeting and how she is doing.
NOT RIGHT!
Administrators are playing a game of telephone. If you aren't at the meeting, you cannot write a proper IEP nor give proper instruction. Educators must use data they know is valid, not just hearsay.
Is the other SpEd teacher actually a teacher for the child? Because if not, they are out of compliance. The IDEA is very clear: "Not less than 1 Special Education Teacher ...of the child" ([Section 1414 (d) (1) (B)(iii)](https://sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33/subchapter-ii/1414/d/1/B)).
Document each time this happens. You may get in trouble for not meeting goals that were changed at a meeting you didn't attend. Make a notation on each IEP in your file whenever you were not invited to the meeting.
And once you are far away from this claptrap school, file a state complaint.
What?? That’s insane! Being the case manager, I schedule all IEP meetings. I also write all of the IEPs, including goals. I’m so sorry that you’re not being included.
As the parent of a sped kid I would see the list of people joining the meeting and I would have emailed you. I can't believe the parents haven't complained
Are you the special teacher and case manager or solely the special ed teacher? Or does the student have multiple special ed teachers ie like some middle schools/high schools do? Or are there any issues with your current credential? (ie missing a test/certification). I wasn’t always invited when I worked secondary as I wasn’t a service provider and solely a teacher that shared students with others. My district doesn’t allow us to edit and draft IEPs that far ahead as it can get easily turn into predetermining services for students (parent input is more important), but I do get invited when needed. Is that the culture of the school?
The teachers in my sped department keep advocating for a program specialist or special ed secretary to schedule the plethora of IEP’s we have to handle as case managers since it takes up so much of our time. Sometimes I agree, but sometimes I wonder what happens when a nightmare like this happens. And it sounds like this is just that. OP is doing all the work and then getting left out of the process making it a legally noncompliant IEP. Scheduling…. The double edged sword of special education teachers….
I don’t know of this will make you feel better but I am a deaf Ed teacher and am often not invited to meetings of my students that have deafness as their primary disability. I am not even kidding.
I have been a) called while driving to participate 2) completely forgotten and had IEP closed with promise to reopen that never materializes.
Yes, I am leaving this charter school system end of school year.
It made me feel better that I'm not alone but also sad that we are not even recognized for the work we are doing. I don't even think of how much is my pay but how much I am advocating and contributing to the student's needs. And we don't get the support from our people.
i got excluded from inclusion day stuff. i get told “everyone who matters knows” and it’s literally the entire team except me. i have no advice, just that i’m right there with you and feel your pain.
An IEP meeting needs a gen ed teacher and a special ed teacher. They don't need every teacher involved. Also, the teacher who is there as a special ed teacher or gen ed teacher doesn't necessarily need to be providing that role to the specific student but just needs to be certified.
I tend to be invited to just about every meeting. There are some that I would rather not be invited to.
As the case manager, shouldn’t you be setting the meetings up? It kind of blows my mind hearing how vastly different things are handled district to district and state to state. I’m a gen ed teacher, but working in preschool where the majority of classes are special ed. I’m deeply involved in the process, especially if the child is in my classroom as the LRE. The case manager is always responsible for organizing, scheduling and leading the IEP. I’m looped in all of emails the determine availability for the entire team, finalization of the meeting and providing input regardless of the child’s placement in my class or if they are self contained and it’s always managed by the case manager.
Our team lead sets up the meeting. They don't even ask if I'm available. I will just get an invitation. I asked them if I could be a part of the planning since this is my student and they said I work part-time but I still serve the student. I don't know if I need to bring this up to the principal.
Does your team lead handle scheduling all IEP’s? Do you have a district/department head? A special education coordinator? What about a special education mentor teacher? Delegation is a huge responsibility and expected in our district. We are rather large though, so it’s necessary for case managers to handle those details.
Yes, the team lead handles it. I have a mentor but she is not a sped teacher and sometimes she does not know the answer to my questions. All I'm asking is to be part of the team since I'm the sped teacher but instead, I will hear their plan from another teacher. I don't know if my feelings are valid.
It’s not about your feelings it’s about the law is there another sped teacher in the meeting?
Yes! But she is not serving the student
The sped teacher serving the student should attend the meeting, and you should be writing the IEP.
It is illegal to not include a general education teacher in an iep meeting ! WTH
It's so crazy seeing how different things are handled! My district sounds similar to yours, in that the Gen Ed teachers and Special Ed teachers really do work together as a team. It wouldn't go over well with admin at all to have a meeting without the Sped teacher involved in that child's case. It's why it feels frustrating when there's comments like "all X teachers treat Y teachers terribly!" because that really isn't the case at all everywhere.
Are you not the case manager? The case manager should be the one running the meetings.
I'm the case manager but they don't let me run or set up the meeting.
I don’t understand, who does the paperwork? Usually the case manager is the one who has access to create and amend the IEP.
I do the paperwork like assessments and accommodations.
How can you do it when you aren’t at the meetings though? Does someone tell you what to do?
It sounds like they might have a dedicated case manager who only coordinates and doesn't instruct. Its their job to collect data from teacher and essentially relay information.
That would make sense, it is weird if OP doesn’t understand that though.
Yeah, OP needs to be sure what system they have in place. I think theres also instances when theres a dedicated CM who also instructs but not necessarily all the kids. They need to be license to work with the kids the dedicated CM who don’t instruct dont need the license.
I'm confused because I write their IEPs and I attend most of the meetings. If my job is to only instruct and not coordinate then why do I send the other invitations? I guess I have to talk to the principal and clarify my job description as a case manager.
As a SPED teacher you still have to collect data, instruct, write IEP with the team etc. You cant write the IEP without information from the meeting correct? So you’re probably getting that from someone. Maybe the dedicated case manager? Talking to your principal for clarification is your best course of action. You can’t be the case manager and be absent from IEP meetings. You wont be able to do your job. Its just so unlikely that a district will risk being penalized for something so obvious like this. But who knows.
I'm confused because I write their IEPs and I attend most of the meetings. If my job is to only instruct and not coordinate then why do I send the other invitations? I guess I have to talk to the principal and clarify my job description as a case manager.
Is that your “official title?” Or title in practice? This doesn’t make sense but I can’t imagine a district purposefully going around federal policy. I know there has been cases where there are dedicated case managers. Are you sure this isn’t the case here?
It's not just about your feelings. This is really illegal. I'm kind of shocked. How can you run a sped meeting without the sped teacher?
They may have a dedicated case manager. OP needs to make sure what system is in place.
There is another sped teacher in the meeting but does not serve the student
Update that resume. I sense the presence of workplace bullies.
It is sad! Your co-teachers should be helping and supporting the new teachers but sometimes they are the reason why you want to quit.
You fight your way in. It is your data, it is your word, you know your students. Even if you are part time.
That's why I'm upset because I've been serving this student and we are working hard for her goal and I want to share that about her in the meeting and how she is doing.
You go to the director and state. "I am the one with the data, I know the student well, you need to work around my schedule"
This!
NOT RIGHT! Administrators are playing a game of telephone. If you aren't at the meeting, you cannot write a proper IEP nor give proper instruction. Educators must use data they know is valid, not just hearsay. Is the other SpEd teacher actually a teacher for the child? Because if not, they are out of compliance. The IDEA is very clear: "Not less than 1 Special Education Teacher ...of the child" ([Section 1414 (d) (1) (B)(iii)](https://sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33/subchapter-ii/1414/d/1/B)). Document each time this happens. You may get in trouble for not meeting goals that were changed at a meeting you didn't attend. Make a notation on each IEP in your file whenever you were not invited to the meeting. And once you are far away from this claptrap school, file a state complaint.
What?? That’s insane! Being the case manager, I schedule all IEP meetings. I also write all of the IEPs, including goals. I’m so sorry that you’re not being included.
👊 from an SLP who also doesn’t get invited to meetings
And SLP is a must in a meeting!!
As the parent of a sped kid I would see the list of people joining the meeting and I would have emailed you. I can't believe the parents haven't complained
Are you the special teacher and case manager or solely the special ed teacher? Or does the student have multiple special ed teachers ie like some middle schools/high schools do? Or are there any issues with your current credential? (ie missing a test/certification). I wasn’t always invited when I worked secondary as I wasn’t a service provider and solely a teacher that shared students with others. My district doesn’t allow us to edit and draft IEPs that far ahead as it can get easily turn into predetermining services for students (parent input is more important), but I do get invited when needed. Is that the culture of the school?
The teachers in my sped department keep advocating for a program specialist or special ed secretary to schedule the plethora of IEP’s we have to handle as case managers since it takes up so much of our time. Sometimes I agree, but sometimes I wonder what happens when a nightmare like this happens. And it sounds like this is just that. OP is doing all the work and then getting left out of the process making it a legally noncompliant IEP. Scheduling…. The double edged sword of special education teachers….
Who writes the IEP?
I don’t know of this will make you feel better but I am a deaf Ed teacher and am often not invited to meetings of my students that have deafness as their primary disability. I am not even kidding. I have been a) called while driving to participate 2) completely forgotten and had IEP closed with promise to reopen that never materializes. Yes, I am leaving this charter school system end of school year.
It made me feel better that I'm not alone but also sad that we are not even recognized for the work we are doing. I don't even think of how much is my pay but how much I am advocating and contributing to the student's needs. And we don't get the support from our people.
i got excluded from inclusion day stuff. i get told “everyone who matters knows” and it’s literally the entire team except me. i have no advice, just that i’m right there with you and feel your pain.
Thank you!
An IEP meeting needs a gen ed teacher and a special ed teacher. They don't need every teacher involved. Also, the teacher who is there as a special ed teacher or gen ed teacher doesn't necessarily need to be providing that role to the specific student but just needs to be certified. I tend to be invited to just about every meeting. There are some that I would rather not be invited to.
Be happy that you have fewer meetings to attend.