In a recent news story, it was revealed that although Asian students make up nine percent of the population, they only represent three percent of students enrolled in special education programs. These numbers would seem to imply that some Asian students who could benefit from this type of programming simply aren't getting the help they need.
All students attending Boston schools should be able to get the supports they need to learn. If there are barriers to the students who need a different type of education getting access to services that could benefit them, then Boson schools have a duty to make sure those barriers are overcome.
Boston Schools Need to Help Parents Understand IEPs
When officials from Boston schools are meeting with parents to discuss either placing a child in a special education program or reviewing the student's IEP (Individualized Education Plan), they need to make sure that the parents understand the proceedings. If there is a language barrier preventing both sides from understanding each other, then Boston schools should be made to provide one.
When parents of children attending Boston schools have questions, they are entitled to have the questions answered simply and directly. Perhaps a specific staff member at Boston schools needs to be appointed to act as a contact person when parents have questions or concerns about the special education program.
Boston Schools Can Work With Parents
What administrators at Boston schools need to understand is that parents want their children to do well in school and to have the best possible chance for success in their adult life. In order for the parents of students at Boston schools to make good choices concerning their children's education, they need to be able to understand what they are signing when they put their name on their child's IEP.
Boston schools deal with these issues all the time, and they need to understand that parents do not. Parents of children designated as having special needs may also need some time to absorb the information and to understand what it means to them. When professionals at Boston schools start talking about children needing alternate programs in order to learn, they sometimes forget that parents may have a difficult time accepting the fact that their child is not like his or her peers.
If administrators at Boston schools can keep in mind that parents want the best for their children and may need some more time to understand what the "special needs" designation means for their child, both sides will have come a long way toward understanding each other's point of view. The barriers to understanding can come down and the students will be the ones to benefit.
All students attending Boston schools should be able to get the supports they need to learn. If there are barriers to the students who need a different type of education getting access to services that could benefit them, then Boson schools have a duty to make sure those barriers are overcome.
Boston Schools Need to Help Parents Understand IEPs
When officials from Boston schools are meeting with parents to discuss either placing a child in a special education program or reviewing the student's IEP (Individualized Education Plan), they need to make sure that the parents understand the proceedings. If there is a language barrier preventing both sides from understanding each other, then Boston schools should be made to provide one.
When parents of children attending Boston schools have questions, they are entitled to have the questions answered simply and directly. Perhaps a specific staff member at Boston schools needs to be appointed to act as a contact person when parents have questions or concerns about the special education program.
Boston Schools Can Work With Parents
What administrators at Boston schools need to understand is that parents want their children to do well in school and to have the best possible chance for success in their adult life. In order for the parents of students at Boston schools to make good choices concerning their children's education, they need to be able to understand what they are signing when they put their name on their child's IEP.
Boston schools deal with these issues all the time, and they need to understand that parents do not. Parents of children designated as having special needs may also need some time to absorb the information and to understand what it means to them. When professionals at Boston schools start talking about children needing alternate programs in order to learn, they sometimes forget that parents may have a difficult time accepting the fact that their child is not like his or her peers.
If administrators at Boston schools can keep in mind that parents want the best for their children and may need some more time to understand what the "special needs" designation means for their child, both sides will have come a long way toward understanding each other's point of view. The barriers to understanding can come down and the students will be the ones to benefit.
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