Throughout the late summer and early fall, Elizabeth Vaughan Elementary conducted several special education placement meetings. My supervisor believed these meetings would be “controversial” and would be good experiences. During these meetings, I acted as an observer by watching how the administrators conducted the meeting and dealt with hostile parents.
Through my observations, I learned that no matter how upset a parent or staff member gets, it is imperative to have the meeting focused on what is best for the student. Several times throughout the meetings, the staff would be focused on what was best for the school or the parent would be focused on what’s ideal for them. When this occurred, the administrator brought the focus back to the child, therefore the two parties could meet on common ground.
The Special Education placement meetings are typically interesting due to varying views of each party. It is imperative to place the student in a place where he/she can succeed. Since this may require many support systems, it is important to keep in mind that this student will need to function in society. Therefore, these support systems should be working towards independence in the near future.
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