Parents are Key
March 2023 | Issue #37
“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.” Jane D. Hull, Educator
It is a fact that parental support, adult support, is the single most important contributor to a child’s success in school and life. Our legislators knew this in 1975 when they wrote Public Law 94-142, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Parents are named as equal members of the IEP team as declared by the IDEA:
IDEA (at §300.321) describes the IEP team as including the following members:
… (1) the parents of the child; (2) not less than one regular education teacher of the child (if the child is, or may be, participating in the regular education environment); (3) no less than on special education teacher, (4) a representative of the public agency, (5) an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results, (6) other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, the child with a disability…
The parent’s input is vital to the IEP team’s determination of how and where the child will be taught. This includes decisions related to assessments, programs, services, supports, and in some cases, location. The parent’s job is to be the voice that ensures their child’s needs are being met.
Children are much more than an assessment score or a label. Parents are key to providing educators a view of the whole child. They provide a unique understanding of how their child responds in times of success and frustration; happiness and sadness; and in a variety of settings. Educators see their students for limited time periods with limited experiences. Parents know the child’s background, development history and family situations that may impact learning. Many parents will say that their child acts differently at home than at school. Providing these observations gives educators a more complete understanding of the child.
As an IEP Team member, parents have input into the learning and behavior goals. They know their child’s strengths and weaknesses and how their child responds to pressure and expectations; they know the circumstances under which the child has been most successful; they see how the child handles homework and social situations; they know if the goals are ambitious enough or realistic based on what they hope for their child’s future. Parents have a role in holding educators accountable to the child’s learning. Many parents know if adjustments need to be made to slow down or increase intensity, or whether more support is needed for behavior or mental health. Parents complete the picture.
Most importantly, a parent is the one person who will be by the child’s side as they move through the education system of TK-12 and beyond. Teachers change from year to year, but parents have the history; they have the big picture. Parents are the key.
PBIS Recognition
The PBIS recognition application window is now open until May 12th.
Friendly reminders:
- The Desert Mountain SELPA's Prevention and Intervention (P&I) Team is here to help with the recognition process.
- Each school must have an Authorized CPC External Reviewer (ACER) to support the process. You can reach out to a P&I Specialist to arrange for an ACER to assist.
- If your school team is implementing PBIS and has not worked with the P&I team for a while, you may still apply for recognition. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
- Each school team will need an up-to-date Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI).
Visit the
PBIS California Website for more information!