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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Because that's what people like to do in this town.  And that is why there is such high turn over for people that work in special education.  If you have an issue with your IEP team or with the service you are getting, then you can lawyer up.  Some people like to hire an advocate (rather than a lawyer) because they feel it helps them to have someone who is looking out for their child's interests during the meeting.[/quote]

PP, do you work in special education?  If so, I'm sorry you have this attitude.  The IEP process is a legal one.  It is a parent's right under IDEA law to invite whomever they want to an IEP meeting, including an advocate and/or an attorney as well as other family members, other professionals, therapists, doctors, etc.  Many parents feel intimidated by an IEP team that often consists of at least half a dozen school staff members.  Many parents (myself included) have had the experience at these meetings of being told that something they are asking for is "not available" or their child "doesn't qualify" or "can't be done" when in fact it is available, the child does qualify and the request can be done.  Surprisingly, when we attend an IEP meeting that is audio-recorded and with our lawyer present, many things can be done that previously weren't options.

I wish that IEP team members would understand this and not take the hiring of a lawyer so personally.   The IEP is a legal process, it's a parent's right to bring a lawyer.  Just like you probably wouldn't choose to represent yourself in court without a lawyer, many parents choose to be represented in the IEP with a lawyer who is familiar with the legal rights of the child and the legal obligations of the school system.  When I want my toilet fixed, I hire a plumber.  When I want to ensure my child is receiving the education to which he is legally entitled, I hire a lawyer.

I would venture a different guess for why there is such high turnover in special education -- many of the special education teachers do not actually have any formal training in the issues of the kids that they have to teach.  It's hard to teach an autistic child when you don't know what autism is.  It's hard to teach a dyslexic child when you have never heard of dyslexia and your school system has provided no teacher training on reading/decoding and your system has no pre-packaged instructional curriculum to deal with these issues.  As a result, special education teachers burn out because they are not able to get their kids to make meaningful progress (and then their parents get mad and hire lawyers….) [/quote]

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