Dear Parents/Guardians of students with IEPs:
I know that many of you have questions about what the school closure
and transition to remote learning means for your child with an IEP. I
would like to start by thanking you for your patience as we continue to
work through these unprecedented challenges. We are receiving some
guidance from the US Department of Education, Ohio Department of
Education's Office of Exceptional Children, and our State Support Team.
We hope for continued clarification in the near future, but for now we
can give you the following answers:
What are we doing to complete Evaluation Team Reports?
If your child was in the process of having an Evaluation Team Report
completed, school psychologists will be in touch with you to discuss
options. Some ETRs will need to be delayed if direct assessment of your
child is required to complete the process and determine eligibility for
special education and the assessments did not occur prior to school
closing. The District is working to complete all ETRs within the given
timeline. If the ETR cannot be completed, the process will be initiated
again once school reopens.
What are we doing about convening IEP meetings?
Your child's special education provider (case manager) will contact
you to schedule the annual review IEP meeting through a video conference
(ZOOM) or by phone. We are working to meet all of our timelines and
continue to work together to create a current IEP that reflects your
child's special needs.
How will special education services continue for my child?
School districts must provide a free and appropriate public education
(FAPE) commensurate to the opportunities being provided to all students
and consistent with the need to protect the health and safety of
students with disabilities and those individuals providing education,
specialized instruction, and related services to these students. IEP
services will need to be conducted remotely and with reasonable
accommodations.
Our special education providers will be working collaboratively with
our general education teachers, counselors and related service providers
to create online learning opportunities around essential skills as we
move forward. Many have already set up Google Classrooms and have
provided practice and reinforcement lessons and activities. Related
service providers, such as occupational therapists and speech-language
pathologists, have shared activities and resources that parents can use
at home.
Communication specific to your child will come through your child's
primary special education provider. In the coming weeks, your child's
team will continually evaluate how your child's needs are being met, and
adjustments may be made within available learning structures.
Thank you for your flexibility in the coming weeks. I recognize that
this extended absence may be disruptive to your child's routines and
expectations. Please contact me if your concerns or questions cannot be
addressed by your child's special education provider. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Marty Patton, Asst. Superintendent of Special Services
martha.patton@bayschoolsohio.org
440-617-7324