Timothy Gilsbach was quoted in the Special Ed Connection article "Work it Out: Take these Steps if Parents Threaten to File a Complaint." While the full text can be found in the January 17, 2014, issue of Special Ed Connection, a synopsis is noted below.

If a parent tells a teacher they are going to file an OCR complaint, do not panic.

Review parents' concerns at 504, IEP meeting. Encourage parents to communicate their concerns to the team so that the district can work to address them, said Gilsbach. "Get as many specifics as you can," he said. Also, validate and acknowledge parents' concerns. Use phrases such as: "That makes sense. I see what you're saying. Yes, we should definitely look into that."

Find middle ground. School staff may agree with the parents' concern, but not with how they want the school to remedy the problem, said Gilsbach. For example, parents may ask for a certain accommodation or methodology, but the district may think an alternative accommodation or methodology will also meet the child's needs.

Some parents might be on board with what the district suggests, said Gilsbach. In these situations, offer to convene an IEP or Section 504 meeting in a few weeks to discuss whether the change is working for the student. "Parents feel more comfortable with a new situation or idea when you say, 'Let's try this for a period of time and reconvene in a few weeks to see how things are going,'" he said. "The key is to make sure that the team does meet at that time, because parents will be counting on it."

Review child's entire program. Whenever you know that parents are unhappy or are considering filing a complaint, it is good to revisit the student's entire program. "The parents may dig deeper to see if there are other issues that they can identify," said Gilsbach. "Or, they will get an attorney who will examine the child's program more closely." Thus, take parents' unhappiness seriously. "If they present one concern to you, use that as an opportunity to examine the child's program and see if there are other possible issues," he said.

Act in child's best interest. If school staff believes that the parents' requested service is unnecessary for providing the child FAPE, or that it would not meet the child's needs, communicate that to parents. "Obviously this conversation should take place after you took time to consider the parents' suggestion," said Gilsbach.

Don't feel pressure to acquiesce to the parents' request. "Parents sometimes say, 'Here's my concern. I need a response by noon tomorrow or I am filing for due process,'" said Gilsbach. In these situations, let the parent know that you need time to look into things and that you will respond within a reasonable period of time. "Don't feel pressured by artificial deadlines created by the parent," he said. "You shouldn't be forced to do something just because the parents say they are filing for due process. You want to make sure that you investigated the issue and responded appropriately."

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