This episode begins with a lighthearted poem, “I Do Not Like These IEPs.” The Alphabet Soup of Education, Jargon, acronyms, and technical terms, make communication between educators and parents confusing, causing misunderstandings and miscommunication. Bud and Jacobson discuss some of the l terms that perplex and befuddle parents during IEP meetings. Their intent is to help close this communication gap. 

Bud and Jacobson define family engagement as parents and school staff working together to support and improve the learning, development, and health of a student. In this episode, Carrie Falcone, a mother of a middle school child, is their guest. She shares her insights regarding the importance of family engagement, and the difficulties she experienced that impacted on her ability to trust her local school district.

This episode offers a deep dive into early intervention services. Peggy Bud interviews Tamara Jacobson, her Ask the Educator partner, about her experiences as a parent of a child with significant special needs. Tamara gives a detailed account of her journey as a mother and educator navigating the early intervention process. 

This episode will discuss how and why it is crucial to build genuine connections through open communication. The mantra of Ask the Educators is Trust is a Must. Trust is trusting ME to tell the truth. Trust is trusting YOU to tell the truth. And Trust is YOU believing ME and ME believing YOU. Authentic, data driven conversations build trust through honesty and transparency.

Parents’ input is crucial, which is why Ask the Educators invited Sivan Hong, parent and noted author, to be their special guest. This podcast discusses the importance of parents having a voice in the IEP process, which special education law specifically outlines by saying parents are equal members of their child’s IEP team. Many times,parents feel their voices are not heard or validated, leading to feeling intimidated by the process. Sivan shares her story and perspective regarding parent-input and its impact on her child’s learning.

Bud and Jacobson introduced an original concept, the pre-meeting in their book Navigating Special Education. This episode discusses the importance of pre-meetings as laying the groundwork for active participation between parents and educators during the IEP process. Pre-meetings build trust and lead to parent engagement.

Reaching consensus prevents meetings from turning adversarial. This episode focuses on the importance of meshing ideas during the compromise process so that parents and educators can support the decisions even if they don’t totally agree, which Bud and Jacobson define as “reaching consensus.” An example of the antithesis of reaching consensus is a school district telling parents ‘This is the program we offer for students with your child’s learning needs.’ In this case, parents feel their voices don’t matter and become ‘the unhappy minority.’ The goal is to find a path to consensus.

To Bud and Jacobson compromise is not a ‘dirty word,’ and they define it as the meshing of ideas instead of being a process that requires each side to give something up. In this episode they discuss how conversations open new possibilities and can lead to creative ways to address the child’s needs. Honing the art of compromise leads to everyone feeling heard and respected.

Building parent-teacher partnerships leads to student success. In this episode, Bud, and Jacobson use Justin’s story, from their book Navigating Special Education, to highlight the importance of parents and teachers working together to support the student. Cultivating these partnerships is crucial for all parents.

This episode brings to light Bud and Jacobson’s vision of parents and educators forging partnerships; working collaboratively and cooperatively to ensure the child gets what they need to be successful. It’s all about the conversation, which must be a dialogue, not a monologue. Asking questions, perspective taking, and active listening are the core elements of an effective conversation. Conversations will lead to productive meetings and encourage everyone to have a voice. Peggy and Tamara share real case studies to highlight the importance of conversations. Being willing to have open, honest, and transparent conversations will have a positive effect on student success.