Dissenting Opinions: A parents voice documneted

 

 Do you know why you send a dissenting opinion about eligibility or information in your PWN, Prior Written Notice? This statement from you the parent is a legal way to document a disagreement as the result of the meeting. Many times parents want to have a way of documenting their objection to the findings that will remain in their child's file. The Dissenting opinion is the way to do so. If at some point in the future you request FERPA, a copy of your child's academic record, your dissenting opinion should be there as well.  This document helps to document the process and  disagreement between you the parent and the school.  The key to this rigorous process is documentation. DO NOT let a school systems tell you that your disagreement was noted in the PWN, as it should be, and that its not necessary, I have found that this letter allows for the full weight of the parents voice to weight in and not the cliff notes version from the team.

Please note, in all correspondence with the school it is important to put your child's student ID in the subject line, this helps to ensure it gets places in the proper record.


See Example Below:

  DISSENTING OPINION: Child’s Student ID

Date

Name of Administative Official

Name of Assistant Principal

Name of Dean ( if Applicable)

 

Dear___________________________,

 

I am writing on behalf of my child,_____________________________, and  the IEP detrmination denial of services for my child. I disagree with this finding based on the following information:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Under the First Circuit Court of Appeals, COPPA argues that under the individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C,1404,et,seq (IDEA) a student qualifies for special education services under Specific Learning Disability (SLD) if a child meet the two basic criteria, the child must show evidence that he/she  does not achieve adequately for his or hers  age or fails to meet State-Approved grade level of testing. With all the data noted, there is an educational impact and consistent pattern of learning achievement based on these findings. I do not support the findings of denial of services to my child.

 

Respectfully,

 

NAME/DATE

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