“I just wanted to let you know that I am not going to go through the referral process anymore. I am retiring this year, and if I think one of my students has a learning problem, I am telling the parent to write a letter. I am done jumping through the hoops. I know when a student needs help.”

I did not know how to respond.

Thanks?

I agree?

I hope that this doesn’t get you in trouble?

I hope that this doesn’t get me in trouble?

So I smiled, walked away, and wondered what would actually happen. True to her word, this teacher did not go through the referral process, with its excessive documentation requirements, for any of her students that year. Rather, she handed me parental request letters for assessment – 3 after the first round of conferences – for the students who were struggling most in her class. And, she was right, they all needed help.

When parents have concerns, the barriers to getting help are even more aggravating because the obstacles are unknown. As one parent shared, “For a parent with a child with a suspected disability, it is like playing a game you don’t know the rules to and everyone hopes you won’t figure them out. You don’t even know what hoop number one is.” The difficulty of referring a child for assessment can set a negative tone for the whole IEP process. It also can create, unintentionally, adversarial relationships in what is should a team meeting.

The answer for special educators is to be open about the rules with … everyone. No one should get to hold all the cards. There needs to be transparency about the process, regulations and district practices with teachers and with parents. This honesty is crucial to success because it leads to better relationships among all team members and more positive outcomes for the child. It’s time to get rid of the hoops … or at the very least, identify where they are and how to get through them.