The opportunity for parents to meaningfully participate in the development of their child's individualized education program (IEP) is the cornerstone of IDEA. In this session, participants will be introduced to key restorative values, language, and practices for building and preserving relationships between parents and educators that are rooted in respect, all to support the collaboration required by IDEA for designing a child's IEP and to effectively resolve disputes about special education programming and services that often emerge along the road. Participants will have the opportunity to “try on” restorative language and experience the paradigm shift that comes with a restorative approach to parent engagement. All content, activities, and tools are designed for use in the special education landscape and aligned with the overarching purpose of IDEA to improve outcomes for children with disabilities.
Speakers