Communication & Conflict Resolution
Communication and Collaboration
Families look toward educators, health care providers and other professionals to provide information and support that will help their children to learn, grow and succeed. With strong parent-professional collaboration, parents play a pivotal role in their children’s education, health care and overall development. When doctors, school administrators, teachers, therapists, coaches and others are sensitive to families and communicate clearly with them, they help parents to help their children. To learn more click the link below.
How Parents Can Communiate With Professionals Fact Sheet
Mediation
If you and your child’s school team disagree about an education issue in your child’s plan, one tool that is available to you is mediation. Mediation is a free, voluntary process that will be used only if you and the school agree to take part. The mediator’s job is to help you and the school district come to an agreement, not to make decisions for you. You or the school may end mediation at any time. Agreeing to mediation will not delay or deny access to a due process hearing, and you may ask for mediation at any time, either before or after you request a hearing. The Department of Education will offer mediation when you or the school asks for a due process hearing, but you are not required to accept it. Mediation will be scheduled at a time and place convenient to you and the school district.
A trained, impartial mediator who is not an employee of the school district and has no conflict of interest with your situation will conduct the mediation. The Vermont Department of Education has a list of qualified mediators who are assigned, on a rotating basis, to work with parents and school staff. You and the school district may agree on a different mediator. You may bring an advocate, support person and/or family members to mediation. Your school district may bring its lawyer but only if you bring one, too. The information that you and the school district discuss during mediation is confidential. What you and the school district say cannot be repeated in a later due process hearing or court proceeding. If you and the school district reach an agreement, it will be put in writing and become part of your student’s permanent education records
Administrative Complaint
You have the right to file an administrative complaint with the Vermont Commissioner of Education if you believe a school district has violated federal or state special education laws. An organization or a group of parents may also file a complaint if it believes that there are violations affecting a number of students. The Commissioner will appoint department staff to investigate the complaint, and a decision must be issued within 60 days of receipt of the complaint, unless an extension is granted. You will receive a copy of the decision.
To investigate the complaint, the Department of Education may, but is not required to, conduct an on-site review. The department will also give you an opportunity to present additional information, orally or in writing. Its staff will review all relevant information and make a decision about whether the school district has violated federal or state special education laws. If your administrative complaint is also the subject of a due process hearing, the department will not investigate any part of the complaint that is being addressed as part of the due process hearing until the conclusion of the hearing. The due process hearing decision is binding.
Administrative Complaint Fact Sheet
Due Process Complaint
A special education due process hearing is a formal review conducted by a trained, impartial hearing officer appointed by the Vermont Department of Education. Due process complaints may be filed with the department regarding special education and 504 issues for students.
