What to say when the IEP or IPP meeting is moving too fast
By Jared Ohman · IEP, IPP, ISP, LSP and 504 meetings
When the school says
“We're running short on time, let's move on.”
You say
- “I want to make sure I'm tracking. Can we slow down on this part?”
- “Can I get a copy of today's notes, and the name of the person I follow up with?”
- “If not now, then when can we revisit it? Can we put a date on it?”
Sentences 10, 12, 9 of the free Parking-Lot Script.
Why this works
Meetings run at the pace of the people who run them every week. Slowing one down is not rude. It is how you stay in it. The last two sentences make sure the things that did not get finished do not disappear: notes you can read, a named person to follow up with, and a date. A meeting that ends before the plan is finished has not finished the plan.
Then, the same day
The next morning, email the follow-up person the items that were cut and the date you agreed to. Short, numbered, no apology. If nobody was named, send it to the chair and ask who owns it.
If you are in Alberta
If the meeting ended before the IPP, ISP or LSP was complete, the plan is not complete, and it should not be treated as final. Ask for the next date before you leave the room, and ask which plan your division is writing so the follow-up names the right document.
Not in Alberta? The sentences are the same in an Ontario IEP, an IPRC, a US IEP or a 504 meeting. Only the paperwork changes.
Related guide: How to Prepare for an IPP Meeting in Alberta
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