What to say when the school says “we'll see what we can do”
By Jared Ohman · IEP, IPP, ISP, LSP and 504 meetings
When the school says
“We'll see what we can do.”
You say
- “If not now, then when can we revisit it? Can we put a date on it?”
- “I hear that. Can we get both the request and the reason for the no written into the notes?”
Sentences 9, 7 of the free Parking-Lot Script.
Why this works
“We'll see” is the sentence that ends most requests. It sounds like a yes and commits to nothing. A date is the whole fix. Once there is a date, someone has to come back with an answer, and if the answer is no, you are back at the first script with the reason in the notes. You are not being difficult. You are being the one person in the room whose calendar this lives on.
Then, the same day
Put the date in your follow-up email and in your own calendar. On the date, send one line: “Checking in on X, which we agreed to revisit today.” If it slips again, ask for the reason in writing.
If you are in Alberta
Many Alberta divisions review IPPs, ISPs and LSPs at set points in the year, often around November, March and June. “When can we revisit it” has a natural answer: the next review, with a date. Ask for that date to be written into the plan itself, not just remembered.
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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