Stories from the Field
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The Teacher Who Refused to Let a Parent Off the Hook
Mrs. Jones came to me and asked if I could accompany her to a home visit, as she had been unable to get the parent to come to school and sign an IEP. We drove over to the house and Mrs. Jones knocked on the door with me as her backup. We could sense movement on the other side of the door, but no one answered. Mrs. Jones marched over to the window and rapped on the window, saying, “Mrs. Smith, I know you’re in there. Please answer the door. I want to talk about Jason. I won’t take long.” The little voice inside said, “I have the flu.” Mrs. Jones implored her again, “This won’t take long.” Mrs. Smith finally opened the door and let us in. Very quickly we realized that it was cold in the house in the middle of winter. The utilities were off. Mrs. Jones talked to the mother about the plans for her son and then concluded with, “My church would like to work with a family and help them out. Would it be alright if I put your name in?” The mother said, “ Yes, of course. Thank you!” That gesture began an ongoing partnership. The family began receiving assistance with their utilities and food from Mrs. Jones’ church. I began to see the mother at the parent meetings. Mrs. Jones reported that the child’s behavior improved.
I learned an important lesson from the teacher. Rather than writing off a family or student, don’t give up. Maybe one additional, persistent outreach by a caring staff member will be the difference between success and failure for that child.
