Tape Record Your IEP Meeting
Parents always have the right to tape record your IEP meeting. To do so, parents are required to provide a “Notice to Tape” 24 hours prior to the IEP. The notice simply states, “Please be advised, I plan to tape record my child’s IEP meeting scheduled for (date & time)”.
When a parent tapes, the district will also tape-record the meeting. This is simply a formality and what they do when a parent tapes. It is not meant to be adversarial, it is just protocol. Likewise, when a parent tapes, it is not necessarily an adversarial strategy either. There are many reasons why a parent would tape the meeting other than preparing to file for due process, or plan for litigation.
IEP meetings cover a myriad of information and include valuable IEP team discussions regarding the present levels and needs of your child. When assessment findings are reviewed, parents cannot possibly remember or understand everything that is reported on at a meeting. IEP meetings are stressful and it is difficult to interpret and follow complex information, coupled with the emotions parents feel about their child’s education. IEP meetings contain crucial information regarding your child, and having a record that you can go back and listen to is just a smart thing to do!
If a spouse cannot be in attendance at a meeting, it is a great idea to tape the meeting so your spouse can listen to what happened at the meeting. When there is important discussion in which a decision was made, the tape will be evidence of the outcome of that discussion. If the IEP notes are not complete because they do not capture the full agreement, the tape is evidence of that agreement and you can ask that the IEP be amended to add what was not documented correctly.
Check out this quick video on recording your IEP meetings!
Don’t be afraid to tape record your next IEP meeting! It is the smart thing to do as a knowledgeable parent advocate.
