Can I observe my child?

A parent writes, “I have requested to observe my child in her classroom and the school told me I am not allowed?” 

In Massachusetts, parents have the right to observe any program(s) proposed for their child if their child is identified as eligible for special education services. To allow parents to participate fully and effectively as equal IEP team members, “… a school committee must, upon request by the parent, provide timely access to parents, parent-designated independent evaluators and educational consultants for observations of a child’s current program and proposed programs. This includes both academic and non-academic components of the program. Parents (and their designees) must be given access of sufficient duration and extent to enable them to evaluate a child’s performance in a current program and the ability of a proposed program to enable such child to make effective progress. School committees shall impose no conditions or restrictions on such observations except those necessary to ensure the safety of children in a program or the integrity of the program while under observation or to protect children in the program from disclosure by an observer of confidential and personally identifiable information in the event such information is obtained in the course of an observation by a parent or a designee.” [emphasis mine.]

Let’s break this down: This right extends to parents, parent-designated independent evaluators, and educational consultants. Some observation requests may require more planning depending on the complexity of your child’s needs, the program(s) observed, the program schedule, and the parent’s availability. It is recommended that schools determine observation requests on an individual basis, and work with the parent as a Team to find access to observe in a timely manner.  In addition, schools may not restrict or place conditions on observations unless they are necessary to address specific concerns about the impact of the observations on the program itself or the children in it.  Some schools may argue observations interfere with the class program, but without merit, this cannot be a basis for denial or restriction from your child’s classroom.  A common argument schools cite is the violation of confidentiality of the other children in the program. While confidentiality of all children is paramount, parents are often invited into a student’s room daily for a variety of reasons - mystery reader, volunteer in math centers, Holiday parties, the list goes on. School staff must simply take measures to remove any materials that are a part of another student’s record from the observer’s view. Observations are an important resource that provide invaluable input not only for future program recommendations, but helpful insight into your child’s social and learning environment.