Parents press for the right to record school meetings about children with special needs
A policy that will be discussed further at the next Columbia Board of Education meeting will surround allowing parents with special needs children to record meetings about their child with faculty and staff within the district. (FILE)
COLUMBIA — A policy that will be discussed further at the next Columbia Board of Education meeting will surround allowing parents with special needs children to record meetings about their child with faculty and staff within the district.
Currently, the recording of meetings is prohibited among district employees and between district employees and parents/guardians.
This is the policy as written about recording of meetings in the in the district handbook:
Currently, the Board of Education prohibits the use of audio, visual or other recording devices at meetings held pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as other meetings among district employees and between district employees and parents/guardians. Exceptions to this prohibition will be made only in accordance with Board policy and law, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, as to allow a parent's ability to fully participate. Requests for such exceptions must be made within a reasonable period of time prior to the scheduled meetings. This prohibition does not apply to conversations held within view of district security cameras.
The policy states that exceptions will be made "only in accordance with Board policy and law."
Kate Basi, the parent of a daughter with down syndrome and who is also a part of Columbia Special Education Parent-Teacher Association, said going into the meetings, everything happens so quickly and most times she said she comes out feeling like she's prepared.
"Overwhelmed always, there's so much information coming at you and you simply can't process it all, you just can't," Basi said. "It's not that you don't want to, it's not that you're not smart enough, it's just too much."
She said being able to go back and hear the meetings would be beneficial to understanding what goals need to be set for a child.
"This is how we can be more effective because we will be more informed and more educated about the process and what exactly is going on with our children," Basi said.
According to a Facebook post by Columbia School Board Member, Blake Willoughby, last month community members requested that the committee look at Policy KKB, which restricts the audio recording of meetings. Willoughby said parents of kids with IEPs and 504s are requesting to be able to record these meetings, which are to create a plan to help the child academically succeed. Willoughby isn't on the policy committee, but he said he attended as a community member.
The first Individualized Education Program meeting takes place after a child receives an educational disability diagnosis. The meetings are used to develop a plan for the child, according to the district’s website. Meetings to review the IEP are held annually.
Although Missouri has a law that allows recording if one party consents, the district states it must protect the confidentiality of minors.
Amy Salladay, an attorney who has children with an IEP and 504 plan, said there is a lot of information to retain at each meeting, making it nearly impossible to write down every single thing. Salladay said she's found from an attorney perspective that Missouri law allow recording if one party consents however, she said school districts are able to make more restrictive policies.
She said she feels having the right to record would resolve some disputes between parents and the school because there'll be an official record of what was said.
Recently, Salladay has been able to record four meetings because her husband has a learning disability that affects his ability to take notes while listening. She said her family requested an accommodation underneath the Americans with Disabilities Act. The district granted their accommodation however, she said she's unable to confirm if this applies to all families because the current policy doesn't specify what exceptions can be made.
Once students turn 18, they're required to run their own meetings and high school student Emery Wakefield said it would greatly benefit her. Wakefield told KRCG 13 in a statement:
I would like to be able to record my own 504 meetings. I had to leave out of my meeting half-way through to go to my class. It’s not always scheduled at convenient times. I never got to hear what was said in the second half. Also, my Dad can’t attend the meetings during the day due to his work schedule. It would help him to know what is being discussed if he could hear the meeting later in a recording.
Both Basi and Salladay said they're extremely satisfied with Columbia Public School's work they put in for the children, however, they said this will be a step toward getting on the same page.
