Page 33 - Shared Solutions: A Guide to Preventing and Resolving Conflicts Regarding Programs and Services for Students with Special Education Needs 2007

be to ensure the student’s academic, social, and emotional development by pro- viding him or her with the most appropriate programs and services.
MUTUAL RESPECT
All parties should treat others as they themselves would like to be treated.
ACCESSIBILITY
All information relating to programs and services should be freely available to all involved, with transparent and user-friendly protocols and procedures for obtaining the information. It is also important to provide barrier-free access for students and parents to facilities and accommodations such as translators or sign-language interpreters.
RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
All parties should refrain from making judgements about others based on culture or ethnicity, social or economic background, religion, or gender.
Resolving Conflicts
Respecting Diversity
Students, parents, and educators in Ontario come from many different backgrounds. To ensure that people from different backgrounds are able to communicate and build collaborative relationships, school personnel should:
consult a multicultural or multi-faith calendar to ensure that meetings are not scheduled on a day when a parent or educator cannot be available;
recruit interpreters for English language learners where available (e.g., from among community members);
state the purpose of any calls or letters home in clear and reassuring lan- guage (to avoid alarming parents, who may assume their child is in trouble);
avoid using jargon (acronyms such as IEP or IPRC can be confusing for a number of parents, including those who are English language learners);
encourage and assist parents to seek out and establish partnerships with others in similar circumstances and/or with similar concerns (e.g., about par- enting in a new cultural environment).
(Source: Adapted from Ontario Ministry of Education, Many Roots, Many Voices: Supporting English Language Learners in the Classroom, 2005.)
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