Know the participants at the meeting. Generally speaking, a CSE meeting is attended by the parent, the child, if appropriate, the child’s regular education teacher, his special education teacher, a member of the local school district, and a school administrator. It is almost always better to exclude the child from the meeting, especially if you anticipate that the matter discussed may be contentious.
Come prepared with a list of concerns. This is not the time to overwhelm the participants with minor details and grievances. Instead, whittle down the list to the crucial three concerns. This is a manageable number and you may find that several problems you have noticed comfortably fit under one heading. Provide a copy of the list to all participants.
Negotiate from a position of strength by producing a separate list that shows the steps taken as the student’s advocate to address the concerns. This list includes documented times, dates, and contents of telephone conversations or personal meetings and any other effort made to resolve the issues with the special or regular education teachers or the school administrator. Brevity is key on this list! You may elaborate as needed. Have copies of this list handy to offer to the participants.
Know what you want ahead of time. Although attending the meeting with a spirit of cooperation is highly advisable, underneath your calm and friendly demeanor needs to be a clear understanding of what you are willing to negotiate and what you are more or less demanding. For example, if you believe that your child should receive certain services, enumerate them and then offer your reason why the service desired will resolve a problem you have pointed out.
Take notes at the meeting. This is especially crucial if you believe you may need to retain legal counsel in the future or if you wish to appeal the decisions made at the meeting.