These burdens have also undermined the fundamental trust among parents, educators, and administrators. Over time, I have witnessed an erosion in this trust, with parents believing that schools do not meet their needs, and school staff believing that parents are asking for services they simply cannot provide. Parents and educators should be allies all seeking to ensure the best possible services for students with disabilities. Relieving Excessive Paperwork Burdens NEA members across the country routinely express frustration that unwarranted paperwork is undermining the intent of IDEA to ensure a quality education to students with disabilities. In effect, educators who have made a real commitment and have received additional training to teach special needs students are finding themselves spending more time filling out forms and less time filling in students.
Documentation is certainly essential to ensure that students get appropriate and necessary services.
Much of the paperwork problem appears to stem from lack of information at the state and local level regarding federal law. Often, local administrators unfamiliar with the federal law or fearful of litigation require paperwork not mandated under federal law. Also in Birmingham, all notes about a student s progress on the IEP must be handwritten in the presence of the parent. In Port Orchard, Washington, special education teachers need an additional hour each day to complete required paperwork. Paperwork burdens in this district have turned special education into an entry-level position, with more experienced teachers transferring to general education to avoid the paperwork.