Does it take to change a bulb?
If team members were asked “How many IEP meetings does it take to change a light bulb,” this is what I imagine they might say:
Parent – “The light bulb is not the only thing that’s burnt out.”
General Education Teacher – “No one said I was going to have to teach changing light bulbs.”
Case Manager – “If you hadn’t wanted so many hours of service in that room, maybe the light bulb wouldn’t have burned out.”
Transition Coordinator – “I think they cover that in life skills.”
Special Education Teacher – “We don’t need a light bulb, it’s not like they’re reading or writing.”
Special Education Director – “We’ll have to just keep changing his placement until we find a room that has a light bulb.”
Resource Teacher – “The side benefit is that we’ll have to bring them up from the basement.”
Teaching Assistant – “We don’t really need a new light bulb, there’s enough light coming off the television.”
School District Attorney – “The regulations don’t require light in the timeout room.”
Dean of Discipline – “Is there supposed to be a light in the time-out room?”
Assistive Technology Team – “First, we have to determine that the light bulb’s really burnt out and then we can trial a flashlight.”
School Nurse – “I don’t know how many it will take to change the light bulb, but all the special ed children will have to go home until we do.”
Secretary at the meeting – “O.K. then, how many minutes of light are we allotting in the IEP?”
Special Education Director – “We are willing to provide nightlights and maybe open the door a crack; we feel this is more than educationally appropriate and all Rowley requires.”
Teacher – (Sobbing) “What do you people expect from us anyway!”
Parent – “I don’t understand why you’re being so difficult, it’s not like we’re asking for a chandelier.”
School Psychologist – “The children are just lazy. If they really wanted to learn they’d study by candle light like Abraham Lincoln.”
Janitorial Custodian – “I’d like to help you, but I’m not a part of the IEP team.”
Dean of Discipline – “I’m just here to make sure we write it as ‘change the light bulb.’ The minute anyone uses the word, ‘screw’ this meeting is over.”
Special Education Attorney – “The light bulb is the least important thing that needs to be changed in that classroom.”