Negotiating for Your Child's Education: A Guide for Parents
Negotiating for Your Child's Education: A Guide for Parents
By following these tips, you can create a more collaborative and productive conversation with the school, which will increase the chances of finding a solution that addresses both your child's needs and the school's concerns.
Breaking the Impasse: Strategies for Resolving Disagreements with the School
January 18, 2023
Look for common ground
Looking for common ground is an important step in resolving disagreements with the school. It can help you understand where the school is coming from and what their concerns are, which can make it easier to find a solution that addresses both your child's needs and the school's concerns.
Here are a few ways to find common ground:
Ask open-ended questions: Instead of making demands or stating your position, try to understand the school's perspective by asking questions like "Can you tell me more about why you think this approach would be best for my child?" or "What are your concerns about this situation?"
Listen actively: When the school is explaining their perspective, make an effort to truly listen and understand where they're coming from.
Look for underlying needs: Both you and the school want what's best for your child. Identify the underlying needs and concerns that are driving your positions and see if there's a way to address those needs in a way that works for everyone.
For example, let's say you want to change the accommodations for your child in the classroom, but the school is concerned that the proposed accommodations would be too costly. By looking for common ground, you might discover that the underlying needs are: your child's need for more support and the school's need to use resources effectively. Together, you can find a solution that addresses both needs, such as finding a more cost-effective accommodation that still supports your child.
By looking for common ground, you'll be able to approach the negotiation with a more collaborative mindset, which can increase the chances of resolving the disagreement in a way that benefits everyone.
Additional tips from Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator, include:
Show empathy: Put yourself in the other person's shoes and try to understand their perspective. This will help build trust and rapport, which is essential for finding common ground.
Avoid blame: Don't place blame on the other person or party. Instead, focus on finding a solution to the problem.
Use "mirroring": Repeat back to the other person what they've just said, to show that you're actively listening and understanding their perspective. This can also help identify key concerns or underlying needs.
Use calibrated questions: Ask questions that encourage the other person to think more deeply about their position, such as "What specifically about this situation concerns you?" or "Can you help me understand why this is important to you?"
By following these tips, you can create a more collaborative and productive conversation with the school, which will increase the chances of finding a solution that addresses both your child's needs and the school's concerns.
When all else fails:
Are you stuck at a dead end in advocating for your child's education? Look no further. Attorney Joseph Montgomery, with his refined negotiation skills developed during his time as an Assistant District Attorney and over a decade of private practice fighting for students' rights, is here to help. Don't let your child's education fall by the wayside. Call on Attorney Joseph Montgomery and his team to unlock educational opportunities and advocate for your child's future. Don't wait, take action now!