Teresa: I have a former student now in high school. She does not qualify for an IEP with her dyslexia/dysgraphia so she has a 504 with accommodations. Her Chemistry teacher is not following the 504, is not calling on her in class to help with her confusion, is unavailable to meet before or after school, etc. He states that he will fail her if she doesn’t start doing the work in class. She cannot do the work because she does not understand it. What does the law say about this situation and how can I counsel her to proceed?
Sometimes teachers need strategies on how to help a student. You mentioned “former student.” Are you still in the same school district? Can you communicate directly with her case manager and come up with creative ways to help her and get him on board. I have found, at the middle and even high school level, that some teachers (tenured mostly) are untouchable. As much as the student fights him on this, he may not back down. He may listen to strategies that will make his job “easier”. There are some wonderful ways to accommodate her and must I say “the teacher” so both are winners in this situation. The teachers does not want to do any extra work. Or, her case manager needs to step up and provide more support to the teacher so he can accommodate.
The student or someone can point out to the teacher that the accommodations are to be followed. If this does not change the situation, the principal can be informed.