SCPTSA testimony on HB 1051

February 5, 2025 SCPTSA Communications

On Monday, Feb 3 at the House Education 1:30 pm public hearing, SCPTSA Treasurer June Nho Ivers gave strong testimony in support of HB 1051—permitting the recording of individualized education program team meetings. Thank you June for standing with disabled students and parents as we advocate together for a system that recognizes the rights and supports the humanity of every family in our public school system!

Hello Vice Chair Shavers, Chair Santos Members of the Education Committee, For the record my name is June Nho Ivers, testifying on behalf of Seattle Council PTSA and a constituent of 46th District. Testifying PRO on 1051. As part of the support we provide to over 80 PTAs and PTSAs, we are sometimes called into more complex IEP meetings, particularly meetings for students in unique circumstances, often including students whose family support systems may have barriers to access including, but not limited to language access. However, even for our families for whom everything is going well—where the team works well together, where progress is being made, and parents are happy with the level of support—in the best circumstances many parents still find IEP meetings to be overwhelming and find that there is information that they missed or want to revisit later. Recording of IEP meetings is helpful for our families, for understanding, and for reducing conflict that is due to miscommunication or misremembering of what happened in the meeting. It is to the benefit of the student for everyone on the IEP team to have a shared understanding of what happened, what are strategies to support the student, and to help everyone to work together for the benefit of the student. For our caregivers who have access needs, for whom they are new to navigating the American Public School system and the IEP system, recording these meetings is vital. In an IEP meeting, the language is technical, “eduspeak”, and it is even difficult for native English speakers raised in this country to navigate. These meetings are filled with small details that have large impacts. Most of our families are not lawyers or teachers. Yet we know that the best outcomes happen when every team member—especially parents and family—are a full part of the team. Thank you for your consideration and we ask that you pass this bill.