Pre-Hearing Conferences
Pennsylvania law offers parents various ways to resolve disagreements they may have over their child's special education program. The first step may be a pre-hearing conference where the school district agrees to meet with the parents to try to resolve the issues. (Sample letter to request a pre-hearing conference.)
The pre-hearing conference will be held within 10 calendar days of your request, unless school officials wish to go directly to a due process hearing and not hold the pre-hearing conference. (The pre-hearing conference cannot delay or deny a parent's request to a due process hearing.) At the pre-hearing conference, you and school officials will try to work out the differences you have about your child's special education identification, evaluation, program, or educational placement. Ideally, you will reach a solution that will satisfy both sides. If you cannot reach agreement at the conference, you have the right to ask for mediation or a special education due process hearing.