Special Education Resolution Center

09/09/2026

If you’ve participated in an individualized education program (IEP) meeting, you may have heard someone referred to as the LEA. But what does that mean?

LEA stands for Local Education Agency. In most situations, LEA refers to the local school district or other public agency responsible for providing special education and related services to eligible students.

During an IEP meeting, you may also hear someone referred to as the LEA representative. This is a member of the IEP team who represents the school district and meets specific requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Among other things, this person must be knowledgeable about the district’s resources and have the authority to commit those resources to support the student’s educational needs.

Why does this matter? The IEP team isn't simply discussing what a student needs. It’s making decisions about the special education services and supports that will be provided. Having an LEA representative at the table helps ensure that the team can have meaningful conversations and make decisions about the resources needed to implement the student's IEP.

Understanding the language used in an IEP meeting can make it easier for everyone at the table to follow the conversation, ask questions, and participate fully in making important educational decisions for a student.

We invite you to follow along each week and share your questions, experiences, and insights as we learn together.

09/03/2026

Are your school meetings productive, collaborative, and solution-focused — or do they sometimes feel like they get stuck in the weeds? Whether you’re leading IEP meetings, staff discussions, or parent conferences, the ability to guide a group toward shared understanding is a game-changing skill.

Join SERC for our one-day facilitation training on September 14, 2026, designed for anyone in a leadership role within their district: counselors, principals, special education directors, and special education teachers. In this hands-on training, you’ll learn:
• Essential qualities and skills every great facilitator should have
• The facilitator’s role before, during, and after a meeting
• Practical strategies for keeping conversations on track, even when discussions get tough
• A full toolbox of techniques you can use immediately in your own meetings

This session is perfect for districts wanting to develop in-house facilitators for IEP meetings or for educators who want to sharpen their communication and conflict-resolution skills. You’ll leave with resources, strategies, and the confidence to lead any meeting, no matter how challenging.

To register for the September 2026 Facilitation Training opportunity, visit https://okserc.org/stakeholder-training/.

09/02/2026

Today begins a new series highlighting ten of the most common special education acronyms used in individualized education program (IEP) meetings.

Language plays an important role in helping people communicate and work together effectively. School teams use special education acronyms every day, so these terms become second nature. For many parents, however, these acronyms may be unfamiliar, making it more difficult to follow the conversation and participate fully in the meeting.

Each week we'll highlight one acronym, explaining what it means, how it's commonly used, and why it's important when discussing the unique educational supports and services a student may need.

Our goal is simple: to help everyone at the table share a common understanding so that conversations can be more collaborative, meaningful, and productive.

We invite you to follow along each week and share your questions, experiences, and insights as we learn together.

09/01/2026

Join SERC for Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue training offered in Tulsa on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue is a nationally recognized training that helps people have difficult conversations that they are afraid to have or that aren't going well. And the focus of the training is not just about communication - it's about helping people get the results they want and need.

Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue can help you in your conversations with:
• School administrators
• Staff and personnel, including general ed teachers
• Services resource providers
• IEP team members
• Parents and their advocates

The class takes place over two days from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM each day. The class is open to district administrators, special education directors/staff, and parent agencies.

To register for SERC's Fall 2026 Stakeholder Training opportunities, visit https://okserc.org/stakeholder-training/.

08/20/2026

Be sure to explore everything SERC has to offer on our website. Registration is now open for our fall regional trainings on the Stakeholder Training webpage, including:
• Facilitation Meetings
• Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue

These regional training opportunities are available in both the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas.

If you hop over to our Wisdom Wednesday Monthly Webinar page at
https://okserc.org/wisdom-wednesdays-monthly-webinar/, you will see links to register for our upcoming webinars on a variety of different special education topics.

If you cannot attend live, don't worry! All of our previous webinars are archived for easy access.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for news, updates, and a behind-the-scenes look at SERC's work across Oklahoma! We look forward to connecting with you.

08/18/2026

SERC staff have wrapped up the summer and kicked off the new school year with a bang!

It’s been a busy few weeks filled with opportunities to connect, collaborate, and share. We presented at the Oklahoma State Department of Education–Special Education Services (OSDE-SES) Summer Conference, trained outreach staff at the Oklahoma School for the Deaf (OSD), joined OSDE-SES and Oklahoma Parents Center (OPC) leadership at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., and trained school staff in Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue.

Now, we’re ramping up for another school year of supporting Oklahoma families and educators, strengthening communication and collaboration, and helping resolve special education disputes at the earliest stage possible.

We’re excited for the year ahead and all the opportunities it will bring to connect with communities across the state. As school districts welcome students back, we hope every student is off to a positive start and has a successful year of learning and growth!

08/12/2026

Welcome back to school! The Special Education Resolution Center (SERC) staff look forward to supporting IEP teams this year and hope that everyone (parents and educators alike) has a great start to this new school year! We hope to continue hearing success stories of collaboration, good conversations, and teams working together for the betterment of Oklahoma students.

A snippet from our June 2026 SERC Scoop reminds us: Every school year begins with a shared goal for both schools and families– to effectively educate students so they can continue to make meaningful progress. The relationship between school districts and families in developing an appropriate individualized education program (IEP) for a student with a disability is ongoing and involves differing opinions. It’s human nature that individuals will not always agree. However, when those disagreements arise, it can be easy to lose sight of the common purpose and begin to see each other as adversaries, rather than allies. As attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, “Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.” While disagreement is natural, navigating those difficult conversations with respect and a heart of collaboration will benefit the student the most.

As a reminder, if you have questions about dispute resolution or need services, do not hesitate to reach out to our office staff at 918-270-1849 or send us an email at [email protected].

08/05/2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in special education. Many families rely on AI to navigate their student’s educational journey, understand their child’s individualized education plan (IEP), and learn about parental rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

While AI is a valuable resource, it cannot replace thoughtful advocacy, collaboration, or informed decision-making. There are also many unknown risks to privacy and confidentiality when using AI with children's information.

AI can organize information, explain unfamiliar terms, generate questions for IEP meetings, summarize documents, and help families prepare for discussions. However, each student, IEP, school district, and situation is unique. AI lacks knowledge of a child’s history, decision context, and the relationships that influence the special education process. It may also misinterpret laws and regulations. Effective advocacy and collaboration require context, critical thinking, communication, and sound judgment.

Regardless of your role, AI should be considered one tool among many, not a final authority or a substitute for professional judgment and parental input. Review AI-generated information carefully, verify it with reliable sources, and consider it alongside your own knowledge, expertise, and the student’s specific needs.

CADRE (the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education) recently released A Parent's Guide to Using AI for Advocacy in Special Education, available on CADRE's AI Guides for Special Education and Early Intervention Advocacy webpage at https://bit.ly/4hc8q5E. This guide provides practical advice for using AI responsibly, including protecting privacy, verifying information, and understanding the limitations of AI-generated responses.

As technology evolves, understanding AI’s capabilities and limitations helps families and schools use it responsibly while prioritizing student support and collaborative decision-making. If you have questions about your rights or resolving disagreements, contact SERC at [email protected]. We are here to help.

AI tools (like ChatGPT) can be powerful supports for parents navigating special education.

07/30/2026

Maybe you've heard the phrase "cooler heads prevail." It's a way of saying that people who remain calm during difficult situations are more likely to make good decisions and find constructive solutions. The saying has been around in one form or another for hundreds of years.

In special education, cooler heads prevailing doesn't mean that families or schools get their way. The goal is for families and schools to work together in a way that helps students with disabilities receive the support and services they need to make progress.

When emotions begin to build, it can be tempting to react quickly or speak before we've fully considered our words. However, when we pause, listen, and take a moment to gather our thoughts, we increase the likelihood of having productive conversations and finding solutions together.

The next time you find yourself in a difficult conversation, remember the value of taking a breath, slowing down, and focusing on the shared goal of supporting the student. You may discover that cooler heads really do prevail.

07/22/2026

Our mission at the Special Education Resolution Center (SERC) is to help families and schools resolve disputes at the earliest stage possible. One way we do that is through mediation.

When families and schools have disagreements about issues related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a trained mediator helps them discuss those issues, communicate openly, explore options, and work together toward solutions.

Mediation is voluntary, collaborative, and confidential. Either the family or the school may request mediation, but both must agree to participate. Because mediation discussions remain confidential and cannot be used later in a due process hearing or other litigation, participants have the freedom to speak openly. When people communicate honestly and respectfully, those conversations often lead to collaboration, stronger relationships, and lasting solutions.

Rather than viewing conflict as only a problem to solve, mediation offers families and schools an opportunity to work together. It encourages a focus on moving forward rather than dwelling on the past.

To learn more about mediation, visit our website at www.okserc.org. If you have questions about whether mediation might be helpful, please contact our office. If you've participated in mediation, we'd love to hear about your experience in the comments below.