Teacher Requests Conference

At back-to-school night, the teacher asked me to schedule a conference with her because she described my daughter as being a struggling student. Is the teacher trying to tell me my child is now going to be placed in the special-education program? -- Help
Answer: You definitely need to schedule a conference to find out what is going on. Struggling at the start of the school year certainly does not mean your child needs to be in special education. It sounds like the teacher is being proactive and wants to address any problems before they become more severe.
Before the conference, take the time to write down a few questions such as the following:
1. What academic subject or subjects are causing my child to struggle?
2. What are your suggestions for ways that things can be turned around?
3. Can we look over some of my child's academic work and see her specific difficulties?
4. Is my child working on grade level in all of the academic areas?
5. Does my child need a tutor?
6. Do you offer before- or after-school help that my child can attend?
7. Can we schedule a meeting in a few weeks to see how my child is making progress in the area where she is currently struggling?