School People Bullying You?

About this episode

This episode focuses on advocacy and negotiation skills for parents dealing with school staff during IEP meetings.

Okay, "bullying" may be a strong term, but we've all been there. Advocating for your child can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re being told “this is just how it is.” In this episode, in which I again take us back to the roots of The Collaborative IEP, we refocus on the advocacy and negotiation skills parents need when school teams hold the power and control the narrative. While we often focus on practice and interventions, this episode zeroes in on what to do when school staff present information as unquestionable fact—and parents are left feeling talked over, dismissed, or subtly bullied. It comes from one of my first webinars I ever presented here at The Collaborative IEP, Simple Solutions to Seven Sticky IEP Situations!!!! Using real-world examples I see daily in my advocacy and legal work, I walk through practical, accessible strategies for bringing conversations back to objectivity. From asking for data and documentation, to using the IEP’s structure strategically, to leveraging videos, research, and records requests, this episode is about reclaiming your footing at the IEP table. In this episode, I cover: The three core skills every parent advocate needs Why power…

People in this episode

Host: Ashley Barlow

Topics covered

• advocacy
• IEP
• negotiation skills
• power imbalances
• parenting
• education

Keywords

• bullying
• advocacy
• IEP process
• school staff
• parent strategies
• objectivity
• data requests

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• Stress, Advocacy, and Real Life: A Story Every IEP Parent and Educator Needs to Hear · March 31, 2026 · 30 min
• IEP Meeting Intimidation: What to Do When the School Brings Extra Staff to Special Education Meetings · March 24, 2026 · 12 min
• Educating Your IEP Team: What to Do When Your IEP Team Lacks Training in Special Education Law and Practice · March 10, 2026 · 14 min
• Cherry-Picked in the IEP Meeting: How Schools Misuse Data, Test Scores, and Accommodation Compliance to Deny Support · March 3, 2026 · 19 min
• How to Handle Feeling Misunderstood at an IEP Meeting: A Simple Special Education Advocacy Strategy for Parents to Improve Communication and Collaboration · February 24, 2026 · 20 min