Tips for Contacting School Districts/EFMP Counselors/Educational Liaisons

The Department of Defense's Office of Special Needs It is strongly recommended that you contact your new school district and your new installation’s Educational Liaison well before you move to help minimize the impact on your child’s educational program. Below are some suggestions to keep in mind when preparing to contact your new district and the Educational Liaison.

1. Before contacting the district or liaison, take some time to prepare. Write down the questions you want to ask and the information you want to be sure to get (e.g., contact information). Sample questions to ask school districts and liaisons are provided in this section.
2. Identify the parts of your child’s current educational program that you think are effective and those that are not, so that you can share them with the new district. Use the transition process as an opportunity to create an even more effective program for your child. 
3. When you contact the new school district, ask to speak to the special education department. Once connected, ask to speak to the special education director or LSSP. The administrative assistants who answer the phones are usually very knowledgeable and helpful, and will help you get to the right person. 
4. When you contact the district, it is helpful to document the time, date, and person to whom you spoke in your records. It is also a good idea to write down some brief notes about the conversation. 
5. Communication is a human process, so a courteous but assertive approach is usually most effective. You will have many conversations with the school district staff over the course of your child’s education, so maintaining effective communication should be a top priority. Phrasing suggestions as requests rather than demands and being open to the school district’s input will be helpful. Try to avoid becoming overly frustrated or emotional, and instead focus on working with the district to create an effective program for your child.