Practical guide
Submitting documents
Other sample letters
- Compliance Complaints
- Set IEP expectations
- Records request
- IEE request
- IEP Meeting request
- Assessment Request
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How to Submit Letters and Documents
Documents may easily get lost. This can cause problems, especially when timelines involved. Therefore, it is important to have proof of when a document was received by the school district.
It is recommended that you email or hand deliver signed letters and documents. Do not send important documents to school in your child’s backpack.
If you are submitting a letter
• Before printing and signing a letter, proofread the letter carefully. Make changes as needed.
• Print, and then sign the letter in blue ink.
• Make a copy of the signed letter.
Hand delivering documents
If you are delivering a letter
• Take the original signed letter and your copy to the school.
• Ask the recipient (usually the school secretary) to time/date stamp the original letter as received and to initial or sign the stamp.
• Then ask for two copies of the time/date stamped, original letter.
Conformed Copy
• If the recipient will not do as asked, pull out your copy of the letter.
• Write on the original letter AND on your copy the time and date and the name of the recipient.
• Leave the original at the school.
Emailing documents
1. Compose a new email.
a. Include at least two or three names in the “to” line, such as an administrator, case carrier, and special education teacher. Send copies to all other relevant people including your spouse, related service providers, your representatives, etc.
b. Write a relevant subject line beginning with your child’s last name. For example, “Smith IEP consent – March 25, 2020” or “Smith behavior letter.”
c. When the purpose of the email is to submit a signed document, the content of the email does not need to be more than two sentences. For example, “Please see attached letter regarding Johnnie Smith’s behavior. Please confirm receipt,” or “Please find the signed IEP consent page attached. Please confirm receipt.”
d. Include your digital signature. Your digital signature will be your first and last name, your child’s first and last name and relationship, and your phone number. If necessary, include your home address. For example:
Mary Smith
Johnnie Smith’s Mother
(555) 123-1234
2. Make sure that the document you send has your signature and the date. Even if a form you sign does not have a place for the date, write the date beside your signature.
3. Documents sent by email should be attachments. Do not place them in the content of the email.
4. Documents attached to the email should be in a clear pdf format. Do not send photos of documents. If you do not have access to a desktop scanner, a pdf scanner app on your phone will take a clear, pdf scan of a document if you use it properly. Take a few minutes to learn to use the app correctly.
5. Your sent email will be the proof of delivery, so you will need to keep that email and its attachment.
