Be Known: How to Bring Up Concerns Before Fall Conferences with Rachel Schopp

Guest: Rachel Schopp, Founder of Allied Education — a K-12 veteran teacher, administrator, and curriculum lead who helps families translate school confusion into confident, informed action.In the final episode of our back-to-school mini-series, Dr. Courtney and educational consultant Rachel Schopp tackle how to raise concerns with a new teacher — whether they're carrying over from a rough prior year or just starting to show up now — without waiting for Fall conferences. They cover what's worth flagging immediately, how to frame a hard history without blaming a former teacher, and how to tell if a teacher is truly receptive.What You'll Learn:Why six to eight weeks — the usual wait for Fall conferences — is often too long for certain concernsWhat needs to be raised immediately: documented plans (IEPs, 504s), behavior plans, safety issues, and academic gapsHow to separate "the pattern" from "the person" when a prior year was genuinely difficultWhy naming a previous teacher by name to this year's teacher tends to backfireThe difference between vague concerns and specific, actionable ones — and why specificity is what actually gets resultsWhat to prepare before an in-person conversation: three concrete talking points, specific examples, documentation, and a clear askThree signs a teacher is receptive: taking notes, asking follow-up questions, and naming concrete next stepsWhat to do — and how to document and escalate — if a teacher isn't receptiveWhy "being known" on campus (by the principal, the teachers, even the lunch staff) benefits kids well beyond a single school yearResources & Links:Rachel Schopp / Allied Education: https://www.youreducationally.com/Catch the full series: Part 1 (Transitions), Part 2 (Routines), Part 3 (Meeting a New Teacher)Kids These Days episode on IEPs and 504 PlansIntegrated Behavioral Health website: https://www.integratedbhs.com/Book a consult with Integrated Behavioral HealthSign up for the Integrated Behavioral Health newsletterThis is Part 4, the final episode, of our 4-part back-to-school mini-series with Rachel Schopp.Legal Disclaimer: While this podcast may provide information that is educational in nature, it is not intended to be a health care service, psychotherapy, or the practice of psychology. This podcast’s main purpose is to provide educational insights for all stages of child and family development. We will not provide diagnoses or specific recommendations for your family. At no point is a therapeutic relationship established by way of your unilateral participation by listening to these episodes, and we cannot provide advice or privileges associated with a therapeutic relationship. We recommend that anyone who is seeking a therapeutic relationship reach out to Integrated Behavioral Health at [email protected] to begin the interview process of becoming a client or receiving a referral. If at any point in your listening or engaging with the content of this podcast, you experience an emergency, please immediately call 911 or go to your local emergency room.