An independent educational evaluation is often referred to as an IEE. One of your parental rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is that you have the right to request an IEE at public expense if you believe that an assessment completed by the school district during the eligibility or re-eligibility process is inaccurate or invalid. The district has a choice at this point to file for a due process hearing or provide the parents with a list of approved independent evaluators. The parents do not have to pick from this list of providers but if they pick another provider the provider must have certain credentials.Some parents misinterpret this law and go out and get assessments and bring them to IEP meetings and expect them to be paid for and adhered to. This is not how the process works. First, the school district personnel or contractors the school district hires must complete an assessment on your child. Then the assessment, which should include recommendations, must then be presented and explained to you. Finally, if you have a significant reason to believe that the school district’s assessment is invalid or inaccurate you may state that and request an IEE at public expense.The school district may ask you why you are requesting an IEE but they may not require you to explain your rationale and they must quickly make a decision on how to act upon your request. The district will either give you a list of approved Independent Evaluators or if the school district feels strongly that their assessment is valid and appropriate and they have the documentation to prove that, they may choose to file a for a due process hearing. If it is determined at the due process hearing that the assessment is appropriate, the parents are still able to obtain an IEE, but not at the public’s expense.Some school districts attempt to put pressure on parents to pick from their specified list of evaluators. In February 2004 the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) addressed this issue in a letter that states, “other than establishing these criteria (for the location and credentials of the evaluator), a public agency may not impose conditions or timelines related to a parent obtaining an IEE at public expense.” The criteria required are the same ones used by the school district. For example, if the school district requires that a Master’s level social worker complete the assessment in question, then the parents have to find a Master’s level social worker to do the IEE. If you have any questions about whether a certain practitioner meets the criteria check with the Special Education Office prior to getting the IEE.
Indian weddings are easily among the most colourful, elaborate and lively in the world. Unlike the West, where it is the bride and the groom that are the prominent characters, in an India wedding, it is the immediate and extended families on both sides that are the star players! A wedding is a social affair, and heralds the coming together of not just the couple but of their families as well. So, it should come as no surprise that a majority of the youth comply with their family’s wishes even today and go in for arranged marriages.A typical Indian wedding comprises of three broad segments – the pre-wedding ceremonies (which are almost as elaborate as the actual wedding itself), the wedding and some post-wedding rituals.
India is a vast and diverse country, with the North, South, East and West each having its own distinctive languages, cuisine, customs and traditions and wedding rituals.North Indian marriagesA traditional North Indian wedding takes place at the brides’ home. North Indian marriages are characterized by several pre-wedding and post-wedding ceremonies. The most important pre-wedding ritual is that of the Mangni or Sagai (engagement ceremony). The boy and the girl exchange rings in the presence of a religious priest and family and close friends.On the actual day of the wedding, the boy’s family sets off for the girls’ house in the evening amidst a lot of cheering, dancing and general merriment. The groom mounts a brightly adorned horse, usually with the youngest boy of the family sitting up front with him. He is preceded by a crowd of his male and female relatives, and friends, dressed in all their finery and accompanied by a musical band. His face is covered with a curtain of flowers (the sehra which is tied by his sister). The noisy, procession, with the band belting out the tunes of the latest Bollywood chartbusters, makes its leisurely way past residential houses, busy streets before finally arriving at the girl’s house.The groom and his family are warmly received by the girl’s family, new members greet each other by exchanging garlands of flowers.Finally, the groom and the bride, seated on a dais, get up to exchange garlands in the Jaimala ceremony – one of the most important of North Indian wedding traditions -amidst a lot of good-natured cheering.The next part is the most symbolic one – the Saat Pheras (or the seven steps) that the bride and groom take around the ceremonial fire. Thus usually takes place very late – usually after 12 midnight – much after the guests have feasted and left and only the very close relatives on either side are left. Both of them circle the scared fire, taking vows to love and honour each other throughout their lives. The groom then applies a streak of vermilion to the bride’s head, after which they become lawfully wedded husband and wife.
The bride is then given a tearful send-off by her family as she leaves with her new husband to start a brand-new life.South Indian marriagesThe biggest difference between North Indian and South Indian weddings is that the latter takes place during the day instead of at night. The basis for the rituals is the same except that they are conducted in a different manner.The wedding venue is usually a hall where the wedding mandap ( a small covered enclosure) has plantain trees tied to both the gateposts, overhead festoons made of mango leaves strung together, and Rangoli designs (intricate designs made with coloured powder) at the entrance.The evening before the actual wedding day, the bridegroom is led in a flower-decked procession from a temple by the bride’s parents to the marriage Mandapam (hall). Once there, the formal espousal ceremony takes place. The elephant-headed god Ganapati, the God of Initiation, is invoked, and is entreated to keep away all obstacles away from the couple.The ritual is followed by presenting clothes to the couple. Interestingly, the marriage ceremonies are performed separately by the bride and the groom.The marriage ceremony is formalized in the hall by a Vedic priest who chants ancient hymns and verses, recalling the names of three generations of ancestors of both, the bride and the groom before all who have gathered to witness the wedding. The bride and the groom exchange garlands when they are lifted onto the shoulders of their respective uncles.The bride then sits on her father’s lap for the ‘Kanyadan’ (giving away the daughter) ceremony to the bridegroom. The bride is presented with a Mangalsutra (the scared necklace that signifies her married status) as well as a new sari which is draped around her by the sister of the bridegroom.After this, the groom walks seven steps with his bride, holding her hand in his. The seven steps are the most important part of the wedding ceremony.The wedding is followed by an elaborate and delectable wedding feast, usually vegetarian.
Looking for a guide to planning a wedding, you have many different options to choose from. Call over your best friend who already did it, join forces with your mother, buy a wedding planning book, or even get a wedding planner. This article will tell you 3 cons to using a wedding planner and why it might not be the best choice for you.1. Cost: This is by far the biggest reason a wedding planner might not be the way to go. While they can save you time since they’ll be taking care of just about everything, they aren’t cheap. So if your budget is limited, it might be best to use your money towards your wedding rather than giving it to someone to plan your wedding. Wedding planners tend to cost between $2000-$5000. That’s a lot of money, you can throw a wedding for that amount, trust me I’ve done it! If you have a little time and the proper guide, you can plan the wedding yourself and spend that money either on your wedding, your honeymoon, or just save it for your future.2. Loss of Control: Whether you feel like planning your wedding or not, hiring a wedding planner means you relinquish control almost completely. They will take care of everything and some brides do not like the idea that they aren’t involved in the process. Your wedding day is a big day, you’ve probably been thinking about it for years and you will want to feel your personal touches when you walk down the aisle and go to your reception.3. Clash of Personalities: Unless you have the time to interview many different wedding planners you might not get a chance to really find someone you get along with. This can be a big deal down the road when they are asking you questions all of the time or if they do something you really don’t like but won’t listen to you. There is nothing worse than going to your own wedding and seeing colors that aren’t what you would have chosen, eating food you don’t even like (but trust them they know best), or hearing your family bicker because they had to sit next to someone they don’t like. Some of these things really need to be handled by the bride and groom; a wedding should have a personal touch and be something you remember, not just the wedding day itself, but the whole experience.This article talked about a guide to planning a wedding and 3 cons to using a wedding planner. While many people choose to hire them and most do an exceptional job, it can cost quite a bit to hire one. Plus, there is a disconnect between the bride and groom and their wedding day so when the actual day arrives it may seem like their going to someone else’s wedding instead of their own. When you take the time to create your wedding day yourself and make the decisions and see everything take shape, the actual day is just a tad bit more magical.