Education decision checklist
Identify the decision before choosing the next step.
Read the guideA little more clarity.
Practical preparation and answers to the questions that matter.
School meeting preparation
A short agenda helps keep a difficult conversation focused.
Read the guideUnderstanding mediation records
Know what a record is intended to do before relying on it.
Read the guideEducation decision checklist
Identify the decision before choosing the next step.
- Name the decision. Write down the exact decision you need explained, reviewed or made. Separate it from the wider history.
- Identify responsibility. Who made the decision? Who can explain it? Ask which policy or process applies and whether a written decision is available.
- Organize the record. Make a short timeline. Distinguish what you observed, what someone told you and what remains uncertain. Keep relevant records together.
- Check the route and timing. Ask about the next review or complaint step and any deadline. An informal conversation or mediation does not automatically extend a formal deadline.
- Make a clear request. State the practical change or explanation you are seeking, why it matters for the student and what information would help resolve it.
- Set a review point. Record agreed actions, who is responsible and the next contact date. Check what happened before escalating or starting again.
Download education decision checklist (PDF)
Further reading: Ontario: Individual education plans · Ontario: Identifying students with special education needs
School meeting preparation
A short agenda helps keep a difficult conversation focused.
- Before the meeting. Confirm its purpose, participants and length. Ask what material will be discussed and arrange any communication or accessibility supports.
- Choose three priorities. Begin with the child’s strengths. List the most pressing barriers and a concrete example of each. Keep unrelated issues for a separate discussion.
- Prepare useful questions. What support is being used? Who is responsible? What does progress look like? When will we review it? Which questions need a different decision-maker?
- During the meeting. Ask for unfamiliar terms to be explained. Check your understanding before responding. Request a break if you need time to think.
- Close with next steps. Read back the actions, responsibilities and dates. Clarify any disagreement without implying that silence means consent.
- After the meeting. Send a short factual follow-up through the agreed school channel. Invite corrections, save the response and revisit the actions at the agreed time.
Download school meeting preparation (PDF)
Further reading: Ontario: Individual education plans
Understanding mediation records
Know what a record is intended to do before relying on it.
- Separate options from understandings. Mark ideas still being explored, points participants agree on and matters left unresolved. Avoid treating a working note as a final agreement.
- Check the wording. Does the record reflect what was actually discussed? Identify ambiguities, missing conditions and questions that still need an answer.
- Think about daily life. Consider whether the proposed routines can work alongside school, employment, transport and the child’s needs. Ask how changes would be discussed.
- Get independent advice. Ask your own lawyer about legal effect, existing orders and any documents needed to formalize an arrangement. The mediator does not provide that advice.
- Keep the intended status clear. Do not assume that calling a document a summary makes it legally ineffective. Do not sign or rely on terms you do not understand.
- Plan review and storage. Agree what is circulated and to whom. Keep records secure. Clarify what happens next and whether a further conversation is needed.
Download understanding mediation records (PDF)
Further reading: Justice Canada: Parenting Plan Checklist · Ontario: Family mediation
Frequently asked
questions.
Open the details you need. General information helps you prepare; it does not replace advice about your circumstances.
Choosing the right support
What services does the practice offer?
Family Mediation focuses on parenting and co-parenting conversations. Educational Advocacy & Parent Coaching supports an identified client with school concerns. Neutral family-school facilitation is a separate process for participants who agree to work together. Each engagement has its own scope and suitability assessment.
What makes this education-informed?
The approach pays attention to learning needs, school routines and communication between home and school. It does not give the practice authority over a school, access to private student records or control over a board’s decision.
Do you provide legal advice?
No. We provide mediation, educational consulting, advocacy and coaching. We can help you locate general information and published policies. Advice about how the law applies to your circumstances, legal claims and representation requires an appropriately authorized legal professional.
Can I choose my own lawyer?
Yes. You may choose your own lawyer for independent legal advice. Using these services does not establish a lawyer-client relationship. A referral does not guarantee acceptance by another professional.
How do virtual sessions work?
Use a private location, a reliable connection and headphones where helpful. Discuss accessibility needs, interruptions, safety and who else will be present before the session. The participation arrangements and method of contact are agreed for each engagement.
Family mediation and parenting
What is mediation?
Mediation is a voluntary process in which an impartial professional helps participants identify issues, explore options and make their own decisions. The mediator manages the conversation but does not decide the outcome or act as a participant’s lawyer.
Are mediation summaries legally binding?
Our summaries record proposed understandings for review. They are not offered as final separation agreements or court orders. A document’s title alone does not determine its legal effect. Obtain independent legal advice before signing or relying on proposed terms.
Do you prepare separation agreements?
No. We help participants explore practical parenting proposals and record areas of understanding within the agreed mediation scope. Each participant can ask their own lawyer to advise on the proposals and prepare any appropriate legal agreement.
Is mediation confidential?
The agreement to mediate explains what is confidential and the exceptions before sessions begin. These can include applicable reporting duties, safety concerns and disclosures required or permitted by law. Confidentiality is not a promise of absolute secrecy. Participants must agree in advance about any recording or third-party attendance.
What if the other person does not want to mediate?
Participation is voluntary. We cannot compel a parent or school to take part. Individual coaching may help you prepare for a conversation, if it falls within our scope. A professional who has advocated for one client will not then mediate that same dispute.
Will my child attend?
Do not bring a child into an adult dispute or ask them to choose sides. Any direct participation requires a considered plan, appropriate consent and a suitable professional approach. We discuss whether and how the child’s views can be understood without placing responsibility for the outcome on them.
School support and professional roles
How can advocacy and coaching help?
We can help you turn a long history into a clear account, choose questions for a meeting and plan a constructive follow-up. The aim is informed participation and practical next steps. A particular placement, accommodation or school decision cannot be guaranteed.
Can the same professional act as my advocate and our mediator?
Not in the same dispute. Advocacy supports an identified client; mediation requires impartiality. Prior involvement is assessed before an engagement. Where roles would conflict, a different professional or a referral is needed.
How is an IEP different from an IPRC?
An Individual Education Plan describes a student’s special education program and services. An Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) considers identification and placement. They are connected but different processes. Ask which process a meeting concerns and consult the Ontario guides linked below for the applicable steps.
Dates, fees and service concerns
What if we cancel?
The free fit call carries no service charge. For mediation, the $100 CAD reservation deposit becomes non-refundable when the practice accepts the provisional hold, subject to applicable legal rights. It is refunded if the practice cannot accept the matter or reserve the date. The written quote explains the remaining fees and the cancellation and rescheduling terms before any payment.
How do I raise a service concern?
Identify the service, the relevant dates, what happened and the response you are seeking. Raise the concern with the practice using the contact channel in your engagement correspondence.
How is a mediation date confirmed?
A preferred date starts a request. Confirmation follows availability checks, conflict checks, separate suitability and safety screening, a written agreement and the applicable deposit. A saved date selection does not reserve time or create an engagement.
Further reading: Ontario: Individual education plans · Ontario: Identifying students with special education needs · Ontario: Family mediation · Justice Canada: Parenting Plan Checklist · Legal Aid Ontario: Family legal issues