Letter and Email Templates for Parents
Six short templates for writing to your child's school, including a first email to a teacher and a letter asking for an evaluation. Keep each one short, dated and specific. In the US, as of September 2026, a parent can ask for a free school evaluation. Ask in writing, and keep a copy.
TL;DR
- Write about what you see. Give dates and examples. Put your main request near the top.
- In the US, as of September 2026, a parent can ask the school for an evaluation. Put it in writing, date it and keep a copy. Ask for the school's own timeline in the same letter.
- If you are told to wait, ask for the school's answer in writing. In the US, as of September 2026, a refusal to evaluate must be in writing, with reasons. As of September 2026, a written refusal can be challenged.
- Write down what you have seen at home, with dates and examples, and hand it in. As of September 2026, US federal rules require the school to consider it.
- If you disagree with a US school's evaluation, as of September 2026 you can ask for an outside one. In the US, as of September 2026, the school pays or goes to a hearing. In the US, as of September 2026, if the school wins, you keep the right, but you pay.
What this page covers
There are six templates below. Copy one, fill in the brackets, and change the words to fit your child.
The templates are for writing to a school in the United States. The rules named here are US federal rules. Families elsewhere should ask what their own country provides.
Every rule here was checked as current in September 2026. Rules can change, so check the date beside each one.
The templates are our own practice. We hold no study that tests letters like these. This page does not cover what goes in an IEP. It does not cover how a dispute is settled, step by step.
What goes in any letter to school?
Our advice is the same for every letter on this page.
- Say what you see. Give a date or an example for each thing.
- Make one main request. Put it plainly, near the top. Put any follow-up questions after it.
- Send it to a named person. Use their name, not "the school."
- Date it. Keep a copy of everything you send and everything you get back.
- Keep it short. One page is plenty.
Describe what your child does, not a word for it. In our view, "skips small words when reading aloud" tells a teacher more than "struggles with reading."
Template 1: an email to the teacher
Use this if you have not talked to the teacher yet. The goal is to compare notes. You are not asking for anything formal yet. You do not have to start here. If you already want an evaluation, use template 2.
Subject: Something I am seeing at home with [child's name]
Hi [teacher's name],
I want to share something I am seeing at home. [What you see, with one example.] I first noticed it in [month]. It happens [how often]. [What we have tried at home, and what happened.]
Do you see anything like this at school? I have no conclusions yet. I would like us to look at the same thing.
Could we talk for fifteen minutes this week or next?
Thank you,
[Your name]
[Phone number]
If you and the teacher agree to try something, write down what it is. Agree on a date to check back. Then check back on that date.
Template 2: a letter asking for a school evaluation
As of September 2026, US federal rules say a parent can ask for an evaluation. As of September 2026, you do not need the school's permission to start.
Send your letter to the principal or the special education coordinator. Date it. Keep a copy.
As of September 2026, the US school evaluation is free to your family. It is worth asking for. Our view is that it is better than its reputation.
[Date]
To: [Name], [principal or special education coordinator], [school name]
Re: Request for an evaluation for [child's full name], grade [grade]
I am asking for an evaluation of my child, [child's full name]. I would like to know whether [child's name] needs special education.
Here is what I am seeing:
- [What you see, with a date or an example.]
- [What you see, with a date or an example.]
- [What you see, with a date or an example.]
Here is what we have tried: [what, and for how long].
Please also tell me whether Section 504 could apply.
If you agree to evaluate, please send me the consent form. Please also send me your timeline for each step.
If the answer is no, please send it to me in writing, with the reasons.
Thank you. You can reach me at [phone number] or [email].
[Your name]
What happens next. As of September 2026, asking for an evaluation gets you a written notice of your rights. As of September 2026, that notice covers outside evaluations, consent and how to complain, among other things. Read it.
When the consent form comes, read it. If you agree to the evaluation, sign it, date it, send it back and keep a copy.
As of September 2026, the US federal baseline for the evaluation is 60 days. As of September 2026, the 60 days start when the school receives your written consent. They do not start on the day you ask.
As of September 2026, before the 60 days start, the school must still act within a reasonable time. That is why the date on your letter matters. As of September 2026, your state may set its own timeframe. Ask which rule applies where you live.
Why the letter names Section 504. IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is a US federal law about special education. Section 504 is a separate US federal law. Section 504 asks a wider question than IDEA does. As of September 2026, Section 504 covers a child with an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. As of September 2026, learning is named as a major life activity. As of September 2026, 504 may still cover a child IDEA does not. Some children need, or are believed to need, special education or related services. As of September 2026, a school must evaluate such a child before placing them under 504.
As of September 2026, only a formal evaluation can get a US child an IEP or 504 plan. If you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, get that checked too.
Template 3: if you are told to wait
Sometimes the answer is spoken, in a hallway or on the phone. As of September 2026, in the US, a spoken "let's give it more time" is not a lawful refusal.
As of September 2026, a US school can refuse to evaluate only in writing. As of September 2026, a US school that refuses to evaluate must give you written notice. As of September 2026, the notice must explain why, in words you can understand. As of September 2026, the notice must say what the school relied on.
You may be told to wait while the school tries an intervention program first. You may hear it called RTI or MTSS. OSEP Memo 11-07, US policy guidance current in September 2026, says the program may not be used to delay an evaluation. This is policy guidance rather than regulation. It was reaffirmed for MTSS in 2015. The program and the evaluation can run at the same time.
This letter follows up a written request. If you asked only out loud, send template 2 first.
[Date]
To: [Name], [school name]
Re: My request for an evaluation for [child's full name], sent [date]
On [date], I asked for an evaluation for [child's name]. On [date], [name] told me [what you were told, in their words].
Please send me the school's answer to my request in writing. If the answer is no, please include the reasons. Please also say what the school relied on.
If [child's name] is in an intervention program, I would like it to go on. I would also like the evaluation to go ahead at the same time.
Thank you,
[Your name]
In the US, as of September 2026, a written refusal can be challenged. As of September 2026, you can file a state complaint, ask for mediation or ask for a hearing. As of September 2026, the rights notice the school must give you describes all three.
Template 4: what I have seen, for the evaluation meeting
As of September 2026, a group decides whether a US child qualifies for special education. As of September 2026, the group is made up of qualified professionals and you, the parent.
As of September 2026, US federal rules require the school to gather information from you, the parent. As of September 2026, the group must write it down and consider it carefully.
So write yours down before the meeting. Use dates and examples. Hand it in.
Testing sees what you cannot. You have seen what it cannot. Neither replaces the other, and neither is better than the other.
What I have seen at home: [child's name], [date]
What is hard. [What you see. When it started. How often.]
What helps. [What you have tried, and what changed.]
What is going well. [What your child is good at and enjoys.]
What school has told me. [What was said, by whom, and when.]
What I would like to know. [Your questions.]
[Your name], parent
Bring a copy for each person at the meeting.
Template 5: a summary after a meeting
People can remember the same meeting differently. In our view, a short summary, sent the same day or the next, gives everyone the same record. Write down only what you did agree to.
Subject: Summary of our meeting on [date] about [child's name]
Hi [names],
Thank you for meeting with me on [date]. Here is what I understood we agreed:
- [Who will do what, and by when.]
- [Who will do what, and by when.]
We said we would check in on [date].
[If you have asked for an evaluation:] My request for an evaluation, sent on [date], still stands.
Please tell me if I have anything wrong or missing.
Thank you,
[Your name]
Keep the reply with your copy.
Template 6: if you disagree with the evaluation
As of September 2026, a parent who disagrees with the school's evaluation can ask for an outside one. This is called an independent educational evaluation at public expense. As of September 2026, the school must act without unnecessary delay. As of September 2026, the school must either pay for the outside evaluation or go to a hearing to defend its own. Know the other branch first. Suppose the school goes to a hearing and wins. As of September 2026, you then keep the right to an outside evaluation, but you pay for it.
As of September 2026, the school may ask why you disagree. As of September 2026, the school may not require you to explain why you disagree. So the letter below gives no reasons. You can add them if you want to.
As of September 2026, a school paying for an outside evaluation may use only the criteria it uses for its own evaluations. As of September 2026, those criteria include the examiner's qualifications and where the evaluation happens. As of September 2026, the school may add no other conditions or timelines to an outside evaluation it pays for. As of September 2026, a parent who asks for an outside evaluation must be told the school's criteria for it. Ask for them in writing before you pick someone.
As of September 2026, you get only one outside evaluation at public expense per school evaluation you disagree with.
[Date]
To: [Name], [special education coordinator], [school or district name]
Re: Request for an independent educational evaluation for [child's full name]
I disagree with the school's evaluation of [child's name], completed on [date].
I am asking for an independent educational evaluation at public expense.
Please send me the school's criteria for an independent evaluation.
Please tell me in writing what the school will do. Will it pay for the evaluation, or ask for a hearing?
Thank you,
[Your name]
In the classroom
When a parent emails a concern, reply with what you see in class. Give dates and examples. Say what you do not know yet.
When a parent asks about an evaluation, tell them they can ask for one in writing. As of September 2026, US federal rules let a parent start the request.
One sentence for an email home: "Thank you for writing. Here is what I see in class, and I would like to compare notes."
What to use next
Key Takeaways
Keep every letter short. Say what you see, with dates and examples. Put one clear request near the top.
Date every letter and keep a copy. After a meeting, send a short summary of what was agreed.
Ask for the school's timeline in your evaluation letter. In the US, as of September 2026, the federal 60 days to evaluate start when the school receives your written consent. As of September 2026, before the 60 days start, the school must still act within a reasonable time. As of September 2026, your state may set its own timeframe.
Ask about Section 504 by name. In the US, as of September 2026, 504 may still cover a child IDEA does not.
Start a dated list of what you see. Write one line each time: the date, the task and what happened. Your first letter will take its examples from it.
”What to do tonightCommon questions from parents
Should I send an email or a paper letter?
In our view, whether you send email or paper matters less than three things. Put it in writing. Date it. Keep a copy. We would send an evaluation request to the principal or the special education coordinator. The teacher can have a copy. We would also keep a printed copy of anything we sent by email.
Do I need a diagnosis before I ask for an evaluation?
No, not under the federal rule. In the US, as of September 2026, a school evaluation does not need a doctor's diagnosis first. As of September 2026, a child can qualify without one, and can have one and still not qualify. Your state or district may still ask for medical information in some categories.
What if the school says no to an evaluation?
As of September 2026, a US school can refuse to evaluate only in writing. As of September 2026, in the US, a school that refuses to evaluate must give you written notice. As of September 2026, the notice must say why, and what the school relied on. As of September 2026, a written refusal can be challenged through a state complaint, mediation or a hearing. Keep any written notice.
Do I have to say why I disagree with the school's evaluation?
No. As of September 2026, a US school may ask why you disagree with its evaluation. As of September 2026, the school may not require you to explain. If you disagree with a US school's evaluation, as of September 2026 you can ask for an outside one. In the US, as of September 2026, the school pays unless it wins a hearing. In the US, as of September 2026, if the school wins, you keep the right, but you pay.
Will the school accept a private evaluation I paid for?
As of September 2026, a US school must consider a private evaluation you share that meets its criteria. Considering is not agreeing. There is a second route. If you disagree with the school's evaluation, as of September 2026 you can ask for an outside one. In the US, as of September 2026, the school pays unless it wins a hearing. In the US, as of September 2026, if the school wins, you keep the right, but you pay.