F-SEPAC Framingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council POWER OF PACs
Framingham Demographics 8,380 Total Students 2,009 Students on an IEP 23% Students on an IEP 8 Elementary School 3 Middle Schools 1 Charter School 1 High School
Role of a PAC • Advise the school committee on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities. • Meet regularly with school officials to participate in the planning, development, and evaluation of the school committee’ s special education programs. • Establish by-laws regarding officers and operational procedures. • Receive assistance from the school committee without charge, upon reasonable notice and subject to availability of staff and resources. • Host at least one workshop annually with the district on the rights of parents/guardians and students in special education.
What Works for Us OUTREACH TO PARENTS • Email and listserv - Yahoo group • Website • Brochures - sent home with IEP, visible at schools • Support - workshops, parent support groups • Workshops � STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS • Meet monthly or as needed with sped director, school committee liaison to PAC and SPED, and superintendent • Create a special ed subcommittee to the school committee or get a school committee member to be a liaison to the PAC • Have annual PAC presentation at a public school committee meeting • Attend all meetings that PTOs attend for the district • Have a PAC liaison at each school
What Works for Us OUTREACH TO PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS • Have events that offer free professional development point (PDPs) to teachers in your district. School will need to give out the PDPs. • Offer to host a meeting with principal and sped parents of their school. • Help bring special ed issues to the attention of principals as needed. COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP • Create town-wide fundraiser/ expo/ event • Create awareness programs in your community, etc. • Connect with local disability commission • Have visibility at local events (ie town common events)
Advise the Advisory Council • Collect information from parents about issues/problems and summarize in writing • Write possible solutions to issues including if PAC can help facilitate solutions • Meet with administration is discuss summary of issues • Collaborate to help create solutions to issues Parent issues, comments Discussion and possible Plan of action from the Follow Up and concerns suggestions for SEPAC Director of Special Education
Bridging Gaps
Bridging Gaps Budget issues affecting Offer free PDPs professional development for PAC events to staff Changing roles in Sponsor a Q&A administration with new administration Frustration between Offer Basic Rights staff and parents to educate everyone Act as a liaison SPED vs. Standard to educate both parties
Publicity • More visibility the better - town events, online local newspapers, etc. • Need comprehensive public relations for PAC events • Need outreach directly to parents - PAC brochures sent with IEP, in school newsletters, handed out at IEP meetings • Do a Survey • What will most help the population? • What is the biggest need? • Who is the best expert for a particular need? • When is the best timing for speakers, topics, etc.? • Make website user friendly - find things that draw people in to website - resources, local issues, etc.
F-SEPAC for parents and guardians of school-aged children with special needs Framingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council Framingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council WHAT WE DO We assist families to effectively participate in the special education process by hosting informative events and making resources available to them. WHAT WE DO •We support parents and guardians of children with special needs by hosting a monthly support group. • We assist families to effectively participate in the special education •We meet regularly with the Director of Special Education and advise the Framingham school process by hosting informative events and making resources administration and Director of Special Eduction on special education issues. available to them. •We provide monthly workshops, presentations and discussions for families and professionals. • We meet regularly with the Director of Special Education and •We host an annual Summer Camp and Recreation Expo where families can find summer activities for their child with special needs. advise the Framingham school administration and Director of •We acknowledge school professionals by offering professional development points for some of our Special Eduction on special education issues. events. •We communicate via our Yahoo Groups newsletter, website, brochures, library, email and telephone. We have our brochures in Spanish and Portuguese as well as a page in each language on our website.
F-SEPAC for parents and guardians of school-aged children with special needs Framingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council Framingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council HOW WE DO IT • We host monthly workshops, presentations and discussions for HOW WE DO IT families and professionals including an annual Summer Camp We host monthly workshops, presentations and discussions and Recreation Expo for Children with Special Needs. for families and professionals. • We support parents and guardians of children with special We meet regularly with the Director of Special Education needs by hosting a monthly support group and an online Yahoo and other school administrators. Group newsletter. We support parents and guardians of children with special needs by hosting a monthly support group. • We acknowledge school professionals by offering professional development points (PDPs) for some of our events. We communicate via our Yahoo Groups newsletter, website, brochures, library, email and telephone. We have our brochures in Spanish and • We communicate via our Yahoo Group newsletter, website, Portuguese as well as a page in each language on our website. brochures, library, email and telephone. We have our brochures in Spanish and Portuguese as well as a page in each language on our website.
F-SEPAC for parents and guardians of school-aged children with special needs Framingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council Framingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council español about us events support topics português resources missão our mission f-sepac events f-sepac support group for parents la misión agencies, organizations eventos eventos membership local events f-sepac online support for teachers schools/collaboratives Our grupo de apoio grupo de apoyo volunteering summer camps other local support disability awareness the laws contato contacto by laws fundraising bullying doctors, therapists, etc. recursos recursos our brochure local playgrounds inclusion advocates nuestro folleto nosso folhetto contact us poetry/ humor f-sepac library OUR WEBSITE AND OUR BROCHURES www. F-SEPAC .org
Resources • Guidance For Special Education Parent Advisory Councils http:/ /www.doe.mass.edu/sped/pac/ • www.masspac.org
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