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Home My WebLink About2019-12-10 Speical Education Parent Advisory Council Minutes Wtes 9 t . r Board-Committee-Commission-Council: Special Education Advisory Council Date: 12/10/2019 Time: 7:OOPM Building: Reading Memorial High School Location: Library Media Center Address: 62 Oakland Street Session: Purpose: Business Meeting Version: Attendees: Board Members-Present: Laura Noonan Amy Stewart Maria Morgan Alyssa Scaparotti Board Members-Not Present: None Others Present: Jennifer Stys, Director of Student Services Chris Kelley,Assistant Superintendent John Doherty,Superintendent Linda Snow-Dockser,School Committee Member Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Alyssa Scaparotti Topics of Discussion: • Call to Order—Laura Noonan called the meeting to order at 7:02. Laura is chairing. Quorum present. • Presentation-Andrew MacKenzie ofthe Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, presented information about the Tiered Focused Monitoring process that will be completed in Reading in January 2020. • Results of the process will be available on the DESE website at http'//www.doe.mass..edu/psm/tfm/default.htmi Page 1 1 • Public Comment: o There was a request from a parent to ask Jessica Minahan, M.Ed., BCBA,to present in Reading. Chris Kelley noted that the District may be having her present at the Parent University in the spring. • New Business o School District Updates from Jennifer Stys: • In January,the District plans to post on the Student Services webpage draft descriptions of each of the special education programs within the district.The drafts to be presented are the working drafts that were presented by Sharon Stewart at the lune 2019 SEPAC meeting. With the drafts,surveys for community feedback will be posted. o Discussion of education resources for parents concerning section 504 plans, including District's recently created resource guide • Jennifer Stys noted that the 504 resource guide created in the fall is an internal staff resource. Parents may physically go to any school in the District and ask to review the 504 binder created in the fall, but review of the binder must occur in the school and the content of the binder will not be posted online. • The District plans to create a webpage for parents with 504 resources and an outline of the binder. Chris Kelley noted that it would be helpful to have a FAQ section in the resource webpage. It would be helpful to the District if the Board could collect most asked questions and concerns about 504s for the District to include. It would be helpful for parents and community members to email both the SEPAC and Jennifer Stys with questions for the 504 website. • Laura Noonan noted that on the District's website in K-12 website files there a pdf describing the 504 process from 2016. Jennifer Stys clarified this is an old document and may not be up-to-date. The file is available here: https://www.reading.kl2.ma.us/files/7815/0349/6640/]DEA 504 Module - 2016.pdf • Laura Noonan made a motion that the SEPAC add a list of 504 resources to the meeting minutes without reading all the resources aloud during the meeting. Amy Stewart seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. • List of 504 resources: • https://fcsn.org/2016/fall-2016/iep-504 • http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/links/sec504.html • https//www.decodingdyslexiama.org/504american-with-disabilities-act- and-dVslexia.html • http://www,cicm.org/504 Plans.html • https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/504- plan/understanding-504-plans o Presentation from Diana Koster of Understanding Disabilities: • Understanding Disabilities provides disability awareness workshops for grades 1-5 in Reading. It completed a total of 104 workshops this school year. Each student in Reading has the opportunity to participate in 7 total workshops over 5 years. The focus of the curriculum is to describe and give kids language to Page 1 2 speak about differences,and then bring the conversation back to how everyone is the same. The main message at the workshops is:We are all the same inside. • Understanding Disabilities has been running continuously for over 30 years.Itis a non-profit that only provides its workshops in Reading.The organization is almost 100%volunteer run and funded by small local donations completely. • The School District does not fund any portion of Understanding Disabilities budget. • Understanding Disabilities has struggled to maintain donations and volunteers over the last few years and is thus considering limiting program or discontinuing programming if it cannot get the needed volunteers and donations. There is a risk of ending the 35 year run in Reading Public Schools. • Understanding Disabilities needs volunteers willing to be board members,to be classroom lessons leaders(no expertise required),and to do small or short term projects. Those interested in volunteering can contact Understanding Disabilities at infoCaunderstandingdisabilities.org • Laura Noonan made a motion that the SEPAC lend support to Understanding Disabilities to help get parent and financial support from Reading community. Amy Stewart seconded. The motion passed unanimously. • SEPAC requested from Understanding Disabilities information about the specific volunteers needed,time commitments,etc.so the information can be passed on the SEPAC members. • Old Business o Review and Vote on Meeting Minutes from Nov.5th and Nov. 25th meetings-Laura Noonan moved to approve the minutes from the November 5 and November 25 meetings.Amy Stewart seconded. The motion unanimously passed. o Update on FCSN's Role of SEPAC and Basic Rights Presentations- • The Role of SEPAC presentation is scheduled for January 14,2020 • The Basic Rights Workshop about'Understanding the IEP"is scheduled for February 11,2020 • Both are scheduled for 7PM in the RMHS library o Report on SEPAC's Participation in REF's Festival of Trees-The theme of the tree was "Many Colors,One'PAC...The District provided some of the paper and other materials needed to decorate the tree. Through an email survey,parents submitted the names of diagnoses to be added to ornaments hanging on the tree. A lot of generous donations were included with the tree. Kathy Whelan and Erin Joyce,both teachers at Rise, Laura Joelson,and Maria Morgan helped decorate the tree. The SEPAC board is hoping to do it again next year. o Request for timeline for completion of program descriptions- • Jennifer Stys noted her goal of presenting to the school administration and school committee a working document with program descriptions by the end of the academic year. Page 13 • As part of Jennifer Stys'five-year plan, program staff are observing similar programs in other districts and also determining what is needed for professional development. • The District is also undergoing a program exploration process involving all special education personnel at all schools and ensuring the programs are in line with state policies. o Updates on efforts supporting SEPAC's 2019-2020 goals- • Social and parent support events— • There was a brief discussion about whether social and support events are the same and whether parents have an interest in both or one. • Laura Noonan motioned to table the discussion on social/parent support events to a later business meeting with the understanding that if a member has volunteer capacity can contact board and get them up and running.Amy Stewart seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. • Daytime Business meeting • Daytime business meeting is scheduled for Wednesday,February 26, 2020 at 10:OOAM in the Reading Public Library Conference Room. • Six or seven parents responded to the survey about the daytime meeting. • Outreach to families participating in METCO— • Amy Stewart has reached out to Grant Hightower,the METO K-12 Director. She hopes to have a discussion with him about how SEPAC can do outreach to METCO parents to include them in our SEPAC community. • A Friend of METCO member volunteered to help with the outreach. • Facebook Page- The Facebook page is up and running. Please like and follow the page. • SEPAC Posters-Alicia Williams designed posters that are on display in each school lobby. The District printed them. Team Chairs have SEPAC flyers and have have been instructed by Jennifer Stys to distribute them at team meetings. The SEPAC is hoping to get the posters in the rooms where team meetings are occurring. o LinkedUp Proposal Presented by Alicia Williams- • The proposed program links a parent new to a school or the District to another parent who has a child at the same school. This could be particularly helpful when students move up from RISE and go into the elementary schools. • The program would be separate from parent support groups because it is not an advocacy program or a program geared toward coaching individuals about special education. It is intended as a way for someone to make a new friend or contact at a new school. • Established parents at a school would volunteer to be in the program and give the District permission to provide their contact information to the new family. Page 1 4 • The member of the District Administration present stated that they have been having internal discussions about a similar program.There is a possibility of the District maintaining a database with parent volunteers that can be sorted to find volunteers for specific purposes. • A member stated that the program could provide a way for a new parent to meet one person at the beginning of their SPED journey before networking with a larger group. • Adiourn-At 8:48PM Laura Noonan motioned to adjourn. Amy Stewart seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Page 1 5