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Special Education Family Newsletter
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| Welcome to the Special Education Family Newsletter. Please share the SpEd Newsletter with others, and send comments to spedombuds@seattleschools.org. If someone forwarded the Special Education Family Newsletter to you, sign up here. |
Moving Forward in Special Education--Celebrating the Completion of the Memorandum of Understanding with OSPI
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On March 2nd the Central Office Special Education staff joined by Deputy Superintendent Stephen Nielsen, Associate Superintendent Michael Tolley, and Chief of Student Supports Wyeth Jessee along with staff from the schools, celebrated the final verification of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the
Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
As some of you may remember, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) received a Determination of Level 4 by OSPI for the Special Education service provision for the 2012-13 school year, indicating the need for substantial intervention to meet federally mandated requirements. After extensive systemic responses and actions were put into place, all 40 of the required activities of the RC-CAP (Revised Comprehensive Corrective Action Plan) were achieved by June 30, 2015.
In the spring of 2015, the District entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with OSPI as the second phase of the Special Education Department's improvement plan. The MOU outlined activities that would demonstrate full implementation and sustainability of the policies and practices established during the first phase. Over the course of the 2015-16 school year, OSPI completed a number of site visits and documentation reviews in order to verify implementation of the systemic responses and impact of activities on outcomes for students. On February 9, 2017, OSPI informed the district team that the four final MOU verification indicators met the established substantial compliance thresholds.
"We know this work required a great deal of effort at many times throughout the process from all involved", says Michaela Clancy, Special Education Director. After visiting a school she reported, "It was clear during my time with them that they had a strong sense of accomplishment, and pride in the effective, efficient, articulated system of special education service provision that they have in their building. This school-central office team partnership and accomplishment is an excellent example of what our entire corrective action process has built...We know that the systems we have built through this improvement process are working, and now we need to maintain and continue to refine those systems towards our goal of improving outcomes for all Seattle Public Schools students with disabilities."
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SPS Special Education Parent Partners Update
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The
SPS Special Education Parent Partners Program assists parents and guardians of students with an IEP (Individual Education Plan), to navigate SPS, the IEP process, and to access community resources. This program connects trained and experienced Parent Partners with parents and guardians who want support in their child's IEP and special education process. It is the goal of this program to foster an atmosphere of family/professional collaboration in special education in Seattle Public Schools.
In our first year, to date, we have matched 26 families with Special Ed Parent Partners.
The twelve Special Education Parent Partners represent:
- All five regions of Seattle (Northwest, Northeast, Central Southwest, and Southeast)
- Families who speak English as well as :
-Spanish
-Somali
-Cantonese, Mandarin, Toishanese
- Students with a range of special needs in :
-Pre Kindergarten
-Elementary
-Middle School
-High School
-Transition Services for 18-21 year olds
Special Education Parent Partners are hourly employees of Seattle Public Schools. A SPS Special Ed Parent Partner DOES:
- Provide an impartial listening ear
- Ask questions to help the parent/guardian identify and clarify concerns
- Problem solve and work with the parent/guardian to evaluate possible options for resolving issues that they have identified.
- May accompany the parent /guardian to an IEP meeting or another meeting related to their child's special education services.
- Support and empower the parent/guardian as the advocate for their child.
- Maintain confidentiality of the family being served.
A SPS Special Education Parent Partner DOES NOT:
- Provide legal advice.
- Advocate or speak for the parent.
To request the services of a Parent Partner or to get more information about the program, contact Margo Siegenthaler, Special Education Ombudsperson at
spedombuds@seattleschools.org or 206-252-0794.
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The University of Washington College of Education is currently recruiting Family Mentors
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If you are a parent or guardian of a child with a special need, and are interested in shaping the way a pre-service teacher thinks about family support, please join us!
What is the Families as Mentors Program?
This program at the
University of Washington's College of Education pairs UW students with a Mentor Family, who has a child with a disability or delay. Students spend time with their Mentor Family in their home and community. Students may accompany their Mentor Family on errands, to a doctor's or therapy appointment, leisure activities (a walk to the park, swim lessons, etc.) or spend time in the family's home.
For more information or to participate as a mentor, please contact Ariane Gauvreau, at
Ariane@uw.edu or (206)685-7525.
"Our family participates in the Families as Mentors Program and it has been a great experience for both our family and for the residents/fellows", reports Jennifer DiBona, parent of a child with special needs in Seattle Public Schools. "I hope that families understand that opening their doors and sharing 'a day in the life' can benefit all future teachers so that they truly grasp the reality of the life of a student with special needs outside of the classroom."
Family Mentors will be offered Respite Care Events, where we invite you to drop your children off at the Experimental Education Unit (on the UW Campus). Childcare will be provided by UW Early Childhood special Education Graduate Students, once per quarter.
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Families, staff and community members enjoyed the Vision Services Family Resource Fair on Feb 9th
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On February 9th, about 50 students, their families, community members and staff participated in the SPS Vision Services Family Resource Fair.
Representatives from various community agencies provided resources for people who are blind or with low vision. The event was held at Lowell Elementary School,
Families from throughout the District were able to find out about technology, job training, employment programs, summer programs, outdoor camps, the Washington State School for the Blind, "Meet and Greet" events for children and families, and much more.
Participants stayed throughout the length of the event, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The
Seattle Special Education PTSA provided snacks which added to the positive atmosphere and seemed to be a crucial part of encouraging people to stay longer-it was fun, nourishing, and provided an opportunity for people to visit with each other.
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Families and Staff are invited to join us at one of the next SPS Special Education Regional Meetings
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In January and February we held our NW and Central Regional Meetings. If you missed the one of the previous meetings, we welcome you at any of the upcoming Special Education Regional Meetings, regardless of where you live. Please join
Michaela Clancy, Director of Special Education;
Trish Campbell, Interim Director of School Based Special Education Services, the
Regional Supervisor and
Program Specialists for your area;
Margo Siegenthaler, Special Education Ombudsperson;
Parent Partners;
Hanna
h Marzynski, Special Education Parent Liaison; and other special education staff.
The topics include information about changes in the department and updates about the Continuum of Services for children with special needs. We want to hear directly from you as we continue to partner in improving services for our students.
Region
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Date, Time
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Location
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Northeast
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Tuesday, March 28 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. |
Eckstein Middle School Library 3003 NE 75th St., Seattle 98115 |
Southeast
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Tuesday, April 4 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. |
Aki Kurose Middle School Library 3928 S. Graham St., Seattle 98118 |
Southwest
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Tuesday, May 9 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. |
West Seattle High School Library 3000 California Ave. SW, Seattle, 98116 |
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Deaf Hard of Hearing/Deaf Blind Student Transition Night on April 6
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Transition Night is an opportunity to learn about local agencies, support services and community resources in connection with employment, college and communication access after high school. This event will benefit middle school and high school students as well as parents and educators.
Thursday, April 6
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence
Auditorium
2445 3rd Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98124
(near the SODO bus/rail station)
Snacks and beverages will be provided.
RSVP and ACCOMODATIONS: ASL/DB interpreters will be provided. For other languages, please contact Michael Dickneite by March 30.
206-252-0332
Organizations Represented:
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SPS Special Education PTSA Meetings
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The
Seattle Special Education PTSA is an advocacy organization made up of Seattle area parents, educators, friends, and students with disabilities. We strive to be a racially, culturally, and socio-economically inclusive group that is representative of the students we serve.
Please join us for our next meeting, which is also our last meeting of the 2016-17 school year:
Tuesday, May 16
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence
Auditorium
2445 3rd Ave., S. Seattle, 98124
Special Education administrators from Seattle Public Schools will be in attendance to answer questions or address concerns from the parent community.
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SPS Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Council Meetings
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The Seattle Public School District's
Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Council (SEAAC) consists of members that include parents/guardians, teachers, and community advocates. The council's goal is to collaborate with the district to achieve full participation for students with disabilities.
Upcoming meetings:
Tues., April 25, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., JSCEE, Room 2700
Tues., June 6, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. JSCEE, Room 2700
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| Easy access to information for all families in Seattle Public Schools |
To ensure information is accessible for all families in
Seattle Public Schools, the district has methods for community members to request communications assistance for district sponsored programs, events and activities. These services will be provided in an accessible format at no cost to the requester.
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Special Education Contacts
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The Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Council (SEAAC) invites you to submit comments and concerns that you have about special education services in Seattle Public Schools.
Special Education Anonymous Feedback Form
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