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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-03-15-SEPAC-min Lexington Special Education Parent Advisory Council(SEPAC) Lexington Special Education Parent Teacher Association(SEPTA) Business Meeting Minutes March 15,2019 Attendees:Emma Harding,Patricia Jacotin,Colette Powell,Carissa Black,Lisa O'Brien,Marina Levitt,Mona Roy,Kathy Cunningham,Kate Colburn,Carol Millard,Deb Osber,Ashley Waring Call to order: 9:36am Adjourn: 11:32am Introductions Approval of minutes for 1/28/19 meeting: • Motion to approve and seconded. Approved unanimously. Officer reports: • Treasurer: o Had projected raising$4,000 in donations and dues,and we've exceeded that target. o Had projected$5,000 in expenses,and right now projecting we will underspend by$1,500. ■ Could potentially funnel it into Staff Appreciation at year-end. ■ Action: discuss potential Staff Appreciation ideas with co-chairs. • Membership: o Membership is at 121. o Mass PTA acknowledged us for having increasing membership. • School liaisons: o LHS: ■ Attended the PTA meeting,and they are interested in doing joint events with SEPAC. ■ Mona will also start sending them our minutes,etc. ■ Action: Colette will pursue approval to post on the Community Coalition and will take over posting events there. o Clarke: ■ Anna Monaco has resigned and will leave at year-end,so SEPAC should advocate to have representatives involved in the hiring procedure(DLP,ILP 1/2,and TLP are housed there). ■ Action: Co-chairs will discuss having SPED representation on the search committee at next quarterly meeting. o Harrington: ■ The principal has approved the expansion of the UOD curriculum to include the Intellectual Disabilities unit,which we're planning to implement to the 51h graders this year. Estabrook is looking to upgrade their curriculum to model the new Harrington model. ■ Upper DLP lost a teacher after an extended leave,and there does not seem to be a clear plan for replacement,so some consternation from parents. ■ Action: Kate will follow-up with Ellen to get the protocols on what happens when a therapist/teacher is on-leave and how parents are informed. • Co-chairs: o Quarterly meeting: ■ Bettina put together a very detailed questions/concerns form on dyslexia and Dr.Lyons and Dr. Hackett are going to write a response. ■ Sara Calvino will disseminate our events going forward. • Communications with Sara will go through the co-chairs. • Will do for big events and a couple of emails with the full calendar,as we are cognizant of her time. ■ School start times: • Has been acknowledged and will be considered in the implementation. • Fiske has already made provisions for students that require an earlier drop-off. • LABBB is building it into their bus route equations. ■ Transition: • Out-of-district coordinator was meeting with ILP-3 graduating families. • Shared disappointment with how transition has been communicated,and that the district needs to start the process well before these kids are close to graduating,as parents start researching alternatives in middle school. • Ellen agreed to send a memo to all ILP parents to highlight the transition process that LPS is offering. ■ Think Kids: • Sandro thought it was interesting and is interested in his new venture to bring them in. ■ Equity Audit: • Consultants have been hired. SC liaisons have voiced concerns about the consultant qualifications in Special Education,but the hiring team feels it is a highly qualified group. • The first round of the audit is also going to remain focused on the initial groups—African Americans and children with disabilities. • Would like a way to give feedback beyond the community focus groups. • Steering Committee will present findings at 6/4/19 school committee meeting. ■ IEP survey: • It's unclear what caused the breakdown,but the administration has told SEPAC that it has been addressed and the survey is getting sent out. • Dr.Hackett has committed that they will start sending surveys to families that have not been approved for services,as well. School Committee Update: • Homework policy: o A group of educators are meeting to look at the 18mo data from Estabrook and the No Holiday Homework policies. Will review the research and do community outreach,and then will come to SC to see if LPS needs to make any changes. o SEPAC has been invited to the working group. o Action: Emma will reach out to the broader SPED community and the ADHD/Dyslexia groups for volunteers. Master Planning Update (Marina): • Elementary and middle school projected to flat-line,while HS is projected to balloon. • Presentations are online via LPS website,where you can see different options for how to utilize space before a new HS. • ILP spaces will likely contract at the HS. The rest of the SPED population will be serviced with the current spaces. • Concerns raised that many of the ILP spaces are for vocational and daily living programs and it's not clear how those spaces can be reduced. Nominating Committee: • Nominated Colette Powell,Lisa O'Brien,and Kathy Cunningham to serve as the nominating committee. Seconded and approved. Event Updates • Resource Fair: o Resource Fair got $1,000 in donations,so should be close to breaking even. o Action: Carissa will analyze the finances to see exactly where we ended up and see if there are funds to give a donation to FUSE for hosting. 0 127 people attended,and had—40 vendors. 0 Surveys indicated that most people found out about it via SEPAC d-lists and district communications. • Minuteman HS presentation was very well attended. 0 Would like clearer understanding of if Diamond and Clarke teachers/administrators are familiar with the Minuteman options. 0 Will see if can post presentation on SEPAC website • Autism Omnibus is 4/8 at LCC. • Beverly Montgomery is rescheduled for 4/30 at LCC. Capacity is 100. • Sarah Ward on 5/16 at LHS Auditorium. 0 Action: Co-chairs will check with Sarah Ward and LPS to see who will be responsible for handouts, presentation set-up,etc. • Film Screening: 0 Updated format to a panel discussion with audience Q&A.