Schools
Special Education Committee Plans Ahead for 2011-2012
Group looking to initiate parent groups at schools.
Following a school year of advocacy of special education needs and championing bullying prevention, the PTC Special Education Committee gathered last Wednesday to review the past year and plan ahead for the coming school year.
Nine parents attended the meeting, to work on the organization of the group and to maintain that advocacy would remain the committee's focus. The current Special Education Committee board consisting of Lisa Kops-Wendel and Helene Bergman as co-chairs, Kathie Caminiti as advisor, Ellen Hahne as webmaster and Lisa Tennenbaum as blogmaster, as well as current school representatives, will continue.
Bergman questioned what should define the role of school representative and how this position can be used to most efficiently distribute special needs awareness throughout the district.
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“We are trying to establish parent support groups in each of the schools in the district,” said Bergman. “It has worked well in other towns in Essex, Union, and Morris Counties.”
“There is still a taboo around special education rubric and there are still a lot of parents who are uncomfortable,” said Kops-Wendel, who hopes that such support groups might allow parents to feel more comfortable opening up.
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The meeting acknowledged the contrast between in-class support and resource room visits for special needs children.
“It’s a balancing act,” said Kops-Wendel. “On one hand these services are state mandated and federally mandated. On the other hand they have to manage to their budgets in their district which is really challenging. They have tried to evaluate what the needs are and change accordingly.”
It seems that each school in the district has adopted a different support model varying by size and needs. Roosevelt school has achieved a major accomplishment this year in which sixth grade students were permitted in-class support in math for the first time.
Discussion also addressed future ideas such as fundraising at the Rialto for children with sensory issues and ways to improve back to school awareness tactics.
The next meeting will be held on July 20.
