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August 22, 2003 Meeting |
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The Sevier County Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SC SpEd PAC) held its fifth meeting on August 22, 2003. Five members attended. Since our meetings will be at various times and on various days this year, we should get a slightly different group at each meeting. Jeff Romanczuk will make calls and send e-mails as needed, and also distribute minutes to keep everyone informed of SpEd PAC items of concern. The summer's fee-based program will be available next summer (2004) again. Operating independently of the Sevier County School System, the program is open to students 11 and older who have good self-help and hygiene skills and fairly good social skills. The program accommodates up to 10 students with social and recreational skills 3 times a week for 9 weeks. During the 2003-2004 school year, the program will be available Tuesday and Thursday nights at the Pigeon Forge Community Center. Contact Kathy Dufau for more information. Jeff Romanczuk followed up on the use of "draft" IEPs going home to the parents in advance of the IEP meeting. Teachers have been reluctant to made such a move, which may be construed as the teacher doing the IEP on her own without any parent or related service provider input. Even if we guard against this by clearly indicating that the IEP being sent with the meeting invitation is a draft that will be finalized at the meeting, doing so still wouldn't be right for all students in all situations. Therefore, the Special Education Department is going to encourage but not require that the teachers draft IEPs in advance of the IEP Team meeting. If you would like your child's teacher to send home a draft for you to review prior to the next IEP Team meeting, please let her or him know. Jeff also asked about members becoming points of contact for activities or areas of interest to them. Some ideas are a transportation point of contact (among the parents), someone who keeps up with transition issues, etc. Kathy Dufau offered to attend school board meetings regularly and report to the SpEd PAC on board actions impacting special education. Kathy Dufau and Jane Boling will present the parents' perspective at the March 25, 2004 after school inservice session. Jeff Romanczuk will present on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Alternative at the January 12, 2004 after-school inservice session (3:45 to 5:45 pm). More info later. The next meeting will be on Friday, September 23, 2 to 3 pm at the Trula Lawson Center. If you have a child in Sevier County Special Education and would like to get involved in the SpEd PAC, please come. |
