Tacoma Special Education PTA Presentation advocacy iep advocates parent participation systemic change tacoma school district washignton state washington state Oct 22, 2024

The Tacoma Special Education PTA is an amazing resource for Pierce County families. The group provides training and resource to Tacoma School District families. On October 23, their Zoom meeting focused on making schools more inclusive. I had the great honor to hear of a very ...

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Systemic Change: South Sound Legislative Session advocacy paraeducators special education advocacy systemic change washington state Oct 22, 2024

Tonight, the South Sound Legislative Forum was held at The Olympia Center. The forum was organized and hosted by the Developmental Disabilities Coalition (Thurston County) and The Arc of Washington. It was an amazing experience, hearing from self-advocates and policy champions. I am especially...

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OSPI TAP #6: Request for Info on Paraeducators iep teams ospi paraeducators special education technical assistance washington state Sep 26, 2024

I sent an email to OSPI on September 17, 2024, requesting information. No word yet. I would rally like these templates, as they will help many families across the state participate meaningfully with the IEP team in determining the need for a paraeducator. 

My Request to OSPI

Hello! I...
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Paraeducators: How does the IEP Team Decide? iep team paraeducator shortage paraeducators washington state Sep 19, 2024

I’ve been in several IEP team meetings lately where the team refuses to consider the need for a paraeducator. It general follows that that teachers are quiet and administrators are participating in the conversation around paraeducators, making the decision for the team. This worries me, as...

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Clover Park School District Board Public Comment clover park school district parent participation washington state Sep 09, 2024

Clover Park School District is a district near Tacoma, Washington that serves 12,000 children. It is near, and has schools on, the Joint Base Lewis McChord. More than a third of children are military dependents, and thus highly mobile. The district updated their Strategic Plan with...

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