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Message from the Executive Director
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Dear Families and Friends of Special Education Services in Seattle Public Schools,
We have made a tremendous amount of progress that isn't completely visible to people outside SPS Special Education. We are reworking our internal systems, including the creation of a three year professional development plan for school leaders and special education staff, publication of an internal special education procedural guide, articulated roles and responsibilities, proactive recruitment of highly qualified staff, and enhanced capacity for school and family engagement. These are a few examples of this year's work that will help us get to what all of us seek: learning environments where every child can thrive. Over the last year, Seattle Public Schools has been working on the Revised Comprehensive Corrective Action Plan (RC-CAP). The RC-CAP was developed in partnership with OSPI (the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) to bring the District's special education into compliance with state standards. During the last school year, the District has completed 39 of 40 of the required activities. With the development stage of the RC-CAP complete, the District is entering a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with OSPI to establish specific indicators for measuring the District's compliance.
Beginning in the fall of 2015-16, we will support our school sites through a process of ensuring that services are delivered in accordance with district, state, and federal expectations. OSPI will work with us in a verification process which includes on-site activities to assess:
- Central Office Evidence Standards, primarily related to data quality and reporting, knowledge of roles, responsibilities, and procedures, and presence of internal controls
- Regional Service Delivery Standards, including file reviews, staff interviews, classroom observations, and parent focus groups in each region in the district
School visits to verify that special ed. services are meeting standards will occur one region at a time over the course of the coming year.
Seattle Public Schools is eager to enter in to this next phase to continue improving SPS' performance, and we appreciate your participation, input, and support!
We hope you and your family have a wonderful summer break and look forward to seeing you in September!
Sincerely,
Wyeth Jessee
Executive Director of Special Education Services
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The SPS Special Education Ombudsperson is here to help you:
Margo Siegenthaler at (206) 252-0794
[email protected]
If you are concerned about a preschooler with a possible delay in development, call:
Child Find Screening and Referral:
(206) 252-0805
To contact Enrollment Services call: (206) 252-0760
General Special Education Questions by Region please contact the Regional Special Education Supervisors listed below:
NE Regional Supervisor:
Sherry Studley at (206) 252-0842
[email protected]
NW Regional Supervisor:
Heather Brown at (206) 252-0836
[email protected]
Central Regional Supervisor:
Patricia Campbell at (206) 252-0979
[email protected]
SE Regional Supervisor:
Beth Thorson at (206) 252--0262
[email protected]
West Seattle Regional Supervisor:
Spencer Pan at (206) 252-0887
[email protected]
Early Childhood Supervisor:
Beth Carter at (206) 252-0665
[email protected]
Private School Supervisor:
Robin Olney at (206) 252-0870
[email protected]
Director of Special Education
Michaela Clancy at (206) 252-0807
[email protected]
Director of School Based Special Education Services
Kari Hanson at (206) 252-2105
[email protected]
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| Paralympic Sports Day Saturday, June 20th, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration: Rainier Beach Community Center 8825 Rainier Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98118 To guarantee your opportunity to participate, register at: http://bit.ly/1dKXqsH |
The Autism Center in Seattle
CHADD, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
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| Welcome to the Special Education Family Newsletter. Please share the SpEd Newsletter with others, and send comments to [email protected]. If someone forwarded the Special Education Family Newsletter to you, sign up here. |
| JOIN US FOR A PARALYMPIC SPORTS DAY in Seattle JUNE 20th |
Seattle Adaptive Sports, along with Seattle Parks and Recreation: Specialized Programs and Seattle Public Schools is hosting a sports clinic on Saturday, June 20th at Rainier Beach Community Center and surrounding schools and lake frontage. You will be able to experience many sports offered by programs in the Puget Sound area.
There will be many sports and recreation programs available to have a hands-on experience, as well as a chance to watch athletes currently involved in these sports. You will find information about resources in your community for recreation, employment support, independent living skills, healthcare and advocacy.
~ FREE EVENT ~
The first 100 people to register will receive an event t-shirt and lunch. (shirt size not guaranteed after June 14th)
REGISTER TODAY!!
You are encouraged to register in advance to guarantee your opportunity to participate, however drop-in participation is also available.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Click here to Register Now
SCHEDULE
Be sure to check in at the registration table at Rainier Beach Community Center to get your wristband for participation.
8 AM - 3 PM Registration at Rainier Beach Community Center
9 AM - 11 AM Wheelchair Basketball with Seattle Adaptive Sports and Metro Parks Tacoma
9 AM - 11 AM Quad Rugby with Seattle Slam
9 AM - 11 AM Wheelchair Tennis with Seattle Adaptive Sports
10 AM - 1 PM Canoeing with Seattle Kayak & Canoe
11 AM - 12 PM Water Safety/Water Therapy/Swimming with Nurturing Water Therapies & Community Integration Services
11 AM - 1 PM Track & Field and Cycling with Seattle Adaptive Sports
11 AM - 1 PM Sitting Volleyball with Seattle Space Needle Volleyball Club
11 AM - 1 PM Lunch
12 PM - 2 PM BeepBall with Seattle Sluggers vs. Tacoma Tide Game
1 PM - 3 PM Power Soccer with USTA Anthony Anderson
1 PM - 4 PM Rowing with Seize the Oar
Learn about rock climbing, sled hockey, sailing and more.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We need YOU for the success of this event. Volunteers are needed for registration, sports stations, traffic crossing, set-up, clean-up and to serve lunch. Please registration for a time you can lend a hand.
VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/T67iZ3
(enter your email address, then choose your time spot)
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| Directory of Summer Camps for Children with Special Needs |
| Seattle Children's Hospital has compiled a 29 page directory of summer camps offered in the Seattle area for children with special needs. Follow this link to see the directory: http://cshcn.org/resources-contacts/summer-camp-directory |
| Special Ed Workshops for staff and parents this summer |
| WEA, The Washington Education Association, is offering two Special Ed Boot Camps this summer. WEA's Student Centered Education Project is funded by a special education grant from the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Instruction. New this year: Register for a whole boot camp or select a day or two to meet your needs.
- June 22-25, in Yakima
- July 13-16, in Federal Way
A limited number of scholarships are available for parents. To find out about scholarships, contact Molly Baasch.
Molly Baasch
WEA Special Populations/Programs Coordinator
Office: 253-765-7066 ; Cell: 509-869-2692; Fax: 253-946-7605
Email: [email protected]
The 2015 edition of the WEA Special Education Boot Camp is a four-day event made possible by offering a combination of full- and half-day sessions. Tuition = $270, includes lunches).
Individual day registration will be offered at $70 per day, as long as space is available.
Space is limited, so if the WEA Special Ed Boot Camp is high on your professional development list for this summer, you'll want to sign up now.
Registration for June 22-25, in Yakima - https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1624/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=424880
Registration for July 13-16, in Federal Way - https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1624/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=424952
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| Thirty four SPS parents attended a Workshop for families: "Understanding Learning Disabilities" on June 10th at Aki Kurose Middle School |
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| Sherry Studley, SPS Regional Special Ed Supervisor, teaching families about learning disabilities. |
For this workshop, Seattle Public Schools partnered with Open Doors for Multicultural Families. Parents came to learn how to work with schools when their children are having a hard time with listening/paying attention, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, math, social skills, or have been diagnosed with a Specific Learning Disability. Examples of Learning Disabilities include ADHD, Dyslexia, etc. Sherry Studley, Seattle Public Schools' Special Education Services Supervisor of the Northeast Region, explained and answered questions about the categories of learning disabilities, signs of learning disabilities, what kinds of supports are available at school, and what parents can do at home. One participant said that "the workshop was informative and engaging. The presenter clearly has the knowledge and background in special ed. And it felt like an open conversation."
Open Doors registered families, provided pizza and interpreters for Somali, Spanish and Chinese speaking families who attended. Seattle Public Schools' Special Education teachers and Instructional Assistants provided engaging supervised activities for the children while their parents participated in the workshop. |
We want your feedback and ideas! Please fill out the SPS Special Education Family Survey!
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| If you haven't already done so, please fill out the Special Education Family Survey so that we can continue to improve how we engage and support Seattle Public School families: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K3LYK2T |
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Seattle Public Schools Special Education PTSA
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The first newsletter of the next school year will provide meeting dates for 2015-16.
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SPS Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Council (SEAAC)
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The first newsletter of the next school year will provide meeting dates for 2015-16.
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The Special Education Family Newsletter is for you!
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The Seattle Public Schools Special Education Department uses this newsletter to provide important information for families of children who receive special education services in Seattle Public Schools. Please send your questions and ideas for information and articles to:
[email protected]
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Seattle Public Schools ("SPS") provides Equal Educational Opportunities and Equal Employment Opportunities and does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex; race; creed; color; religion; ancestry; national origin; age; economic status; sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity; pregnancy; marital status; physical appearance; disability; veteran or military status; or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal. SPS provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
SPS complies with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations, including but not limited to: Title IX, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and RCW 49.60 ("The Washington Law Against Discrimination"). SPS's compliance includes, but is not limited to all District programs, courses, activities, including extra-curricular activities, services, and access to facilities.
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