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Special Education Parent Advisory Council |
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The Boston Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SpEdPAC) is a group established under Massachusetts General Law who works with the Boston Public School District to ensure that BPS students with disabilities get the services and support they need to develop to their full potential. |
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Boston SpEdPAC Members are invited to a virtual September General MeetingThursday | September 28, 2023 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM which will feature the topic |
Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans |
What’s included in each plan How should each be written How to prepare for an IEP/504 Meeting Creating IEP Goals & Measuring Progress |
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Interpretation will be available in: ASL, Arabic, Cape Verdean Creole, Cantonese, French, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese |
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Beginning at 8:15, any interested SpEdPAC member may speak for 3 minutes to ask questions, provide comment or share concerns related to BPS Special Education and/or their student’s experience. Following the meeting, the SpEdPAC Board will connect to offer support to issues raised. Registration in advance is appreciated, but not required. |
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General Meetings are organized for Boston SpEdPAC members and focus on a specific topic related to supporting a Boston Public School student with a disability. Parents, Guardians and Educational Advocates of BPS students with disabilities are SpEdPAC members, as well as any other interested party. |
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Back To School ResourcesWELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL! |
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| BPS Transportation | SpEdPAC wants to hear from you about your student’s BPS transportation experience. | |
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For immediate support with a transportation issue, contact BPS Transportation: Email: scho...@bostonpublicschools.org Call: 617-635-9520 to contact the Help Line Submit a Transportation Ticket
If your student experienced an interruption of services due to BPS transportation, you have the option to reconvene the IEP team to discuss the compensatory services your student may be entitled to.
Families may be eligible for reimbursement of mileage / ride share services (Uber, Lyft) if you provided transportation for your student’s transportation issues resulted in your needing to provide alternative transportation for your student. To submit a reimbursement request*, please fill out the following google form in your preferred language: English | Español | اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ | Cabo-Verdiano | 中文 | Français | Kreyòl Ayisyen | Português | Soomaali | Tiếng Việt
If you need assistance filling out this form, please contact: BPS Helpline at (617) 635-8873 or help...@bostonpublicschools.org. *Social Security Number/Tax ID are not required to seek reimbursement. |
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| Summer ExperiencesDid your student participate in Extended School Year (ESY), a Boston Public School 5th Quarter Program, or even another summer program that supported students with disabilities? We want to hear about it! | |
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SpEdPAC School Parent Council Representative Every Boston Public School may have one to three elected SpEdPAC School Parent Council Representatives. Please consider filling this role at your student’s school! | |
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More Contacts & ResourcesIn addition to emailing or calling Boston SpEdPAC, below are more resources to support your student navigating Special Education in Boston Public Schools. |
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| Questions about the process?Published by the BPS Office of Special Education, this manual describes the practices and procedures that all school staff, including general and special educators and administrators, must use to properly identify students eligible for IEPs/504 Plans and to address the learning needs of students on IEPs/504 Plans in the most inclusive, least restrictive environment. |
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BPS Assistant Directors of Special Education |
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Every BPS School is assigned a regional staff member, an Assistant Director of Special Education (AD). The AD provides leadership for special education settings and support to: Principals, Special Education Coordinators (COSE), Teachers and Service Providers. The AD assigned to your region collaborates with families and provides support, planning and problem solving around Special Education. |
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The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is committed to helping individuals and school districts resolve problems promptly. Laws exist to protect the rights of all students in the Commonwealth, and to ensure that all students receive equal educational opportunities. |
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Through its Problem Resolution System (PRS), DESE handles complaints that allege a school or a district is not meeting legal requirements for education. Anyone, including parents, students, educators, community members, and agency representatives, may contact the PRS office for assistance. |
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