By donning your advocate’s superhero cape, you improve your advocacy, gain school district respect and make positive, systemic change. Read more in IDEAs on Education in The Jolt.
On January 9, I was super excited to be invited to present to the Benton-Franklin Counties Special Education PTA. I spoke on special education community complaints, which is what WSC are called in Washington. The presentation is also on my YouTube channel. I hope it is helpful to you!
It’s that time of year again! The gifts have been given, the family has gathered, houses are still glowing with the joy that only twinkling lights can bring, and parents are blowing up my phone demanding to file for due process. Â
Stop. Breathe. Take a walk. Breathe some more.Â
Due process is alwa...
Once upon a time, individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities had no choice but to endure these limitations. It didn’t matter if they spoke up; no one listened. Â
Life was just like that, until … Read more in IDEAs on Education in The Jolt.
“When I read the Procedural Safeguards,” said a foster parent of a child with an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan), “I didn’t know that Yelm had to follow state laws. I thought it was only the federal government.” Read more in IDEAs on Education in The Jolt.
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 inclusive elementary sc...
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 grate...
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.Â
My Request to OSPI
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 it is not...
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 several goals, on...
