Sandwich Parent Advisory Council
for Special Education
About Us
What is PAC ?
The Parents Advisory Council to Special Education is a collaborative effort between parents, educators and administrators with a consistent and firm foundation that is always in the best interest of the child.
Our Mission:
The Sandwich Parent Advisory Council for Special Education
is a collaborative effort between Parents, Educators and Administrators with a consistent and firm foundation that is always in the best interest of the child.
Years ago the parents in the town of Sandwich came together and formed the Parent Advisory Council (PAC). The purpose was to offer information, resources, and support to parents who had questions, issues, and various needs regarding any child who learned differently.
The PAC has grown and this year is ready and eager to have you share in all that is happening. The PAC is open to all; those who are parents and those who are not, those who know a child with special needs, those who wonder what special needs are, those who have a relative in another town who may have a special need, those who have a grandchild, those who live in another town and are interested. Everyone is invited to our meetings. Bring a friend. Bring a relative. Our meetings are free. Our meetings are meant to inform. No one will ask you to talk or commit to volunteering. Just come and listen. The discussions can be lively. The information is always good. If you have a question, bring it. We will answer it or find someone who can.
Beyond information sessions, it is our intent to offer parents the opportunity to the network, get questions answered and find support at our meetings. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Please spread the word and bring a friend to any of the PAC meetings.
Our Goals:
- Increase and improve methods of communication between the school district, the PAC, families and the community.
- School Administration and School Committee should enhance and broaden the spectrum of Special Ed. professional training provided to all staff, including better leveraging the Federation for Children with Special Needs. ie: children with Executive Functioning Deficiencies, what does the impact have on their education and school day, effective strategies to assist them and their families to ensure their success.
- School Administration and School Committee should organize and hold a SPECIAL EDUCATION SUMMIT - inviting school staff, parents and community members to come together and have an in-depth look at our Special Ed. services; discuss raising the bar for Special Ed. students and staff; educate the town of the legal and moral responsibility of providing educational assistance for our special needs children, in the least resistive, most inclusive environment possible; Provide the community with a greater understanding of the Special Education program.
- School Administration should adopt and implement withing the district the Department of Educations "Snap Shot" IEPs as a child services record and transition tool. The Snap Shop IEP is a summary document that records a child's strengths and weaknesses, reated at each yearly IEP meeting. The purpose of this document is to help familiarize the teacher and specialist staff with the child prior to the beginning of the new school year. The teacher should receive this document along with their class list for the next school year.
- School Administration should create and implement a district wide staff/parent communication tool to better explain and align each child's daily school experience and home work.
- School Administration should act to document, communicate and enforce uniform district standards and protocols for the offer and provision of Special Education services.
- School Administration should act to document, maintain and communicate a "Milestones" handout for all families that would help parents and care givers understand look for and recognize significant academic, physical and socially developmental milestones as well as mental health concerns of regular and special education children.
- School Administration should create and implement within the district an interactive staff/parent communication tool to better explain the process and expectations of a child making the transition from an IEP to the mainstream curriculum. Most importantly should it take place from elementary to middle school, or middle school to High School.