Special Education Parent Advisory Council

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Special Education Parent Advisory Council

The Massachusetts Special Education Regulations, 603 CMR 28.00 (previously Chapter 766) require school districts to have a district wide parent advisory council that offers membership to all parents of eligible students and other interested parties. The parent advisory council (PAC) advises the district on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities. PAC members meet regularly with school officials to participate in planning, development and evaluation of the school district’s special education programs.

Mission Statement of Northampton PAC

The mission of the Northampton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SePAC) is to work for the understanding, respect, support, and appropriate education for all children with disabilities in our community.

Key Objectives

  • Provide outreach and a network of support for parents, including training, and access to relevant information, current public policy issues, regulations and laws.
  • Promote an innovative educational environment where children with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities and a school environment where all children are encouraged to reach their potential.
  • Collaborate with the school community to continually improve the educational opportunities available within and without our schools that promote improved educational outcomes for children with disabilities.
  • Promote communication and programs within the community to encourage greater understanding, acceptance, compassion, and inclusion of children who are different.
  • Inform district administration of parent concerns and student needs.

SePAC Officers

Chair – Lindsay Doak
Vice-Chair – Karen Kauschen
Secretary – Rachel Baker
Treasurer – Shakira Alvarez

Contact Information/Get Involved

The SePAC officers are available via email at nohosepac@googlegroups.com . We encourage interested parties to contact us at anytime with questions or comments. Your emails are confidential.

We also monitor our Google Group and Facebook Group – information on how to join us is below.

We are actively seeking volunteers to help with our work in each school. If you are interested in serving as your school’s SEPAC liaison, please email us!

Networking through the Google Group

The SePAC email list (Google Group) is made up of parents and guardians of children who receive special education services in the Northampton Public Schools. The email list allows individuals to share experiences, get advice, and send out news of upcoming workshops, meetings and other events of interest. Please note, any email sent through this group is shared with ALL members.

To Subscribe to the Google Group, click on this link and click on “Apply for membership”

When subscribing, please include the following information:
-Your name
-The name of the school your child attends
-The email address you want postings sent to
-Any special areas of interest you may be able to share with the group (none are required)

To Unsubscribe from the Google Group, send an email to: nohosepac@googlegroups.com

Join us on Facebook

To join us on Facebook, visit our page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/421737914887695/about/ 

The Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) workshops that we usually schedule in person are available as recordings on the youtube, on the FCSN page/playlists:  https://www.youtube.com/c/fcsnvideos/playlists

Those include:

Derechos Básicos en Educación Especial | Basic Rights in Special Education