Re: Networking with School Administrators

[Guest guest]

,

I would be happy to help. I work as an advocate with schools all the

time. I am in the Will County area, but have worked with a lot of school

districts and currently still do!! Let me know how I can help.

Amy Lukos

Certified RDI Program Consultant

Essential Elements

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 1:58 PM, <jenniferprice22@...> wrote:

> **

>

>

> Hello everyone,

> Wanted to see if anyone might have some ideas or direction..

> I live in Grundy County where we have a special education cooperative

> through the county--many of the schools now are decentralizing and taking

> programs on their own--with little to no knowledge of what it takes to

> carry out an IEP etc...only looking for control and decrease costs.

> I started with a group a non-profit in our county that provides prgrams

> and services to our special needs community. One area I am looking to

> strengthen the relationship is parents with the administration etc. The

> COOP board is made up of super's from the county schools--none of which

> have special needs children etc.

> My son has been in school for 5 years and it has been a constant

> battle....there has been a teacher/aide strike over contracts and many

> programs being change due to de-centralization. The teachers and aides are

> in constant fear of losing their jobs....and who suffers--our children!

>

> I am speaking at the COOP board meeting next week and hoping to get

> through to them that we don't want to work against each other--we need to

> work together...not expecting a cadillac but a good running chevy :-) I

> would like to propose establishing an advisory committee of a few

> productive parents, teachers/aides, therapists etc that can help work with

> the board to see our point of view.

>

> Any help from your great minds--is greatly appreciated!

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Having started up several parent groups myself, here are a couple of suggestions

right off the bat, but feel free to contact me off-list, too. Some things I

learned through trial and error:

1. Identify the problem(s) to be solved. Make a list of your top 1-3 concerns

& that you want to work toward solutions for. Practice saying them out loud, as

though presenting them in a meeting. If you can’t make your argument in front

of the mirror at home, then keep writing until your concerns are crystal clear.

I’m a little confused by your comment about ‘I started with a group a

non-profit in our county that provides programs/services to our special needs

community’. Is this a group you have left? Or is it the group you are

forming? If it’s a new group you are forming, be very clear about your goals

– ‘establishing a better working relationship with the board’ is probably

not specific enough.

2. Keep your arguments STUDENT-FOCUSED. This may sound simple, but can be

trickier than you think. Make sure the learners’ needs are front and center.

3. Never pose a yes/no question unless you are willing to accept ‘no’ for

an answer. At the end of your comments to the Board, for example, avoid saying

things like ‘Could we form’ or ‘Would you approve’. Instead, try saying

‘How can we work together to’ (form a parent advisory committee) or ‘What

are next steps in moving this forward?â€. Be concrete. No ‘could you’s’

or ‘would you’s’!

4. Work through your local district people first. Have you met 1:1 with your

own district’s superintendent? If not, he/she may likely be embarrassed at

the Board meeting if they haven’t heard the issues before. Keep this in mind

as you move forward. It can be a problem. On the other hand, maybe you feel

you’ve exhausted all local avenues & need to move into ‘embarrass them’

mode. Just be careful. Once you’ve burned the bridge, it’s really really

hard to rebuild.

Good luck and let me know if you’d like to talk.

Laurie

From:

Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 1:58 PM

IPADDUnite

Subject: Networking with School Administrators

Hello everyone,

Wanted to see if anyone might have some ideas or direction..

I live in Grundy County where we have a special education cooperative through

the county--many of the schools now are decentralizing and taking programs on

their own--with little to no knowledge of what it takes to carry out an IEP

etc...only looking for control and decrease costs.

I started with a group a non-profit in our county that provides prgrams and

services to our special needs community. One area I am looking to strengthen the

relationship is parents with the administration etc. The COOP board is made up

of super's from the county schools--none of which have special needs children

etc.

My son has been in school for 5 years and it has been a constant battle....there

has been a teacher/aide strike over contracts and many programs being change due

to de-centralization. The teachers and aides are in constant fear of losing

their jobs....and who suffers--our children!

I am speaking at the COOP board meeting next week and hoping to get through to

them that we don't want to work against each other--we need to work

together...not expecting a cadillac but a good running chevy :-) I would like to

propose establishing an advisory committee of a few productive parents,

teachers/aides, therapists etc that can help work with the board to see our

point of view.

Any help from your great minds--is greatly appreciated!

[Guest guest]

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 14, 2011, at 2:40 PM, Amy Lukos <amylukos@...> wrote:

> ,

> I would be happy to help. I work as an advocate with schools all the

> time. I am in the Will County area, but have worked with a lot of school

> districts and currently still do!! Let me know how I can help.

>

> Amy Lukos

> Certified RDI Program Consultant

> Essential Elements

>

> On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 1:58 PM, <jenniferprice22@...> wrote:

>

>> **

>>

>>

>> Hello everyone,

>> Wanted to see if anyone might have some ideas or direction..

>> I live in Grundy County where we have a special education cooperative

>> through the county--many of the schools now are decentralizing and taking

>> programs on their own--with little to no knowledge of what it takes to

>> carry out an IEP etc...only looking for control and decrease costs.

>> I started with a group a non-profit in our county that provides prgrams

>> and services to our special needs community. One area I am looking to

>> strengthen the relationship is parents with the administration etc. The

>> COOP board is made up of super's from the county schools--none of which

>> have special needs children etc.

>> My son has been in school for 5 years and it has been a constant

>> battle....there has been a teacher/aide strike over contracts and many

>> programs being change due to de-centralization. The teachers and aides are

>> in constant fear of losing their jobs....and who suffers--our children!

>>

>> I am speaking at the COOP board meeting next week and hoping to get

>> through to them that we don't want to work against each other--we need to

>> work together...not expecting a cadillac but a good running chevy :-) I

>> would like to propose establishing an advisory committee of a few

>> productive parents, teachers/aides, therapists etc that can help work with

>> the board to see our point of view.

>>

>> Any help from your great minds--is greatly appreciated!

>>

>>

>>

>>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

You can also contact the Parent Educator Partnership Program. They will have

some great information for you!!!!

Bedard, PLA

Ricky, andra and 's Mom

Mothers on a Mission, Inc.

6515 Stanley Avenue #4

Berwyn, IL 60402

708-217-3196

www.mothersonamission.net

www.noewait.net

Walk a mile in my shoes, see what I see, hear what I hear, feel what I feel,

THEN maybe you'll understand why I do what I do. Until then, don't judge me!!!

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________________________________

From: Perlik <seperlik@...>

" IPADDUnite " <IPADDUnite >

Sent: Thu, December 15, 2011 9:01:47 PM

Subject: Re: Networking with School Administrators

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 14, 2011, at 2:40 PM, Amy Lukos <amylukos@...> wrote:

> ,

> I would be happy to help. I work as an advocate with schools all the

> time. I am in the Will County area, but have worked with a lot of school

> districts and currently still do!! Let me know how I can help.

>

> Amy Lukos

> Certified RDI Program Consultant

> Essential Elements

>

> On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 1:58 PM, <jenniferprice22@...> wrote:

>

>> **

>>

>>

>> Hello everyone,

>> Wanted to see if anyone might have some ideas or direction..

>> I live in Grundy County where we have a special education cooperative

>> through the county--many of the schools now are decentralizing and taking

>> programs on their own--with little to no knowledge of what it takes to

>> carry out an IEP etc...only looking for control and decrease costs.

>> I started with a group a non-profit in our county that provides prgrams

>> and services to our special needs community. One area I am looking to

>> strengthen the relationship is parents with the administration etc. The

>> COOP board is made up of super's from the county schools--none of which

>> have special needs children etc.

>> My son has been in school for 5 years and it has been a constant

>> battle....there has been a teacher/aide strike over contracts and many

>> programs being change due to de-centralization. The teachers and aides are

>> in constant fear of losing their jobs....and who suffers--our children!

>>

>> I am speaking at the COOP board meeting next week and hoping to get

>> through to them that we don't want to work against each other--we need to

>> work together...not expecting a cadillac but a good running chevy :-) I

>> would like to propose establishing an advisory committee of a few

>> productive parents, teachers/aides, therapists etc that can help work with

>> the board to see our point of view.

>>

>> Any help from your great minds--is greatly appreciated!

>>

>>

>>

>>

>

>

>