Special Education Department
|
- David Williams: SMORES
- TTAC - information regarding resources available from TTAC
- CBI video – CBI is a highlight in the 2025 Strategic Plan
- Parents as Partners – Saturday, February 26th- Website available for registration and there are previously recorded sessions from past events that are not repeating this year available to watch. Virtual presentations will follow the event. Expecting over 300 people. Been marketed via online, email, social media.
- Heather Handschin, Supervisor of Bus Operations - PWCS Transportation:
- Appreciate the opportunity to share our information
- 7 transportation centers, 919 buses, 2 electric buses to fleet, 11,000 bus stops, 61K students, one-mile boundary walk to stop, provide
- Here comes the bus – not perfect, it is an app that allows you to see where the bus is. Working to improve it.
- 30 points checked before a bus stop is created.
- How to change child’s transportation – contact the SCHOOL.
- What happens if someone leaves something on the bus – drivers hold the items on the bus until the next day, or take to school
- How do we train new bus drivers – ready to train anyone who is interested. Classes start every two weeks, takes about 4 weeks. 571-402-3868
- Who do I contact regarding my child’s bus – 10 zones, you contact the correct zone – East – 571-374-6591; Central – 571-374-6592; West – 571-374-6593 – These are available online
- Late bus – dispatch – 571-402-3940
- No different phone numbers for special needs buses, use the same numbers
- Vendor car services – not all special needs,
- Driver shortage – 105 short. Late buses, combining buses, lack of consistency,
- Communication has been a challenge, we are working with a new system.
- With 66K students, we move 120K daily – 21.6 M each year. 10.5 M miles.
- Angela Lello – thank you for coming. Can you restate that info about phone numbers and emails? Can you discuss the second vendor you mentioned?
- Transportation Home Page – Second vendor – very limited, breaking news, supplemental vendor (vendors are also suffering from driver shortages) Contact the parents First before transferring a student from the old vendor to the new vendor.
- David SED – virtual meetings, mention those and talk about it.
- Virtual meetings allows us to attend so many more meetings, allows us to get a lot more done in the day. David – you can provide details is what is needed as far as supports on the bus.
- Janice Solven – do drivers for special education students get any training? Do they learn about our kids.
- Handschin – all drivers receive training on autism, CPR, defensive driving, high level of training
- Darienella – thank you for providing numbers to call and contact. This past year I’ve had a lot of issues. Is there any other alternative way to support parents when they are in the bind of not knowing when bus will come. We need to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
- Handschin – three workgroups working on trying to fix issue, even drivers are involved. If you have a specific questions, please help us build relationships with parents, have them call us.
- Darienella – can there be aftercare at low cost offered to parents, when there is an issue with the buses.
- Jennifer Andrew – private transportation company – issues have predated the pandemic, change in drivers, tracker not on, etc. What is the service level agreement with these companies? What is in the contract to say there are expectations? In my own circumstances everything fell through for three weeks. This issue has been going on for quite some time as reported by other parents. What are you putting in the contract to solve these issues? Consistency is really important. It is hard for everyone if that is not working out.
- Handschin – trust is important, it was broken for you. We send information and meet weekly to have open communication with this vendor.
- Emily LePore– Love the question, everything is valid, appreciate the patience. The wonderful part is that new vendor is bringing in ideas that the old vendor is plugging into. Text in evening with name of driver, picture of car, license plate. We meet every week
- Huebner – these two women are exceptional. Dr. McDade has recognized the issue, looking to bring two additional representatives to deal with parents, more resources will be dedicated. Special education was the big winner in strategic plan and budget. We are putting more language, higher expectations, and making sure the product promised is the product delivered.
- Shandel Lohr – webpage – you need to check the numbers on the webpage updated. The numbers, the links should be cleaned up. The bus driver shows up like clockwork. I trust that she will get my child were he needs to be. The one thing I’ve noticed this year, is Forest Park sends out an email about the bus. Can that be spread to other schools? Mimic this for the special needs parents. We (the parents) can help support each other.
- Handschin – new positions of liaisons dedicated to sending out communications as soon as we are aware of it.
- Angela Lello – reimbursement for parents for attendant time – maybe parent could hire another person to transport the student. Consider the time the person actually needs to deliver the child. Took an hour to take my kid to school.
- Ms. Handschin’s email: handschb@pwcs.edu
- Webpage for transportation: Transportation Webpage
- Parent Resource Center – Rhonda Tabor – Consultant
- We have some new members on SEAC, don’t know if you came to PRC, so we’re going to go through the presentations.
- Positive outcomes for parents
- Support for parents
- First floor of KLC, second door on right is the new door
- 30 years we’ve been providing service, positive relationships
- Support, trainings and information
- Serve students, staff, parents, community partners
- Support parents through listening to their concerns
- Educate parents about SE, offer multiple classes throughout the year.
- Provide school and community-based resources, for example summer camps
- Maintain free lending library about special education, in English and Spanish. Diets, the law, reading, math
- Provide workshops in multiple facets with different partners
- Contact – 703-791-8846; taborrd@pwcs.edu
- We want information to be dispersed in many different platforms. In person, virtual, online, etc.
- Library – library.pwcs.edu – has hundreds of resources on autism, look at the list, send an email to Rhonda, she can arrange to have books sent to you.
- Resources – PEATC, VDOE, PRC, PWCS
- Upcoming events – always check the PRC calendar
- PRC works with community partners, cosponsor workshops with ARC, Popups, PTA/PTOs, school openings
- Served over 3,500 families in the county
- Want to increase parent participation
- Reach out to me if you know any parents that need help
- Jamie – invite Rhonda back next month for questions and recap of parents as partners
- March 15, 2022 – Annual Plan
- April 19, 2022: Development of School Board Presentation
- May 17, 2022 – Voting New members and Executive Board
|
Business
|
- Subcommittee to review and update by-laws (Jaime, Kristie, Rhonda, Katherine) Distribute copies of approved By-Laws to members; Katherine Lekbad sent e-mail to all members with copy of bylaws.
- SEAC Outreach and Membership Subcommittee (Beverly, Shandel, Tara) Review and report – see attached draft mission statement and goals/time periods. We will look at this outreach plan next month and vote on it.
- Nominating Subcommittee: (Angela L, Sarah, Jaime, Angela C) Request candidates for Chair.
- Jaime – Katherine has sent an email saying she would be interested in being chair. We need to find someone for Secretary
- Angela Comisky needs to reach out to her school board member to let them know the term is ending.
- Annual Report Subcommittee: Review/report
- Jamie – write report, 7 slide presentation, remake the old report for this year, then make recommendations, work sessions will be at the beginning of March and April.
- PWC-Special Education PTA: Melinda Vaikasiene/Janice Soliven – Jamie – they presented during public comment
- Parent Resource Center: Rhonda Tabor
|