Parent Advisory Councils

The Brockton Public Schools place a high value on parent input into its work supporting student learning. There are currently two PACs that are open to parents throughout the district. They are the District Parent Advisory Committee (DiPAC) and the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC). Both groups meet regularly to discuss issues and highlight the work related to their areas of focus.

In addition, each school has its own PAC. To learn more about individual school PACs, please visit your respective school's page.

SEPAC offers parents an opportunity to learn more about and engage directly with the Brockton Public Schools' Special Education Department. SEPAC seeks to offer parents the opportunity to:

Engage in a network for parents and a forum for sharing ideas and information.
Seek information about programs and resources that may be available within the community as well as those from local, state, and national organizations that can provide support for children with disabilities and their parents.
Advise the school district on matters that pertain to the education and safety of children with disabilities.
Meet with school officials to participate in the planning, development and evaluation of the school district’s special education programs.
Work collaboratively with the school district to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities.
Communicate regularly with the Director of Special Education to discuss concerns and activities of the SEPAC.

Officers

Teresa McIntosh, President
[email protected]

Martha Forrester, Vice President
[email protected]

Meetings

SEPAC meets monthly during the school year, with the exception of September, February and April.

Meetings are held in the Yellow Cafeteria at Brockton High School, 470 Forest Ave. All meetings begin at 6 p.m. and translation services are available.

The 24-25 meeting schedule is below:

October 1 - Presentation - Bylaws and Introductions
November 12 - DESE Presentation - Integrated Monitoring Review
December 3 -Presentation - New IEP Format
January 7 - Presentation - Community Resources and Transition Specialists Linda Thrasher and Laura Albert
March 4 - Presentation - Office of Social Emotional Learning
May 6 - Coffee and Chat
June 3 - Voting of Officers for 25-26

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SEPAC Bylaws

Article l: Name or Organization
The name of this self-governed organization shall be the Brockton Special Education Parent Advisory Council, also known as SEPAC.

Article II: Purpose
The Purpose of the SEPAC is to provide information and support to parents of children with disabilities. They will also:

Provide a network for parents and a forum for sharing ideas and information.
Seek information about programs and resources that may be available within the community as well as those from local, state, and national organizations that can provide support for children with disabilities and their parents.
Advise the school district on matters that pertain to the education and safety of children with disabilities.
Meet with school officials to participate in the planning, development and evaluation of the school district’s special education programs.
Work collaboratively with the school district to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities.
Communicate regularly with the Director of Special Education to discuss concerns and activities of the SEPAC.

Article III: Terms of Membership

General Membership shall be open to the public.
Voting Membership shall be limited to Brockton residents and parents or guardians of a child with disabilities who reside in Brockton.
The existence of an individual education program is not a requirement for voting membership. Voting members shall be required to provide their name and contact information.
Persons affiliated with the Brockton Public Schools, who have attended any meeting of SEPAC during the past 12 months, shall be granted voting membership only if their name and the name of their school affiliation is provided.
Information provided for voting membership shall be kept confidential and will not appear on ballots.
Voting membership is required to vote in elections and other business that comes before any SEPAC meeting.
Meetings are defined as any SEPAC activity that has been publicized and/or any sub-committee meetings at which attendance is taken.

Article IV: Officers

Officers of the Brockton SEPAC presently consist of the President and Vice President who will serve until the next election. SEPAC Officers share responsibility for:
Setting the agenda for each general meeting
Presiding at all meetings of the SEPAC
Recommending the organization and monitoring of all sub-committees
Acting as a liaison to the Director of Special Education and all other school officials.
Helping to coordinate related school and public communications.
Preparing periodic reports for the Special Education Administration regarding SEPAC activities as needed.
Providing SEPAC election results to the Brockton Public Schools Administration

Article V: Elections

Elections shall be held annually at the May meeting, having public notification

Article VI: Meetings

Meetings shall be held regularly, from September through June. Notice of all general meeting dates and elections shall be posted at City Hall and on the Brockton Public Schools website (www.bpsma.org) and on flyers distributed through the schools. The Officers shall consider recommendations for the calendar of meetings and shall include dates and times of the meetings and projected activities for the year, whenever possible. Matters which require a vote to be taken of the voting membership include:

A change in the by-laws
Elections

Article VII: Amendments

These by-laws may be amended by a simple majority of the voting members at a general meeting, but may not be voted upon in the same meeting as they are proposed.

Article IX: Rules of Conduct

Roberts Rules of Order are the default procedures for this organization.

These by-laws adopted June 5, 2024, respectfully submitted by:

Teresa McInstosh, President Martha Forrester, Vice President

DiPAC

DiPAC is the parent voice working collaboratively with school administration to enhance students' educational experience, support their academic success and meet their social and emotional needs.

The DiPAC advocates on behalf of all schools within the district. We attend School Committee meetings, school site council meetings, special education committee meetings and participate in several community forums where educational matters are discussed to bring parent concerns and desires into decision making.

Meetings are held virtually once a month. The Zoom link is available on each meeting listing in the district calendar and on the righthand side of this page. For more information, email [email protected].

DiPAC Goals

1. Increasing Literacy at Home

We plan to promote reading at home to help increase the literacy scores within the district by sharing realistic tips and strategies families can use at home. CPLAN is working with the district's Language Acquisition Coach to develop a workshop with helpful tips and strategies for families.

2. Participate in and Support Education Workshops, Events and Activities

Family Academy, SABURA and CPLAN have partnered to provide a workshop series that aims to build on family capacity in their understanding of the educational landscape to work collaboratively with schools as partners.

3. Enhancing STEAM Programming

Identify resources and opportunities that expand STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) opportunities for all students across the district.

4. Increasing Family Engagement through Parent Councils

Increase family participation in School Site Councils and district-wide Parent Advisory Councils (DiPAC, SEPAC & BPAC)
Collaborate and support the efforts of other PACs to increase their membership, strengthen their advocacy efforts and built unity among the PACs.

5. Parent Voice in School Committee

Work with state legislators to co-sponsor a bill that allows for non-voting seats for one member of each district PAC on the School Committee.

DiPAC Officers

Chair - Ivelisse Caraballo
Secretary - Sarah Hendrick
Treasurer - Samira Murillo Pierre
Communications Officers - Maggie Pinney and Ariuna Jones

DiPAC Meeting Information

Meetings are held once a month from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, except during holidays. They are open to the public and conducted virtually from September through June.

Family involvement includes participating in at least one of the following: school committee meetings, school site council meetings, or various school events across the district. Participants share their experiences with DiPAC, contributing valuable insights that help enhance the council’s advocacy efforts.

To view the calendar of upcoming meetings, click here.

DiPAC Bylaws