Special Education

 

SEPAC Officers

Michelle Keene: keenefamily520@comcast.net
Teresa McIntosh: terryandbillmc@yahoo.com

Please check back for 2023-24 meeting dates.

A Parent's Guide to Special Education (click here)

Parent IEP Checklist:

• English
• Cape Verdean Creole
• Haitian Creole
• Spanish
• Portuguese
• French

Child Find Notice (click here for translations)

It is the responsibility of the Brockton Public Schools to identify any child who is a resident of Brockton, who may have a disability, regardless of the severity of the disability. It is also the responsibility of the Brockton Public Schools to evaluate students who may have a disability to determine if they are eligible for special education or related services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) or 306 CMR 28 (Massachusetts Special Education Regulations).

The Brockton Public Schools is committed to identifying children before their third birthday to provide early intervention services for three and four-year-olds with disabilities. If you have questions or concerns regarding your child's development and would like to have him/her screened, please contact the Special Education Office at 508-580-7525.

If you have other specific questions about your child, you can also contact the Principal at your child's school for information about the Instructional Support Team (IST) process, which the first step in the referral process is to determine eligibility. It is through this school-based process that strategies are developed, academic and/or behavioral interventions and data is collected to support your child to determine if a referral for special education evaluation is needed.

 

SCREENING REQUEST FORM

Parent's Notice of Procedural Safeguards:

Arabic

Cape Verdean

Chinese

English

Haitian Creole

Khmer

Portuguese

Spanish

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Brockton Special Education Parent Advisory Council
By-laws
2019-2020

CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF VERSION  

Article I: 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 Special Education Parent Advisory Council 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.
• Provide educational opportunities for parents to learn about additional ways to support their child and to advocate more effectively.
• Advise the school district on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students 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 of parents and activities of 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 resides 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 will 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 Special Education Parent Advisory Council presently consist of a 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 sub-committees
• Acting as liaison with the Director of Special Education and other school officials.
• Helping to co-ordinate related school and public communications
• Preparing periodic reports for the Special Education Administration regarding SEPAC activities as needed
• Providing 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

General 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 School website, 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, but are not limited to the following items:

• A change in the By-laws
• Elections

Article VII: Subcommittees

Subcommittees shall be created as needed.

Article VIII: 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 May 20, 2019, respectfully submitted by:

Michelle Keene, President               Teresa McIntosh, Vice-President

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