Parent Empowerment Call, Jan. 6

The next Parent Empowerment Call will feature Kim Miller, Statewide Leadership Coordinator for the Illinois Childrens' Mental Health Partnership Team. The title for the call is "Becoming a Leader of the Pack".

This is a toll-free educational call being offered to all parents in Illinois who have a child with an emotional and/or behavioral concern, and it will focus on giving parents information they need to advocate for and support their children.

The call is scheduled for Thursday, January 6, 2011, from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM.
Toll-free Access: 800/260-0712
Participant Access Code: 120964

Parent Empowerment Calls are held monthly on the first Thursday of the month.

Should you have any questions, please contact:
Judy Hutchinson at judy.hutchinson@illinois.gov
Family Consumer Specialist, Region 5
DMH Child & Adolescent Network
1501 Olive St.
Lawrenceville, IL 62439

K.A.R.M.A.

Kids Against Ridicule, Meanness and Aggression (K.A.R.M.A.)

When I was traveling last week in Florida, I happened to catch a radio program and interview with Jessica Brookshire, who is a 2009 honors graduate of Auburn University with a degree in International Trade and Spanish and a minor in Political Science.

Jessica created a grassroots crusade to end bullying in school-aged children across the nation.

To learn more about K.A.R.M.A., visit www.thekarma.org

Jessica is a young woman with a dream and a mission. She is surely going great places! Three cheers for Jessica Brookshire!

Parent support by school districts

To what extent are parents of students in special education in schools in McHenry County provided training and support by their school districts?

Do you know that the school districts are supposed to provide support for parents of special ed students? Do they do it? Do they provide meaningful support through programs and groups?

Is there a parent support group in your school or district? Is there a parent advisory council in your district?

Parents of special ed students get smart through education. They learn what the laws are. They learn whether the IEPs of their kids are SMART IEPs (vs. "dumb" ones). Dumb IEPs are the typical, off-the-shelf IEPs with no concrete, measureable statements or requirements and no accountability on the part of the school. "Johnny will do better" is typical of statements in "dumb" IEPs.

Parents want meaningful school-home communication and not just discipline notifications days after an "event" at school.

Parents want to be valuable members of the IEP Team and partners with teachers in the education of their children.

And many teachers want also to partner up with the parents. Unfortunately, in many school districts those interested teachers (and staff members) find themselves at risk of losing their jobs, if they do so.

And that needs to change!

Parents don't have to wait forever for school districts to acknowledge their requirement to provide training and support for these parents. Parents can begin to band together now.

Want help? Let me know.