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Chatham SEPAG (Special Education Parent Advisory Group)
Contributed by Ana McCormack, Chatham SEPAG
More than 700 students receive special services in the School District of the Chathams, including but not limited to, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and reading remediation. In order to better represent the 1,400 parents of those students, Chatham has formed a new advisory group called Chatham SEPAG (pronounced sea-pag). SEPAG stands for Special Education Parent Advisory Group, which is a state-mandated, district-level, parent-driven group.
Chatham SEPAG’s mission is to be a solution-oriented parent advisory group that represents students who receive special services and their parents. The group works to provide direct input to the School District of the Chathams regarding the policies, programs and services that impact the special education community. Chatham SEPAG collaborates with district staff, administrators, Board of Education members and the local community to facilitate engagement along with open, transparent communication in order to create the best possible outcomes for all learners.
SEPAG committee: First row (seated L-R) Marlene McGuire, Lisa Raymond, Melissa Cavallone. Second row (standing L-R) Kimberly Kelly, Ana McCormack, Christine Walls, Kathleen Ryan, Bonni Press, Aimee Reali, Stacey Petricha, John Petricha. Members of SEPAG not pictured include: Donna Mahon, Lori Hinman, Nicole McGuire, Michael Ryan, and James Venezia
Courtesy of Chatham SEPAG
Recently, Chatham SEPAG hosted a presentation titled, Dyslexia: Some Basic Facts given by Judy Shapiro, director of the Children’s Dyslexia Center in Scotch Plains who has helped hundreds of children receive Orton-Gillingham tutoring, and Carol Lesniewski, a special education teacher in the public school system for 30 years who is certified in Orton-Gillingham, the lifeline to improving reading and spelling skills. The presentation included the sharing of effective, research-based strategies in order to empower parents to help their children become more proficient readers and writers whether their child is diagnosed Dyslexic or struggling with literacy.Upcoming events by Chatham SEPAG will include primers on the IEP process, special education law and parent Q&A sessions.
All parents of students who receive special services in the School District of the Chathams should get in touch with Chatham SEPAG by joining the Chatham SEPAG (Special Education Parent Advisory Group) on Facebook and/or emailing chathamsepag@gmail.comto be placed on the group’s distribution list and advised about important events and news.
