Guilford PTA-Special Education Committee
GPTA-SEC

The Guilford PTA-SEC, Special Education Committee, is a town-wide committee focused on educational issues and concerns with goals to help empower parents as advocates for their  children through education, training and networking.  This committee is: 

• Established in January 2008   
• A Committee of the Guilford PTA
• District-wide group focused on educational issues and concerns which can include   speech, occupational and physical therapy, life skills, behavior intervention, parent education, etc.
• Not individual school specific 

GPTA-SEC:  Goals & Initiatives

• To empower parents   
• To advocate for our children – fostering the spirit of inclusion in academic, social and recreational settings
• To network – providing a forum in which to share information and experiences   
• To educate and provide parent training – with engaging speakers on what you need to know as a parent of a child with special-needs    

GPTA-SEC:  Accomplishments  

In a short period of time, the Guilford PTA – Special Education Committee has achieved a number of accomplishments.  Here are just a few: 

• In January 2008 created an organization under the Guilford PTA offering parents a place to meet and network with similar interests and concerns about special education. 
• Have offered a number of professional workshops to train parents in topics such as:  Understanding the federal special education law IDEA --  Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act; IEP Goals 101; What to do When You Disagree; Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports; Developing Positive Relationships between Parents and Schools; Strategies and Accommodations for Children with Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Difficulties, Understanding Evaluations and SRBI (Scientifically Research-Based Intervention).
• Successfully lobbied with the Board of Education to have a full-time certified speech and language pathologist in every school building including the Pre-K. 
• Successfully lobbied with the Board of Education to provide a multi-sensory, systematic, comprehensive and explicit reading program for children with special needs at every level. 
• Worked towards improvements to the Extended School Year (ESY). 
• Organized an annual forum with our local politicians to answer important questions about disability laws that affect our children

Click link for GPTA-SEC recommended resources: GPTA-SEC Resources 

For more information or questions, please contact the GPTA-SEC co-chairs:

Kim Beckett, (203) 453-9957, kim.beckett@yale.edu