Baltimore County Public Schools Special Education Citizens’ Advisory Committee (SECAC) P.J. Shafer Co-Chairperson pj.shafer@lpl.com Elisa Hartman Vice-Chairperson ekhartman@aol.com Dawn Baier Secretary dbaier@bcps.org Location: 6901 N. Charles Street Towson, MD 21204 Building E (formerly ESS) Room 114 7-9 p.m. All meeting are open to the public. New members welcome! Meeting Schedule 2013 September 9 October 14 November 11 December 9 2014 January 13 February 10 March 10 April 7 May 12 June 3 For updates on meeting topics, join the BCPS SECAC listserv: BaltoCo-SECAC@ yahoogroups.com What is a Special Education Citizens’ Advisory Committee (SECAC)? A Special Education Citizens’ Advisory Committee (SECAC) is a committee established by the local school system to seek meaningful input from parents, community partners, service providers, educators and administrators on local issues relative to the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and the achievement of students with disabilities. To work most effectively, a SECAC operates as a partnership between parents and families, community leaders and organizations, educators and administrators at the local level. A local SECAC enables a local director of special education to collaborate with others on local issues and it has the potential to facilitate positive changes in the delivery of special education services and the achievement of students with disabilities. What is the purpose of a SECAC? One purpose is to provide a local director of special education with meaningful input as to the needs of students with disabilities within the local jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction may have specific procedures, reports, or practices for which a local director may wish to solicit input from parents, administrators, and teachers. Baltimore County’s SECAC We usually meet on the second Monday of each month from September through June (unless otherwise noted). All meetings are open to the public and we encourage anyone with an interest in improving education outcomes for students with disabilities to attend. Each month a different topic is featured. Members ask questions and give suggestions to the Executive Director of Special Education & Student Support Services and her staff. How do I join? You can attend any or all meetings. To be a voting member you must attend four meetings in a calendar year. You should join our listserv at: BaltoCoSECAC@yahoogroups.com to stay informed of our meeting schedule, upcoming events, and resources. Mission Statement: Since 1978, the Baltimore County Special Education Citizens’ Advisory Committee has provided a forum for issues pertaining to children with disabilities. Our members advocate at the county, state and federal level to make recommendations and assist Baltimore County Public Schools about issues including the education budget, inclusion, assessments, support services and other issues concerning children and special education services.