Information for Families of Students with Disabilities

Virginia Department of Education sent this bulletin at 10/11/2024 02:09 PM EDT

Virginia Department of Education: Engage Your Family

Information for Families of Students with Disabilities - October 11, 2024

State Special Education Advisory Committee (SSEAC) Openings and Nominations

The Virginia Board of Education seeks nominees for a vacancy on the State Special Education Advisory Committee (SSEAC). A full list of open seats is available on the VDOE website.  

Please note that, by state or federal law or regulation, some of the vacancies on advisory committees require specific categories of expertise, qualifications, or geographic representation (map of the VDOE Superintendent’s Regions).

Members of advisory committees do not receive compensation for their service but may be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with state travel guidelines set forth by the Department of Accounts.  

Special Education Parent Involvement Survey for the 2023-2024 School Year

All parents of school-aged children and youth with disabilities who receive special education services in Virginia are requested to complete the VDOE annual Parent Involvement Survey.

This survey will remain open through December 13, 2024. Please complete one survey for each of your children who received special education services during the 2023-2024 school year.

If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact Dr. Chiquita Seaborne, Family Engagement Specialist/Special Projects Coordinator, via email at Chiquita.Seaborne@doe.virginia.gov, or via telephone at (804) 418-4672.

Training Opportunities Provided by the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)

Transition University: October 10 - December 4, 2024

Transition University is a free five-session self-paced online series to help parents/guardians navigate the transition process for their school-aged child and prepare for the adult world. The course is designed for parents/caregivers of elementary, middle, or high students who receive special education services but is open to everyone.

IEP University: November 4 - November 25, 2024

PEATC, in collaboration with VDOE, has developed IEP University (IEPU) to help provide families and professionals with accurate and useful information about IEP development and meetings. IEPU is a self-paced online training with easy-to-understand guidance on the special education process, the IEP document, and ways to develop collaborative relationships among schools and families. IEPU will target practical strategies aimed at helping future IEP meetings be more positive, productive, and collaborative for everyone involved. This training will be presented virtually and will include webinars, discussion boards, resources, and supplementary materials. It will take approximately six hours, and can be accessed anytime during the three-week time frame indicated below. A certificate of completion will be provided for all who complete the training.

Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) Online Self-Paced Training: November 4 - November 25, 2024

PEATC, in collaboration with the VDOE, offers this self-paced SEAC training aimed at helping SEAC members understand the role of the local Special Education Advisory Committee in Virginia and build a more efficient and effective advisory committee. The online training will take approximately four hours and a certificate of completion will be provided for all who complete the training.

Building Strong Parent Advocates: November 4 - November 25, 2024

The Building Strong Parent Advocates training provides information to help families build a solid foundation to understand the special education process while empowering them to be their child’s best advocate. The online training will take approximately six hours, and can be accessed anytime from November 4 - 25, 2024.

This service is provided to you at no charge by the&nbspVirginia Department of Education Office of Facilities and Family Engagement. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit Subscriber Help.