Maryland DD Council: Special Education Leadership Project

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Maryland DD Council
Special Education Leadership Project

Purpose
The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council is pleased to introduce the start of a new 3 year Council initiative -- the Special Education Leadership Project. The purpose of this in-house initiative is to mobilize parents and students so that they can maximize their participation in and impact on the design, funding, implementation and evaluation of special education services at the local level.

Background
Local level advocacy is qualitatively different from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, however in the last decade there has been an increase in the number of parent-led special education advisory committees (SEACs) in some areas of the State, ie. Baltimore County, Carroll County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, etc. This project will assist SEACs in leading change efforts within their local school system.

The Project will develop relationships with a number of local SEACs per year, plan and implement training opportunities, coordinate regional roundtables, and provide ongoing information and technical assistance. In areas where no committee currently exists, the Project will work with established parent support and advocacy groups within the jurisdiction and local school systems to develop a special education advisory committee. The project will build on the strengths and accomplishments of strong SEACs by creating mechanisms through which SEACs can network and mentor each other. While many issues will be common to all school systems (i.e. accountability, state monitoring, etc), the project will assist existing and forming SEACs to develop their own desired outcomes.

Training and technical assistance to Special Education Advisory Committees will be both information and skill based. Some examples of potential issue areas are:

Defining issues and desired outcomes of systems change
Developing measurable, obtainable goals
Devising and supporting the use of effective techniques for collaboration with local school system administrators and elected representatives
Strategies for progress without conflict
Developing open communication systems
Use of data to effect system change
State Monitoring of Local School Systems
State Improvement Plan/Grant
Staffing Plans
Inclusion Task Force Report
Professional Development
State Task Force and Work Group Reports (Functional Behavioral Assessment, LD, Autism, etc).
Alternative Assessments/High Stakes Assessments

Meet our Project Staff
The Council is excited to welcome Yolanda Brooks and Kelli Nelson as Co-Directors of the project.

Yolanda Brooks holds a degree in Government and Politics and has 12 years of progressively responsible legal and administrative experience in the criminal justice field. She is a volunteer mentor with the Family Support Network's Infants and Toddlers Program of Prince George's County and the coordinator of the special needs outreach ministry at Henson Valley Christian Church. She is the parent of a four-year-old son who has cerebral palsy.

Kelli Nelson is the co-Chair of the Baltimore County Interagency Coordinating Council, a member of the Maryland State Interagency Coordinating Council, and the Legislative Liaison for the Baltimore County Citizens' Advisory Committee for Special Education. She is the parent of an 11-year-old son with Pervasive Developmental Disorder and twin girls who recently graduated from the Baltimore Infants and Toddlers Program.

Contact Us & Join Us
If you would like more information or would like to get involved, please call Yolanda or Kelli at 410-333-3688 x 7.

Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council Link