ASK E - Group
Members communicate with one
another about services related to disabilities.
Join
here
ASK
MEETINGS
ASK presently does not
meet on a regular basis. The ASK E-group (above) is
still available for parents to subscribe
and communicate with one another and we are currently
revising and updating the ASK website, with materials from past
meetings added periodically. If you have questions or
cannot find info you need on the website, please contact mail@advocatesforspecialkids.org.
School
Board Documents and Agendas
South Bay School District Info
(including access to school board meeting agendas and
policies)
Parents are encouraged to attend school board meetings to stay informed of the policies and practices
of our local school districts.
Access to meetings of local public agencies, including school districts is governed by the Brown Act
(Government
Code §§ 54950-54962)
The
preamble to the Brown Act (Government Code § 54950)
states:
In
enacting this chapter, the Legislature finds and
declares that the public commissions, boards and
councils and the other public agencies in this State
exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business.
It is the intent of the law that their actions be
taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted
openly.
The
people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to
the agencies which serve them. The people, in
delegating authority, do not give their public
servants the right to decide what is good for the
people to know and what is not good for them to know.
The people insist on remaining informed so that they
may retain control over the instruments they have
created
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Welcome
to the Advocates for Special Kids Website!
This
website is devoted to special education issues and
advocacy for children with special needs. It is the
result of the dedicated efforts of parent volunteers.
There is much that we as parents, teachers and friends
can do to help make the world a better place for
children with special needs. All that we learn and do
on behalf of children with special needs not only
benefits each individual child, it benefits that
child's classmates, their school and their community.
ASK
is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping
parents with issues related to special education. To
learn more about Advocates for Special Kids and our
efforts to educate ourselves and our community about
special education and special needs children, visit
the About
ASK page. You will learn about ASK’s history,
our mission and policy statements and where we’re
headed in our advocacy efforts.
ASK
believes parents need, and are entitled to, accurate
and complete information which will allow them to make
informed decisions about their child’s education.
ASK’s goal is to ensure that parents are fully
informed and empowered to advocate on behalf of their
children; that educators are fully informed,
well-trained and empowered to take appropriate steps
to address the needs of ALL children in their
classrooms; and that school districts are aware that
parents and the community insist on equal partnership
in ensuring that our schools are the best they can be
- for ALL our children.
The website is divided into three main areas:
Frequently
Asked Question [FAQ's] – This area includes
questions ASK routinely gets from parents who are just
starting out in the area of special education, and
more!
Documents
– This area includes the many documents ASK has
created as part of our advocacy efforts. These
documents are presentations to our local school
district; analyses of testing and achievement in our
district; informational guidelines and tutorials;
flyers and our newsletter.
Links
– This
is a starting list of subjects our site visitors are
invited to explore to find out more about special
education, disabilities and various resources and
interventions.
Congress
reauthorized the “Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act” [IDEA] in 1997, and again in 2004 and
in so doing,
legislated and emphasized greater parental involvement in the
education of children with disabilities, finding:
“Disability
is a natural part of the human experience and in no
way diminishes the right of individuals to participate
in or contribute to society. Improving educational
results for children with disabilities is an essential
element of our national policy of ensuring equality of
opportunity, full participation, independent living,
and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with
disabilities.”
20 USC §1400(c)(1)
Advocates
for Special Kids thinks Congress was 100% right! We
believe that ensuring that our children have equal
access to education will not only benefit those
children, but will benefit the entire community.
The information on
ASK's website is intended to be educational
and is not to be construed as advice, legal or
otherwise.
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