Special Education Resources for SFUSD Parents

SFUSD maintains a large section of its web site devoted to Special Education. Some of the resources that can be found here are:
-The Special Education Enrollment Guide, which explains the various program options offered by the district, and enrollment procedures, which differ in important ways from general education enrollment procedures.
-The Parent Guide to Special Education, which gives a general summary of special education procedures and parent rights;
-The CAC for Special Education Parent Handbook, which gives SFUSD-specific information about procedures and parent rights;
-The district's Philosophy and Practice Guidelines for special education;
-Problem-solving guidelines;
-A list of links to outside resources that might be helpful to parents of children with disabilities.

Support for Families of Children With Disabilities, and its resource center, Open Gate, are an invaluable local resource for families of children with disabilities. They offer monthly IEP trainings, a book and toy lending library, support groups, a parent mentor program and a very popular resource fair every spring. Open Gate also maintains a help line at 920-5040.

The Community Advisory Committee for Special Education advises the Board of Education on special education policy and planning and is an important vehicle for parents and teachers to have a voice in our district's special education policies and procedures. Meetings are monthly (except July), at Open Gate, 2601 Mission St., with free childcare and interpretation services available. Call 920-5040 for more information.

Protection & Advocacy Inc. offers advocacy services for people with disabilities. The publications section of their web site has a comprehensive section on special education law. Their Special Education Rights and Responsibilities manual is particularly essential reading.

The Community Alliance for Special Education will provide low-cost legal representation in special education disputes, as well as advocates who will attend IEP meetings with families. They co-publish the invaluable Special Education Rights and Responsibilities manual with Protection & Advocacy.

Wrightslaw is the companion web site to the many books on special education law published by well-respected attorney Pete Wright and his wife Pamela Darr Wright. There is a lot of good information here, and parents can subscribe to the Wrightslaw weekly e-newsletter which is always chock-full of tips and other information.

Searching the State of California's database of due process decisions is very interesting, if cautionary, reading for anyone interested in special education reform. Between the lines of the dry legalese, one gets a glimpse into the experiences of families who are in crisis because they do not believe their children's special needs are being adequately met. The decisions also illustrate what a huge, expensive undertaking due process is for both sides; they underscore the need for a more cooperative, collaborative approach to educating children with all manner of disabilities.

Get Paid For Going to IEPs, School Site Council meetings, and Community Advisory Committee meetings!
The state maintains a Family Participation Fund which enables parents of children with disabilities to receive a stipend for attending meetings with decision-makers AND to be reimbursed for expenses like carfare, parking and childcare associated with attending these meetings. Go to www.cafec.org for more information and to download forms and instructions.