“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller

SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMITTEE SCRUTINIZING SPECIAL EDUC.
The Superintendent’s “Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence” is looking carefully at
special education programs for savings that can help address the district’s budget deficit. The
final meeting of the Committee will be held on Tuesday, January 17. This is a critical meeting,
and we are urging parents of students with disabilities to attend and provide input.
The Committee has been informed that families with children with disabilities are moving to
Seattle to enroll in our high quality programs, putting undue pressure on district special
education resources. Most parents in the district know that the opposite is true. Many families
move out of the district to seek better special education programs in Bellevue, Lake Washington,
Northshore, and Shoreline.
The committee has also received the message that special education students are draining local
resources. In truth, the district is unable to document that all of the funds generated by
students with disabilities are actually spent on special education students. MEETING DETAILS:
Tuesday, January 17, 6:00 – 8:00pm, John Stanford Center Auditorium, 2445 3rd Avenue South (corner
of 3rd & Lander in SODO). More information is available on at www.seattleschools.org.

NEW WEBSITE FOR SEATTLE PARENTS WITH STUDENTS IN SPECIAL ED.
Which schools have special education programs that are appropriate for my child? How do I arrange
to visit programs? What are the deadlines for placement decisions for students with IEPs as they
move from elementary school to middle school? If you are struggling with these questions, visit
http://schoolinfo.dataweb.com. This new website, created by a Seattle School District parent, has
integrated enrollment information from the district’s website to make it “parent friendly.”
The website is also set up to accept comments from the community to share with the
Superintendent’s Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence. This is an opportunity for you
to share your ideas on how we can reduce the budget deficit in Seattle Public Schools, or make
comments about how special education programs will be affected by committee recomendations.
http://schoolinfo.dataweb.com/AdvisoryComments/default.view

SEAAC MINI-GRANTS AWARDED
We are pleased to announce the awarding of SEEAC mini-grants to the following schools: Meany
Middle School, Sealth High School, West Seattle High School, Whitman Middle School, Lowell
Elementary School, Roosevelt High School, Experimental Education Unit, View Ridge Elementary,
Whitworth Elementary School, Eckstein Middle School, and Wedgewood Elementary. These grants were
made possible by an anonymous bequest to the district for special education students. Thank you to
everyone who submitted an application.

WORKSHOP: UNDERSTANDING THE IEP PROCESS
This workshop will be held on January 28, 10:30-4:30, at the Bothell Regional Library, 18215 98th
Ave NE, Bothell, 98011. To register, please contact Angela Dawson at angela_niccole@hotmail.com or
206.372.0465

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SEAAC NEWSLETTER?
You may have noticed that the SEAAC Newsletter is not coming out every month. We have been
looking for a new editor to write and send the newsletter. We have over 1,000 subscribers that
rely on the newsletter for information about special education programs in Seattle School District
and educational opportunities. If you are interested in helping to continue the SEAAC Newsletter,
please contact seattleseaac@yahoo.com.

WHAT HAPPENED TO SEAAC?
SEAAC is evolving into a new, school district-sponsored, oversight committee. The “Special
Education Community Advisory and Oversight Committee” will fulfill much of SEAAC’s original
mission through oversight of ongoing activities, obtaining community input on policy, information
exchange, and networking.

COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO SEEK NOMINATIONS
The Seattle School District will soon be seeking members for the new Community Advisory Committee
for Special Education. The process for establishing the committee is almost complete. As soon as
the application information is available, we will send out a special edition of the SEAAC
newsletter with application information.
The proposed committee will be charged with specific tasks relating to special education
programs. The Committee’s tasks may include research, oversight of ongoing activities, obtaining
community input, information exchange, and networking.

TONS OF INFORMATION IN “A.S. NETWORK NEWSLETTER”
This extensive newsletter focuses on students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. However,
information and opportunities described in the newsletter address the needs of a wide range of
children and families. To subscribe to this group, send an email to: seattleaspergers@yahoo.com.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS CALENDAR OF EVENTS
The ARC of King County maintains a calendar of classes, workshops, and social events for families
with children with developmental disabilities. View the calendar or sign up for frequent email
updates at http://www.arcofkingcounty.org/guide/events/.

SCHOOL DISTRICT CENTRAL SUPPORT STAFF PHONE NUMBERS UPDATED
We are pleased to report that the school district has updated contact information for special
education Consulting Teachers and Supervisors as well as their school assignments at
http://www.seattleschools.org/area/speced/consteach.htm. They have also posted an Organizational
Chart. This information will help parents find the person to speak with when they are concerned
about evaluation, IEP development, IEP implementation, placement, or transition to middle school
or high school.

SUBSCRIBE TO SEAAC MONTHLY NEWSLETTER—To subscribe or unsubscribe, contact seattleseaac@yahoo.com.

"All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our
talent." - President John F. Kennedy