Voyages
The SMCPS Department of Special Education Newsletter
August, 2023
Voyages
Wishing you the very best 2023-2024 school year!
We look forward to the year, working with families, the community, and school teams to support our students. Thank you for your ongoing support!
Special Education Community Night
Please stay tuned for the finalized date for this event!
Family Engagement Events and Activities
Meet members of the Special Education Department Team!
Ms. Audrey Ellis, Director of the Department of Special Education (DSE)
Special Education Supervisors
We are delighted to introduce the Special Education Supervisors who support students, programs, and schools within SMCPS.
Have questions about your child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?
At your Child's School
This is the place to start as the school staff has the most knowledge about your child.
- Teacher - Your child's general education teacher and/or special education teacher have knowledge of your student, his/her goals, and progress in class.
- IEP Chair - Each school has an IEP Chair that has a wealth of knowledge about special education.
- Assistant Principal and/or Principal - The school principals have oversight of student instruction and support. They also know the staff and supervise all school-based decisions.
Central Office Support, DSE
When needed, the DSE team offers support to teams and families.
- Specialists - DSE has several specialists who can provide support in areas such as transition, assistive technology, and behaviors.
- Supervisor - Each school has a DSE supervisor assigned to support the department at your child's school.
- Director - The DSE director works with all teams to ensure appropriate supports are in place to serve our community.
We also have parent groups, Partners for Success and CACSE, that work closely with SMCPS to communicate and support our families. See more information in the sections below.
We are all here to help you!
MSDE Special Education Parent Survey
The feedback is very helpful in our efforts for continued improvement. At this time, we have feedback from the 2022 survey; I look forward to updated data.
In 2022:
- 77% of our families reported that they were comfortable asking questions and expressing concerns to school staff.
- 77% of our families reported that they were given all pertinent reports and evaluations related to their child prior to the IEP meeting.
- 76% of our families reported that the written information they receive is in words they understand.
These were just three scores that provided information regarding our families' experiences with our special education teams. Thank you once again as this supports our efforts for continued improvement.
Partners for Success
Partner for Success offers many services to our families, including individual family support, a learning library, and informational sessions.
Please click on the website link above for more information!
https://www.smcps.org/offices/special-education/partners-for-success
CACSE
St. Mary's County Public Schools Department of Special Education
Website: https://www.smcps.org/offices/special-education
Location: 23160 Moakley Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650, USA
Phone: 301-475-5511 32206
Twitter: @DSE_SMCPS