The Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP) of the Mississippi Department of Education will meet by Zoom next Wednesday, May 26th, at 10 a.m. Anyone can attend the meeting by phone or online. The meeting is open to the public and includes public comments at 10:15. We urge any and all families who have an interest in special education in Mississippi to attend the meeting and consider sharing your feedback during the public comment period.
The link and agenda for the May meeting were not yet listed on the Mississippi Department of Education’s website at the time of this writing, but the Department emailed us the ZOOM information for the May meeting in a word document. You can call 601-359-3498 if you have additional questions.
All states are mandated in federal law to “establish and maintain an advisory panel for the purpose of providing policy guidance with respect to special education and related services for children with disabilities in the State.” In other words, this panel advises the Mississippi Department of Education on policies about special education and children with disabilities. If you would like to learn more about the role of the advisory panel you can read this recent blog post.
Wright’s Law refers to Special Education Advisory Panels as “the most powerful advocacy tool in IDEA 2004.“ We hope that all of you will attend the panel’s Zoom meeting next Wednesday to learn how you can support special education policies that are in the best interest of our children.
If you are interested in serving on the panel or have a recommendation, complete this form and mail or email it to the persons listed at the bottom of the form. Parents of children with IEPs are especially encouraged to consider this opportunity.
