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Parent Council History

​How did the Special Education Parent Council Start?

 

Before there was a Parent Council, there was a Futuring Committee. Starting around 2007, the Futuring Committee was made up of several parents and the Special Education Director. This committee focused on providing education and resources to families of students with IEPs and supporting Ability Awareness activities.​

Timeline

2014

  • EUSD parent Melanie Landers proposed creating a Special Education PTA Parent Liaison position at each site to: (1) support SOAR, (2) assist with Ability Awareness, (3) welcome & support IEP families, and (4) support inclusion activities.

2015 (ish)

  • Liaisons at ME & PDL

  • Parents met regularly with district staff.

  • A family picnic was held in the fall.

  • School psych Ale Gonzalez created an Ability Awareness curriculum binder for sites.

2015-2016

  • More recruiting

  • Monthly meetings

  • Created SPED EEF Chapter to raise money.

  • Determined roles & responsibilities.

  • Began fundraising efforts.

  • Asked PTA’s to fund Ability Awareness at each site.

  • SPED EEF would fund family events and SOAR.

  • Funding for mini-grants to support inclusion activities.

2017

  • Created part-time Special Education Outreach Specialist position, funded by donations.

  • Major fundraising efforts (Giving Tuesday & Bowl-a-thon).

  • More family events.

2018

  • New Inclusion in Action curriculum created by a parent group and presented to the EUSD School  Board.

  • PTA’s began to help fund SOAR stipends

  • 4-5 major community events per year.

  • Monthly coffee meetups.

2019

  • Gave  away Choose to Include t-shirts as part of Bowl-a-thon promo.

  • Bike-a-thon @ CycleBar

  • Then came 2020 - 2021 (Covid)

2021-2022

  • Choose to Include merch sales take off.

  • TRAC teachers delivered new Inclusion in Action lessons at every school site!

  • Challenge bringing SOAR back.  Shift to an alternative buddy-peer program for RISE and TIDE sites.

  • Family Fun Day added.

2022-2023

  • Coordinated Inclusion in Action program across all 9 school sites (PEC on a different schedule).

  • District-wide art project

  • Valentine’s Dance tickets sell out within an hour.

  • NCCSE award for Exemplary Inclusionary Practices for Program/School Award - Inclusion in Action

2023-2024

  • City of Encinitas Community Grant Program Grantee

  • Monthly Coffee Meetups

  • Quarterly Social Nights

  • 4 Community Events

  • Mini-Grants

  • Peer Program Funding

2024-2025

  • Park playdates added

  • Family Fun Day merged with EUSD's Family Resource Fair

  • Inclusion in Action curriculum updated with collaboration from parents, SpEd Staff, and TRAC teachers.

  • Monthly restaurant nights fundraisers

2025-2026

  • City of Encinitas Community Grant Program Grantee

  • Added volunteer committees​

  • National Foundation for Autism Research Community Grant Awardee

  • More play dates added!

2026-2027

  • The sky is the limit!

Parent Testimonial

"My child's school feels inclusive because it feels like a normal, regular place for her. She doesn't feel like she's different than any of the other students. She's treated just like everybody else and is welcomed in every place on campus, every classroom, with all of her peers-- and that is inclusion."
- Libby Travella, RISE Parent

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