The regular meetings of SEAC are held on the second Thursday of every month during the school year commencing at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are regularly held at the Education Centre in St. Catharines; however, from time to time the committee meets at schools where specific Special Education programs are delivered. All SEAC meetings are open to the public. The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) is provided with the opportunity to:
- participate in the Board’s annual review of the Special Education Plan;
- participate in the Board’s annual budget process related to Special Education;
- be heard before the Board;
- have access to personnel, information, documents and facilities necessary for functioning.
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Membership
The committee is made up of representatives of local associations of parents and advocates for children with exceptional needs. Local associations means an association or organization of parents that operates within the District School Board of Niagara and is affiliated with an incorporated organization that operates throughout Ontario to further the interests and well-being of one or more groups of exceptional children or adults. Associations that meet the criteria are invited to choose a representative and alternate to participate in committee meetings. If the member is unable to attend it is expected that the alternate will attend. Attendance is closely monitored. Any association missing more than three consecutive meetings will be expected to forfeit their seat on SEAC. A small honorarium is paid to members based on attendance. This honorarium is intended to cover out of pocket expense (primarily mileage). Where there is a duplication of local associations, as is the case with five Associations for Community Living across the Niagara Region, the associations have been asked to select one representative who takes responsibility for communicating with the other groups and carrying forward concerns from them.
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The DSBN website also lists the members and their affiliations.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) members are consulted on matters related to service delivery, range of service, department resources, and are asked to advocate on behalf of the exceptionalities represented. The committee is provided with professional secretarial and office support. Two trustees from the Board are regular members of the committee. The Superintendent of Special Education Services, the Administrator of Special Education Services, as well as an elementary and secondary Principal provide resource support to the committee. Other consultative and resource staff attend as required. SEAC advises the Board by way of a motion, letter or through the trustee representatives. All minutes of SEAC are routinely forwarded to all members of the Board through the Committee reports at Board meetings. During the 2009/2010 school year, SEAC discussed and provided input on a variety of items /issues including:
• Autism/ABA
• Intensive Support Program
• Individual Education Program
• Special Education Budget
• Special Education Staffing
• Special Education - Technology
• Differentiated Instruction
• Bill 212: New Student Discipline Policy/Safe Schools Policies
• Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy
• WRAP Around Teams
• TRIBES
• Student Success - Learning to 18 Program
• EQAO and Special Education
• First Nations Learning Strategy with the inclusion of DSBN Curriculum Staff
• October Ministry Report
SEAC members are encouraged to share information about the Board’s programs and services with their organizations and at the same time to bring input from their organizations to the SEAC meetings. SEAC’s involvement in the budget process is facilitated by:
- invitations to the Superintendent of Business to attend SEAC meetings, upon the request of SEAC members and/or the suggestion of the Superintendent of Special Education Services to give updates about funding and budget;
- issues as they affect the District School Board of Niagara (e.g., provincial grants, one-time assessment grants, staffing needs, etc.);
- sharing of pertinent information/documents (e.g., copies of items presented to and discussed at the Board Finance Committee meetings - possible priorities for increased or decreased spending, funding revenues, etc.;
- overall and particularly as they apply to Special Education, the budget for 2009/2010 as approved by the Board, etc.).
Parents and other members of the public may make their views known to SEAC by corresponding to the Chair of SEAC or through the office of the Superintendent responsible for Special Education.
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