2020-21 Special Education Council Members

• Jennifer Chastant
• Urania Chong
• Windy Hassan
• Della Hunter
• Mary Jacob
• Kaye Morrison
• Laura Nata
• Michele O'Steen
• Rana Ottallah
• Tara Rosenkranz
• Phyllis Tassin-Rogers
• Anayansi Torres

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2020-21 Special Education Council Recaps

April 13: At the fourth and final meeting of the Superintendent’s Special Education Council meeting, AJ Pethe, Chief of Schools, opened the meeting and welcomed the group. He then introduced Paulette Fairchild, who was recently hired as the Director of IDEA, to lead the group in a team building activity.

Then, Judy Weekley and Pam Allen, IEP Coordinators, led focus groups to discuss the process of IEP’s, and how we utilize those meetings to ensure students with an identified disability receive specialized instruction and services. As with many of our services, the pandemic and inability to meet with families in person presented unique challenges to the IEP meetings. Our special education employees have had to go above and beyond to communicate with virtual families using alternative methods, such as virtual meetings and phone calls. During the focus groups, we learned of some effective strategies being implemented that supportIEP compliance. From this discussion, the district will work to incorporate these strategies into the IEP process to ensure they are consistently and appropriately applied.

Next, Darvell Edwards, Executive Director of Special Programs, and Terri Trahan, Executive Director of Compliance and Pupil Appraisal, presented to the group the Expulsion Hearing/Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) Process.

At the end of the meeting, Superintendent Dr. James Gray thanked the group for their time and invaluable insight. He summed up the importance of these councils in two ways: (1) they provide a lens into the work we’re doing at the district level, and (2) the insights gained truly help to shape the work we do.

February 11: At the third Superintendent’s Special Education Council meeting, AJ Pethe, Chief of Schools, opened the meeting with an inspirational video and team building activity on the importance of shared leadership. When geese fly in formation, their flight range is extended by 77%. Similarly, when we tackle hard tasks together and embrace interdependence, we are more effective and can better support our students, teachers and support employees.

Council members then participated in a focus group discussion centered around virtual learning and curriculum. The insights gleaned from the Focus Group will be shared with the Teaching & Learning department to improve instruction. Focus group questions included:

• What is the biggest challenge to virtual learning for their children?
• How can the district support all stakeholders in helping children to be successful virtually?
• What is the biggest challenge for them in relation to curriculum?
• What would Tier 1 curriculum support for all stakeholders look like?

The general consensus from the Council is that virtual learning would benefit from additional technology and support for teachers, flexibility for families, and an understanding/nurturing approach to help students stay positive and engaged. Insights gleaned from the Focus Group will be shared with the Teaching & Learning department to improve instruction. 

Germaine Gilson, Chief of District Affairs, led a discussion focused on the 2021-22 academic calendar. First and foremost, we want to develop a calendar that is student, teacher and family centered. Listed below are some other points taken into consideration when creating the Academic Calendar.

• Reduces the summer learning slide 
• Provides frequent breaks, while eliminating mid-week breaks to the extent possible 
• Provide opportunities for district professional development
• Adheres to the required 63,720 instructional minutes
• Honors the 183 teacher contract days

The Council discussed factors that can impact the calendar, including Parent/Teacher conferences. With the increased use of technology, the group would like to see Parent/Teacher meetings spread throughout the week to aid scheduling. Additionally, there is an opportunity to incorporate intersession days to offer targeted interventions for students and professional development for teachers. Following the meeting, the group provided formal feedback on the 2021-22 Academic Calendar to be considered by the calendar committee.

Dr. Gray ended the meeting by addressing the group with an update on District and State initiatives.  Recently, the Louisiana Department of Education released its Believe to Achieve educational priorities. This plan aligns closely with the goals we have set forth as a District in 2024: The Future Our Kids Deserve. Dr. Gray also drilled home on the importance of our Career and Technical Education programs to ensure students graduate career and college ready. 

December 17: The second meeting of the Superintendent’s Special Education Council focused on impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We know this year has been challenging for everyone, and there is a critical need for additional student support. 

Edna Metcalf, Executive Director of Health and Human Services led a discussion on mental health and how we can better support students. Some of the suggestions made by the group included:

• Build in breathing exercises 
• Make sure we’re catching potential issues through preventative services 
• Above all, ensure we are allowing students to learn through difficult times
• Provide support that addresses individual needs and are age appropriate

Then, Monique Soignet, Director of Family and Social Services, gave an overview of the current mental health services offered by Jefferson Parish Schools, including:

• School-based mental health services, groups and individual counseling
• School-based health centers at designated schools
• Trauma-informed social workers and SPED social workers at designated schools
• Trauma informed training 
• Universal screening to support all students
• Mental Health leadership team

The District also presented an overview of the COVID-19 Impact Services and Support. 

November 11: At the first Superintendent’s Special Education Council meeting of the year, members laid the groundwork to help set the agenda for future meetings. Following a get to know you session with Superintendent Dr. James Gray, members discussed the big picture of what's working and what could be improved in regards to special education. The implications of virtual learning was a common theme, and the group felt there were both advantages and challenges with this instructional model. Summarized below are some of the challenges and successes of virtual learning noted by the group.  

Successes of Virtual Instruction

• Eliminated social pressures and decreased bullying 
• Creation of a sustainable “technology structure”
• Increased independence with student-driven learning
• Increased ability to multitask
• Eliminated distractions
• Increased communication with parents
• Guides students to adapt to change

Challenges Of Virtual Instruction

• Virtual special education students have “virtual fatigue,” and feel disconnected from teachers and peers
• Difficulty providing accommodations
• Benchmark data skewed because of additional help from parents 
• Language access - ESL and ASL
• Visual impaired - access to virtual
• One on one with students - can’t private chat or talk one on one
• Children being left alone
• Multitasking during virtual - some students can’t multitask successfully and get off-task
• Internet issues/computer issues
• Parents who are not tech savvy are not able to help students
• Expectation for parents
• Attendance

Suggestions For Improvement

• Develop opportunities to engage with dynamic content
• Not teaching virtual and hybrid concurrently
• More virtual extracurricular programs
• Smaller teacher caseloads
• IEP tailored for virtual instruction
• 1:1 - specific job descriptions tailored for virtual instruction 
• Helpline for parents, build a connection team
• Workshops for parents on curriculum and instruction
• More chromebook availability for schools
• Better school communication
• Safety - background

The Superintendent’s Council meetings provide valuable insights to inform and improve our decisions at the district level. We will continue to share these recaps with you to ensure we are all working towards our shared goal of delivering the best outcomes for the students of Jefferson Parish.

• Juanita Bailey
• Denise Chan
• Jenenne Coulon
• Felice Glapion
• Alistare Harris-Turner
• Mary Jacob
• Heather Katicich
• Gina Maher
• Diedra Miller
• Laura Nata
• Desirae Norman
• Rana Ottallah
• Sherman Rogers
• Santa Santos
• Lacey Seymour
• Scott Spinnato

• Michelle Allen
• Rebekah Becker
• Denise Carpenter
• Denise K. Chan
• Jenenne Coulon
• Felice Glapion
• Meg Griffon
• Alisare Harris-Turner
• Mary Jacob
• Heather Katicich
• Dr. Deidre Louis
• Gina Maher
• Diedra Miller
• Laura Nata
• Desirae Norman
• Rana Ottallah
• Sherman Rogers
• Santa Santos
• Lacey Seymour
• Brandi Taylor