Special Ed. PTA forming in LVUSD

Special Ed. PTA forming in LVUSD

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn CONCERNED ABOUT SPECIAL KIDS-In the back row, from left to right, are Janice Criddle, Joann Melancon and Dina Kaplan. Front row: Nancy Pearlman, Penny Sylvester and Karen Nudell Cammorata. These are the founding members of the Las Virgenes Special Education Parent Teacher Association (LVSEPTA).

By Stephanie Bertholdo

Acorn Staff Writer

A charter membership meeting for the Las Virgenes Special Education Parent Teacher Association (LVSEPTA) is scheduled for 7 p.m. next Thurs., Oct. 23 in the Las Virgenes Unified School District board room.

Dina Kaplan, the nominee for president of LVSEPTA and a special education attorney, said the group’s roots began when she found the kindergarten program at Bay Laurel Elementary School in Calabasas was inappropriate for her son, Brandon. He has developmental and physical disabilities. Other parents of special needs children were also frustrated by poor communication with teachers and administrators, they said.

A parent coalition was formed, meeting once a month for two years to share ideas and find ways "to try to work together to change the things we could—things that all kids had in common," Kaplan said.

The group will improve policies, programs and procedures, according to Kaplan.

The decision to join the PTA rather than form a PFA or PFC was made because nobody had to reinvent the wheel, Kaplan said. The structure and bylaws were already in place. And the PTA provided tremendous support on local, state and national levels, said Kaplan. "The program was easier to get off the ground," she said.

Joann Melancon, nominee for executive vice president of LVSEPTA, was instrumental in obtaining PTA information.

"It felt like parents of children with special needs didn’t have the same voice that all other parents had," Melancon said. The fledgling group received approval and encouragement from the school district after members presented their ideas at a superintendent’s meeting last year. "We didn’t want to be perceived as working against the district," Melancon said.

The group hopes to improve communication between staff, administrators and parents, and as a nonprofit group, money could be raised for enrichment programs tailored to children with special needs and other programs.

One such program would be to build a "Shane’s Inspiration Playground," a fully accessible play area, uniquely designed so children with special needs can use it.

Kaplan explained that the word "accessible" is a legal term that only requires that children with special needs can "get to the playground, not actually play in it" or on its equipment. For Brandon, who wears braces and has balance problems, playing on sand or wood chips is impossible.

The special playground would be wheelchair accessible and "it’s cushy," Kaplan said. "Wheelchairs can roll on it and kids can fall on it without getting hurt."

Other features that make it kid-friendly include its colorful talk tubes that allow communication between youngsters at separate locations, ramps leading to arched drawbridges and many other fun features designed especially for kids with special needs.

The mission of LVSEPTA is to facilitate parents, school and community working together to enhance the lives of children with special needs. Other goals for the group include developing a parent’s handbook and resource library, conducting parent education programs and fundraising events, and recognizing the dedication of teachers and staff with special appreciation events.

LVSEPTA will serve as a parent liaison network, connecting parents with other parents, said Melancon.

Next Thursday’s charter membership meeting will encourage parents to enroll on committees and share ideas. Family memberships cost $25, while memberships for LVUSD teachers, staff administrators or community members will cost only $5.

For further information, call Dina Kaplan at (818) 222-8118 or Joann Melancon at (818) 225-8952.