Parent Involvement & Resources

Welcome to the team! Every parent and guardian has an integral role to play in their student’s education. When your student also receives special education services, that role expands considerably as you become an essential member of the team that will plan for your student’s individual education needs and goals. We encourage you to build a strong partnership with your student’s school, principal, and teachers.

Know Your Rights

Spokane Public Schools is dedicated to keeping students, parents, and guardians informed of their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). OSPI in Washington State provides guidance to families surrounding their rights within special education. 

IDEA outlines the protections and rights for you and your child with a disability. These rights are outlined in a document called the Procedural Safeguards. These safeguards inform families of the legal rights and responsibilities of both the family and the school.

Find the updated Notice of Special Education Procedural Safeguards for Students and Their Families from OSPI here.

Special Education Parent Liaison 

What is a Parent Liaison?

The special education parent liaison helps provide information for families as they navigate the special education process within Spokane Public Schools. This may mean answering questions related to policy and procedure, evaluation and the IEP, or connecting families with others within the district. The liaison does not provide legal advice or advocate on behalf of one party.

If you are in need of assistance, please contact Mollie Weber at 509-354-4644 or molliew@spokaneschools.org

Parent Partner Program 

Our parent partners are a group of SPS parents who have volunteered to be a sympathetic and listening ear to other families who are walking a similar journey through special education. Sometimes families just want a peer to connect with or talk to, and we want to provide a network of support for these families.  They do not provide legal advice, nor do they aim to create an adversarial relationship between families and SPS. Our goal is to create connection and friendship. SPS will facilitate the connection and you can build from there!  

To have your name given to a parent partner, please email Mollie at this address. We will connect you directly with a partner!

If you would like to apply to be a parent partner, please complete this form. Anyone can apply to be a parent partner! We will review applications and make sure you are a good fit for our families. By applying and being selected, you agree to have your name and contact information shared with any family who contacts us expressing an interest in connecting with a parent partner. We will do our best to assign you to families who share children with similar needs, who attend similar schools, and/or who are in your region. We will share your contact information with those families who are interested, but what you share beyond that is up to you.

Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)

If you are interested, we invite you to join our Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). We meet on the last Tuesday of every month, with a few exceptions. Details can be found below. We ask that you please register in advance. Thank you! 

Please feel free to reach out to Mollie at this email address or 509-354-4644 with questions or for more information.

Upcoming Meeting Schedule

  • December SEPAC Meeting

    • December 3rd, 2024, from 6:00- 7:00 PM at The Hive

      • This month, we are pleased to have Donnett Neu joining us to speak on DDA services. We look forward to sharing information with you.

        If you are planning to attend the December meeting, please RSVP here so we can plan for snacks and beverages. We also offer a hybrid option for those who would like to attend via zoom. A zoom registration link will be sent to those who register through the RSVP link above. In the event of inclement weather, we will host this meeting entirely on Zoom. Should that occur, we will notify everyone as soon as possible about the change.

  • January 28th, 2025

  • February 25th, 2025

  • March 25th, 2025

  • April 29th, 2025

  • June 3rd, 2025

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