New information from our Special Education Director Kat Lange

Hello Parents:

I wanted to reach out and to say hello and provide more information about next steps as we move through these unprecedented times in our world. I wish we had more information to share with you, and wish I could have reached out sooner to you all with answers, but with things changing at both the state and the federal level daily, it has been hard to know exactly what to communicate. Now that we are back from spring break and we have some more concrete guidance from the Oregon Department of Education about logistics for moving forward with distance learning, I do want to provide you with a few bullet points of information.

As previously noted, your case manager should be reaching out to you within the next week, so look for a call from them (which may come from a blocked number) or an email. Case managers will be your primary point of contact for answering questions as we move forward.
We will be convening IEP teams virtually for IEP meetings that are time-sensitive (e.g., annual IEPs and eligibility meetings). More details about this will be coming soon. Thank you for your patience while we work on putting together a system for virtual IEP meetings that allows for full participation of all team members, complies with federal privacy concerns, etc.
We are aware that online learning for students is not always easy to access and is not preferable for many students. Please know we are working diligently on a differentiated plan for students and access to learning so that all students have an opportunity to engage in meaningful work during this period.
We are also working with our related service providers on a plan to be able to reach out to your student if they receive those services and engage them in meaningful activities so we will have more information about that as our plans unfold.
I know it is hard to be patient as you sit at home and wait on next steps, but this is uncharted territory for us all. We want to be mindful of what we are developing and not move forward with a poorly conceived plan for the sake of expediency. We know thoughtful and carefully laid out plans are key for our students, many of whom thrive on routine and supportive environments. Education will look different for each student and services may look very different than outside of the pandemic, but whatever plan we come up with will be based on each child’s specific needs. Thank you for your patience while move forward with determining what that looks like.

Please keep your eyes open for further communication as our plan starts to unfold. In the meantime, please stay healthy and strong and hug your loved ones every day. I know this is challenging, just know we are working hard to try and do the very best for your family.

Be Well,
Kat