PACER Center
952-838-9000
Champions for Children with Disabilities
- From Experience to Influence: The Power of a Parent's Story
- Key Questions for Parent Leaders to Ask
- IEP for Parent Leaders in Advisory Positions
- Parent Keys to Success in the Parent School Partnership
- Disability-Related Interagency and Special Education Council and Committee Opportunities
- Guidelines for Exploring Interagency Opportunities
Parent Leadership in Special Education
This resource is also available as a PDF
Guidelines for Exploring Interagency Opportunities
"The most successful parent advisory committees are those with a clear purpose of who is asking for advice, what advice is being sought, and who is committed to hearing and responding to the advice."
B. Schwab, 1992
Name of group:
Contact person/s:
Phone/email:
Advisory
Governing
Requested mission/vision/purpose statements, bylaws, organizational chart, past meeting minutes, reports or other publications, parent or member handbook
Purpose:
Mission:
Vision:
(Consider: Is this a good fit with my own sense of vision, mission, and purpose?)
Membership
Appointed Elected
Requirements:
Application or nomination process:
Composition of membership:
Number or percentage of
parents
consumers
agency
community
other
Length of term:
Operating Procedures
Informal Formal (i.e. Robert's Rules of Order)
Decision-making by
Consensus
Majority Vote
Other
Who determines the agenda?
How do members place items on the agenda?
Who leads the meetings?
Officers are: Appointed Elected
Officers/leadership and their responsibilities:
Meeting Logistics
Frequency:
When:
Where:
Is there reimbursement available if needed?
Parent Role Responsibilities
Is there a plan for new members and/or parent orientation?
Parent-member "job description":
Expectation of work outside of regular meeting times:
Type of work:
Frequency:
Estimated Time commitment:
(Consider: Can I realistically fit this commitment into my life right now? Can I make arrangements to attend meetings at the time, place and frequency required?)
Current parent-members I can contact for more information and insights:
|
Name: Name: |
Phone: Phone: |
Email: Email: |
Accomplishments of this group:
Meeting Observation Notes
Date:
Follow-up Questions:
My Action Plan:
PACER's site offers many PDF files for download, which require 
