HISD Hosts First Special Education Advisory Committee Meeting
Event called “the beginning of a real dialogue” between administrators and community members
October 17, 2011
Committee member Cynthia Singleton, who has children attending Johnston Middle and Parker Elementary Schools, thanked Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Services Sowmya Kumar and other district representatives for organizing the event.
“I came away feeling that this is the beginning of a real dialogue,” Singleton wrote in an e-mail to the district, “and I want to express my deep appreciation…for making the effort to do this. Everything is possible through open communication.”
Topics covered at the inaugural meeting included the district’s Comprehensive Program Improvement Plan (CPIP) for Special Education and ways to empower parents with information to share with others in their communities.
Mary Farley, who has two children in HISD schools (and another who recently graduated from Carnegie Vanguard High School), volunteered to launch an initiative dubbed “Parents Helping Parents” to do just that.
“Parents want this,” she explained, “so this is exciting.”
Farley said the first Parents Helping Parents meeting will take place in November at Johnston Middle School, and will be a meet-and-greet-style event, in which parents will hear from Toni Pompa-Rodriguez, HISD’s senior manager of middle-school special education programs.
“This is not an us-versus-them situation,” added Farley. “It’s a team effort, and it’s about establishing communication and building relationships.”
Collaborating with parents is a key component to improving the district’s services for all students, Kumar said. “I am very encouraged by the collaborative spirit of the advisory committee members. With their assistance, Houston ISD’s services to children with disabilities are sure to improve significantly.”
The next meeting of the Special Education Advisory Committee will take place in March of 2012.
October 17, 2011
HISD’s Office of Special Education Services conducted the first meeting of its advisory committee on October 11, and parents who participated praised the district for its efforts in reaching out to the community.
Committee member Cynthia Singleton, who has children attending Johnston Middle and Parker Elementary Schools, thanked Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Services Sowmya Kumar and other district representatives for organizing the event.
“I came away feeling that this is the beginning of a real dialogue,” Singleton wrote in an e-mail to the district, “and I want to express my deep appreciation…for making the effort to do this. Everything is possible through open communication.”
Topics covered at the inaugural meeting included the district’s Comprehensive Program Improvement Plan (CPIP) for Special Education and ways to empower parents with information to share with others in their communities.
Mary Farley, who has two children in HISD schools (and another who recently graduated from Carnegie Vanguard High School), volunteered to launch an initiative dubbed “Parents Helping Parents” to do just that.
“Parents want this,” she explained, “so this is exciting.”
Farley said the first Parents Helping Parents meeting will take place in November at Johnston Middle School, and will be a meet-and-greet-style event, in which parents will hear from Toni Pompa-Rodriguez, HISD’s senior manager of middle-school special education programs.
“This is not an us-versus-them situation,” added Farley. “It’s a team effort, and it’s about establishing communication and building relationships.”
Collaborating with parents is a key component to improving the district’s services for all students, Kumar said. “I am very encouraged by the collaborative spirit of the advisory committee members. With their assistance, Houston ISD’s services to children with disabilities are sure to improve significantly.”
The next meeting of the Special Education Advisory Committee will take place in March of 2012.
Copyright © 2025 Finalsite - all rights reserved.
