{"id":1380028,"date":"2025-04-24T15:50:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T19:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/?p=1380028"},"modified":"2025-11-10T14:27:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T19:27:45","slug":"building-membership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/building-membership\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Membership"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wrapper-middle inner-parent\" role=\"main\">\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-9765 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fcsn.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Box-2-Image-Leadership.jpg?resize=278%2C238&#038;ssl=1\" sizes=\"(max-width: 278px) 100vw, 278px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Box-2-Image-Leadership-300x257.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fcsn.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Box-2-Image-Leadership-1024x878.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fcsn.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Box-2-Image-Leadership-768x658.jpg 768w, https:\/\/fcsn.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Box-2-Image-Leadership.jpg 1050w\" alt=\"Woman in a group extending a welcoming hand\" width=\"278\" height=\"238\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"how-to-grow-your-sepac\"><strong>How to Grow Your SEPAC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A successful SEPAC is the best publicity \u2013 people like to belong to active groups with a defined purpose.<\/p>\n<p id=\"who-can-be-a-sepac-member\"><strong>Who Can Be a SEPAC Member?<\/strong><br \/>\nMA law\u00a0creating SEPACs states that \u201c<em>membership shall be offered to all parents of children with disabilities and other interested parties<\/em>.\u201d Everyone is welcome. Since the school district cannot provide a list of the names of families with children on an IEP or 504 plan because of privacy protections in the law, the SEPAC will need to do lots of ground work to get the word out. A SEPAC can start collecting names and contact information from attendees at their meetings to form a contact list.<\/p>\n<p id=\"how-to-recruit-new-members\"><strong>How to Recruit New Members<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Membership information and flyers can be sent from the school or posted on district websites and school bulletin boards. Local newspaper, cable TV, and online principal newsletters can help advertise meetings. SEPACs should have information tables at school events and open houses. The SEPAC can ask the school district to include their brochure in all IEP meeting invitations, hand out the SEPAC informational brochure at school PTO meetings, or ask the school district to mail\/email the SEPAC brochure to all families of children with disabilities at least once per year. Ask current SEPAC members to bring a friend or parent from their child\u2019s class to the next meeting. SEPACs can form a support group which meets at different times to meet parents\u2019 schedules.<br \/>\n<a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Welcoming-new-SEPAC-Members.docx\">Welcoming New SEPAC Members Tip Sheet<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.doe.mass.edu\/specialeducation\/families\/pac\/default.html\">DESE Guidance for Special Education Parent Advisory Councils<\/a> suggests the following <em>\u201cPossible Practices to Encourage Turnout of Parents\u201d:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Provide new parents, whenever appropriate, with a \u201cWelcome Packet\u201d that includes introductory information, including a list of good resources.<\/li>\n<li>Partner with the district preschool coordinator to organize a \u201ccoffee\u201d for all parents of preschool children in the district, to provide them with information about the SEPAC and with introductory information about special education in general.<\/li>\n<li>Establish subcommittees of the SEPAC, when appropriate, to encourage parents to address specific concerns they\u2019ve identified as priorities. This not only could increase efficiency but could also help individual parents to focus on areas of greatest interest to them.<\/li>\n<li>Produce a \u201cParent Information Brochure\u201d in collaboration with the district that includes contact information and resources relating to special education that are useful to parents. Consider including information on recreation, advocacy, and camps for students with disabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Volunteer Roles<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When recruiting volunteers, ask parents and other interested parties what they are interested in doing, not what jobs are available. For current SEPAC members you can create a list of things that need to be done (break down tasks into manageable size) and ask parents at meetings if they can help out. If a parent is already involved in their child\u2019s school or is on the PTA, PTO or School Council, ask them to represent the SEPAC at those meetings. Often the most important thing a volunteer can do is keep the SEPAC abreast of issues going on in the district that effect children with special needs. A SEPAC will become better known and respected if it is \u201cplugged into\u201d the infrastructure of the school district. If the SEPAC wants to play a role in the district, the SEPAC officers, volunteers, and members should take the initiative to increase chances for SEPAC representation on school-wide matters. Some jobs may require regular attendance at SEPAC meetings, but some don\u2019t, so have opportunities for volunteers to help in any way they can:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Help the SEPAC determine goals for each school year<br \/>\n\u2022 Write and conduct parent surveys<br \/>\n\u2022 Identify gaps in programming needs (don\u2019t just state the problem, help brainstorm and provide some possible solutions too)<br \/>\n\u2022 Arrange for meeting dates and locations<br \/>\n\u2022 Locate speakers for workshops<br \/>\n\u2022 Coordinate publicity in local media or newspapers<br \/>\n\u2022 Identify funding sources or grants to support SEPAC speakers, workshops, etc.<br \/>\n\u2022 Mentor a parent with a child whose diagnosis is similar to your child\u2019s diagnosis<br \/>\n\u2022 Create and maintain a SEPAC Library<br \/>\n\u2022 Run a Support Group or Group focused on a topic, such as Post-Secondary Transition<br \/>\n\u2022 Bring coffee or refreshments to a meeting<br \/>\n\u2022 Create and maintain a Website, Google Group, Facebook Page, etc.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/resource\/volunteer-onboarding\/\">Getting Volunteers on Board Checklist<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"school-liaisons\"><strong>School Liaisons<\/strong><br \/>\nThe SEPAC is a district-wide organization, so getting information from all of the schools and out-of-district placements is important. A SEPAC member can serve as a volunteer liaison to their child\u2019s school to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create SEPAC presence at school open houses, orientation day, and school events,<\/li>\n<li>Arrange to publicize SEPAC information in school newsletters,<\/li>\n<li>Post SEPAC event flyers and brochures in the school lobby or office,<\/li>\n<li>Connect with school\u2019s PTA, PTO and School Council,<\/li>\n<li>Inform SEPAC Officers of any school events (fairs, programs, etc.) that would be of interest to the SEPAC, or<\/li>\n<li>Inform SEPAC Officers about any school issues and changes in special education programming or staff.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A SEPAC Volunteer Liaison can attend School Committee meetings and inform SEPAC Officers about any issues that may be important for the SEPAC to address or be aware of. A SEPAC Volunteer Liaison can attend Town Government meetings and inform SEPAC Chairpersons about any issues that may affect special education within the community.<\/p>\n<p id=\"sepac-subcommittees\"><strong>SEPAC Subcommittees<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One way to help individual parents focus on areas of greatest concern to them is to establish a SEPAC subcommittee. Subcommittees should have a stated purpose, time of duration and structure with leadership roles clearly outlined. The subcommittee should present their findings to the SEPAC in a formal manner to document and record their work. Subcommittees must follow Open Meeting law rules.<\/p>\n<p id=\"building-intercultural-communities\"><strong>Building Intercultural Communities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some districts have established non-English speaking support groups to reach out and involve parents who do not speak English. Information from these families will impact the work of the SEPAC and the advice it is able to give to the district. SEPAC officers should learn about the demographics of their community and look for partners or cultural brokers to assist them in reaching out to families.<\/p>\n<p id=\"support-groups\"><strong>Support Groups<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Often at meetings, parents are interested in sharing their personal stories, concerns and feelings with other parents, especially about their experiences in trying to get the best possible special education program in place for their child. One option to give them an avenue for their voice and to share concerns is to establish a group that meets separately from the SEPAC \u2013 a \u201cParent Support Group\u201d. That way, interested parents can have their needs met, while the SEPAC can remain focused at their meetings on their main role as adviser to the district on matters that pertain to special education. Parents attending these support group meetings can share information, resources and provide direct support one-on-one.\u00a0As these meetings are outside of the SEPAC, they do not have to comply with the state Open Meeting and Public Records Laws. For a parent who feels uncomfortable at a public meeting, these small groups are the right fit.<\/p>\n<p id=\"resource-library\"><strong>Resource Library<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A Resource Library is a valuable source of help for your SEPAC members, your school district and community. One of the best locations for the library would be a dedicated section at your Public Library, although space may be a limitation. Meet with your Public Library Director to discuss your options, including maybe having a binder with lists of resources. Check out local school libraries \u2013 generally Middle or High School Libraries have more space \u2013 for a dedicated SEPAC section.<\/p>\n<p>Many SEPACs start their Resource Libraries with a book drive. Ask parents to donate books and materials that can be shared with the community. Put up posters around town asking for donations \u2013 this will also help give the SEPAC a public face. If your community has an Education Foundation, apply for a grant. Look for opportunities!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Grow Your SEPAC A successful SEPAC is the best publicity \u2013 people like to belong to active groups with a defined purpose. Who Can Be a SEPAC Member? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[316],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1380028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sepac-toolkit"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"pt","enabled_languages":["en","es","pt","ar","zh","vi"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"es":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"pt":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"ar":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"vi":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - 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To learn what the concerns are among parents, many SEPACs conduct a \u201cneeds assessment\u201d to identify the greatest areas of need and to assist the SEPAC to meet its statutory obligation to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;SEPAC Toolkit&quot;","block_context":{"text":"SEPAC Toolkit","link":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/category\/sepac-toolkit\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1379989,"url":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/quick-guide-to-starting-a-sepac\/","url_meta":{"origin":1380028,"position":1},"title":"Quick Guide to Starting a SEPAC","author":"Federation For Children With Special Needs","date":"July 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Getting Started SEPACs are a district-wide organization of parents of children with disabilities and may include families of children in out-of-district placements. A balanced membership - parents of children in all grade levels and representing many disabilities - will give the group different perspectives as well as credibility as an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;SEPAC Toolkit&quot;","block_context":{"text":"SEPAC Toolkit","link":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/category\/sepac-toolkit\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1380006,"url":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/by-laws\/","url_meta":{"origin":1380028,"position":2},"title":"By-Laws","author":"Federation For Children With Special Needs","date":"April 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Following the Rules Under Massachusetts law, SEPACs \u201cshall establish by-laws regarding officers and operational procedures\u201d. By-laws are rules that define how your group operates. A formal structure or framework for conducting SEPAC business can help your SEPAC be effective in an orderly and consistent manner. The bylaws will also help\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;SEPAC Toolkit&quot;","block_context":{"text":"SEPAC Toolkit","link":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/category\/sepac-toolkit\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1397161,"url":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/role-of-a-sepac\/","url_meta":{"origin":1380028,"position":3},"title":"Role of a SEPAC","author":"Sundus Arif","date":"December 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"SEPAC leaders play an important role in governing the SEPAC. Join us to learn more about The Role of a SEPAC and become an impactful leader. For any questions email: lleslie@fcsn.org \u00a0","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1380019,"url":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/publicity\/","url_meta":{"origin":1380028,"position":4},"title":"Outreach\/Publicity","author":"Federation For Children With Special Needs","date":"April 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"SEPACs need to become experts in networking \u2013 building and maintaining relationships within their communities. Ways to Get the Message Out Family and student information is confidential, so SEPACs need to work with the district to get their message out to the community. Districts can share SEPAC information through their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;SEPAC Toolkit&quot;","block_context":{"text":"SEPAC Toolkit","link":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/category\/sepac-toolkit\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Publicity Campaign. The meeting at the white office table.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fcsn.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/AdobeStock_132924052-RESIZED-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1379994,"url":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/advising-the-district\/","url_meta":{"origin":1380028,"position":5},"title":"Advising the District","author":"Federation For Children With Special Needs","date":"April 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A SEPAC is primarily an advisory group. The members represent all parents of children receiving special education services in the district. The SEPAC can also participate as a planning and\/or evaluation group with respect to the school district\u2019s special education programs. SEPACs add an important voice to the school district\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;SEPAC Toolkit&quot;","block_context":{"text":"SEPAC Toolkit","link":"https:\/\/fcsn.org\/pt\/category\/sepac-toolkit\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Business group looking at camera. They all are young, smiling and wearing smart casual clothes. Mixed race group, three women and three men. 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