does anyone here trust serrc?

I had never heard of this, so I did a web search. The closest I could find was a map of regional resource centers, but they weren’t by state. They covered much larger areas. The one for our area was “NERRC”, for the nort east. There was a link to a website at Trinity College in Vermont, but the link was not active. I can’t imagine what help a resource is that covers a number of states, and this one is far enough away from me that using an advocate from there would not be feasible.

Was this what you were talking about? If not, how would you even find these groups. It sounds like a Federal version of the local PAC’s that towns are supposed to have. We have a PAC, but it is so loosely organized and run that it isn’t much use.

Karen

do another search, I just searched the words “education serrc” and came up with tons of links, their are at least 16 serrcs in ohio.
I think other states might call them something else- but I dont know what- They are the state wide organization funded by the federal government that is soposse to support both parents and teachers with information about the law and different types of dissabilities, educational material (large print books, braille, entire reading and math curriculums for sp-ed students- things like wilson or orthen gillingham that schools dont want to purchase) and even assitive technology equipment on a trial basis (like fm systems for children with capd). They also maintain copies of psych. tests that they loan out to districts (so the districts dont have to buy the ones that are not frequently used). they generally hold seminars and classes on the law, different disabilities and by topic.

The SERRC Center in Vermillion Ohio has the best evaluators in Psych and SLP that are available, IMO. Their reports were thorough, professional, and included much excellent information for parents and the educational environment.

However, my sister has used the SERRC in Cuyahoga County…not so good. Seem to be in cahoots with the school district. Seems like the quality of personnel is lacking.

Wish I’d heard of it before. Under Regional Resoure Center for Spec. Ed., I also found only one, located in Vermont. I’m in NH. I will tell you, over the years I’ve asked teachers for a better definition of my son(s) LD’s. I looked in books, asked around & researched to the best of my ability - which was not enough. I needed something like this and I must say I’m more than a little upset I never heard of them. Who advertises for them? They are not listed in my Safeguards for Students with LD Handbook, given to me by the schools. Although Vermont is quite the distance from me, there is an email address. I’ve spent an hour already, but will continue to search for more. Thanks for the lead, but they have been no use to me.

bren, go to this link and look under parent and professional organizations, NH may not have as many places for help as ohio, but your state is much smaller, i bet one of these places is a stones throw away from you..

http://www.ldonline.org/finding_help/local_org/nhampshire.html

bren, go to this link and look under parent and professional organizations, NH may not have as many places for help as ohio, but your state is much smaller, i bet one of these places is a stones throw away from you..

http://www.ldonline.org/finding_help/local_org/nhampshire.html

also look under federally funded programs on the same link, it looks like pic might even have advocates who can go with you to meetings.

Go to the site below for a list of Parent Training and Information Centers by state. They get federal money to provide information and training to parents. They are not all equal. I work for one in CA and we have a departement that puts on trainings for parents on IEP and 504. They also answer parents calls and give out information and resources. They do not do advocacy for individual parents. We have some grants to do advocacy for kids in juvenile justice system/ social service system.

State Parent Training and Information Center (Disabilities)

Provide training and information to parents of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and to people who work with parents to enable them to participate more fully and effectively with professionals in meeting the educational needs of their children with disabilities.

http://www.ed.gov/Programs/bastmp/SPTIC.htm#C

Helen

Ohio
First I wanted to thank you Ohio for responding to one of my posts a while back.You referred me to some agencies for Southwest Ohio. Thank you for that.
About the SERRC.
Last year the director of Special ED. invited a SERRC rep to our IEP meeting without my knowledge. I was informed of this on a very short notice and I did agree to it… Only because I had actually contacted them myself two months prior myself and I was hoping it would be similiar to having a mediator.
At the meeting…The SERRC rep introduced herself and explained that the school had asked her to be there. It was kind of funny because I informed her at that moment…. that I had spoken to her personally in reference to my son, two months prior. She of course was not aware of that.
Anyway, What I can remember, is the SERRC did not contibute anything at all to the meeting.What happenned at that meeting was… The Special ED director had stripped the prior IEP of all theservices that the team agreed upon at the end of the prior school year. We hadn’t even had a chance to try them out. She wanted to start from scratch. She said that they weren’t needed because we had a different set of teachers this year.(Ironically enough.. the reasons for all the problems were always inderectly pointing towards the child and the parents, but when it came to providing services..suddenly the teachers were a factor) I ended up not even signing on that day. The special ed director told me that they needed the signature today, I refused.
I ended up submitting a parent attachment stating everything that I was not in agreement with.
The only thing I can remember the SERRC saying.. was that she felt like she was at a marriage counseling session, she said that we(district and parents) seem to have a handle on what our sons big issues are and that we seem to be getting stuck on insignificant things (I remember our concerns were…communications of grades so we know when our son is starting to fail again, extra set of texts, copy of notebook items provided that our son was having great difficulty with, hearing concerns, checking our sons agenda at the end of the day, checking for our sons understanding of directions)
That was last year..
This year..just yesterday in fact….the special ed director mentioned the SERCC, . She said that the SERRC informed her of something in the “consent” section of the signature page when she was here last year. She said that if we would have signed the “I do not give consent” line…That our son would have lost his placement. She said that she did not realize that “placement” was what would be terminated..she thought that the “IEP” was what would be terminated.
Looks like the SERRC and the Special ED director had a discussion that I wasn’t included in. Hmmmm…..
Call me crazy but…
I don’ t think the SERRC was there for my benefit.
Thank goodness I have educated myself somewhat and I was not relying on the SERRC.
MO

Tried that too, and like Bren, still found only the regional one in VT. I’m glad you have lots of them in Ohio, but it doesn’t look like this service is doing much here in New England.

Karen

Ok Thanks! I found PIC (there are about 3 offices in NH) and called them. They are going to call me back. It seems like they’ll answer specific questions, but don’t necessarily review IEP’s with you. I will find out. Have to find out some specific questions anyway & they have other resources she said they could inform me of. (workshops too) I am sensing a future problem…my younger son passed iep testing last year 6th grade, (had an iep program for 3 years)..the sped. teacher who gave him the Woodbury Johnson testing was fired/resigned 3 weeks after the meeting and NOW, 7th grade sped. teacher cannot find any of the tests. I requested another test for a benchmark.(should be happening soon) I just hope the first one was right, but instincts tell me something else.
At any rate, Ohio, I’ve been burnt too many times to trust too many people, I like alot of them, I’ll work with them. But I always question them once I leave any meeting - sometimes I’ve had to make them “re-do” the meeting.
I DO feel meeting with PIC cannot hurt. I can always use the help & I am open to hearing different views. Thank You for bringing this New Resource to my attention. (and finding the website!)

Hey karen, what state are you in?

Mo, your very welcome, i hope one of the organizations was helpfull. If your writeing parent attachments it sounds like youve deffinatly put some time in learning about the law. I hope your son is doing better this year.

I agree with you, I personally am not very fond of the serrcs advocates in ohio, my limited expierience whith them has led me to believe they are on the schools payroll. But i still like going to the serrcs to get material to help my kids and some of their seminars have proven to be very good, not only in content but its a great way to meet others in the same boat your in;-)

Massachusetts

Karen

here is a link to your state resources, I personally have found that the “parent and proffessional organisations” have been far more helpfull then the state funded or other ones. Hope one of these agencies are close enough to help.

http://www.ldonline.org/finding_help/local_org/mass.html

I have dealt with the SECRR in my area too, they did my son’s last MFE after I disagreed with the one the school did. It was very through and the tester made great recommendations (none of which the school has ever followed up on). But, since then I have called them for advice and they seem to only quote the laws, no suggestions on how to get the school to comply. Example: I called them once about my son’s failing grades, their advice was….if a child is failing the IEP isn’t being written right. But no offers of how to write the IEP. I even spoke to a prinicipal in another school district (who uses the same SECRR center) she advised not using them for help. She is very much an advocate for children and said they weren’t really for the children.
I will say though, the report written by them on the MFE seemed to be very good
Also, Ohio I bet you might know this answer, our school has a parent advocate that I was told was paid by the state dept of special education, do you know if this is the normal? She seems to very much just a another employee of the school to me, she has gone to meetings with me and never opens her mouth. Who does pay the parent advocates in a school system?

ug, I have mixed feelings on this one, yes some of our districts in ohio do have parent advocates on staff. I have come accross some good ones and some bad ones.

truth is I have very little first hand knowledge of them. Normally when I am in a district that has their own staff advocate the parents wanted me for a reason, so the staff advocate isnt present (I am sure their is a reason for it).

I have met a few at seminars and meetings that seem to know the law well, but that dosnt tell me if they actively use it to help parents.

Im afraid I cant help on this one ; ( have to plead lack of expierience.

Thanks, Ohio,

I actually already have a very good advocate. I was just responding to your questions about SERRAC. I don’t think THAT exists in any meaningful way for those of us here in New England. OTOH, from the responses I’ve seen from other people, it doesn’t look like they are all that helpful even when they have a more visible presence!

Karen