THE
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SPECIAL EDUCATION CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Mission
Statement, Goal and By-Laws
MISSION
STATEMENT
To advise Anne
Arundel County Public Schools regarding students with disabilities or special
needs.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the committee is to:
- Work collaboratively
with the AACPS Director of Special Education and stakeholders to advise of issues,
priorities, goals and potential solutions designed to improve achievement and
outcomes of students with disabilities or special needs.
- Facilitate effective
communication and collaboration between AACPS, children and youth with special
needs, parents, advocates, and the community.
- Provide information and
education to parents, educators, students, professionals, and community members
on issues related to special education.
- Promote the
acceptance, awareness and inclusion of students with disabilities or special
needs in our schools and community.
COMMITTEE BY-LAWS
I. COMMITTEE
COMPOSITION
A. Committee can include the following:
1. Anne Arundel County students, parents, guardians or other family
members of students with disabilities or special needs.
2. Director of the Department of Special Education
3. Department of Special Education staff members
4. Administrators
5. General, special educators and service providers.
6. Special education paraprofessionals
7. Anne Arundel County community members.
II. MEMBERSHIP
A. There is to be no set limit on the number of committee members.
B. The committee is composed of voting and non-voting members.
C. In order to be eligible to vote on SECAC motions, a member must
reside in Anne Arundel County, or be a parent/guardian of an Anne Arundel
County Public Schools student with an Individualized Education Program
(IEP), Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), Section 504 Plan, or
seeking identification. Voting members must have attended three 3
out of the past 6 meetings.
D. A vote will take place in person. A non-response from a
voting member will be considered an abstain vote.
E. Employees of Anne Arundel County Public Schools may vote or hold
officer positions only if they participate on the committee in the
role of parent/guardian of an Anne Arundel County Public Schools student
with
an Individualized Education Program (IEP), Individualized Family Service
Plan (IFSP) or Section 504 Plan.
F. Any member of the committee shall fully disclose any relationship
with an individual or with members of other organizations which
represents, or has the potential to represent, a conflict of interest. A
conflict of interest shall be defined as any alliance with a
business, organization, or employer that prohibits a member from freely
executing the purposes of the committee, or that may result in personal,
professional or financial gain.
III. ELECTION
OF OFFICERS
A. The committee shall have an Executive Board composed of a Chair,
Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
Board positions are held by residents of Anne
Arundel county or parents of AACPS students.
Parents of students with special needs are given
preferential consideration for board positions.
B. Nominations for open officer positions shall be held in April.
C. Elections for officer positions shall be held in May. In the event
that a position becomes open due to resignation or removal, nominations
and elections for such position shall be held as soon as possible.
D. The officers shall be elected by a simple majority vote of the
committee and shall serve a term not to exceed two consecutive years
for the elected position. An officer elected to fill a vacated position due to
resignation or removal, shall complete the remainder of the term of
the original elected officer. An officer may subsequently run for a full
two-year term if their initial term is less than two years.
E. Any officer, elected or appointed by the members, shall be subject
to removal by a written ballot vote of two-thirds of the voting members as
defined in Section II-C.
IV. OFFICERS’
DUTIES
A. Chair shall:
1. Preside at committee meetings.
2. Generate and distribute an agenda for each committee meeting.
3. Represent the committee to the Anne Arundel County Board of
Education, Anne Arundel County Public School System and the County Executive.
4. Delegate roles or responsibilities to other board members or
voting members.
5. Coordinate with the board and the Director of Special Education to
develop and submit a year-end report of activities and recommendations to
the Director of Special Education, Superintendent and School Board
6. Coordinate communications to SECAC members and the community.
B.
Vice Chair shall:
1. Perform the chair’s duties in his or her absence, or at the
chair’s request.
2. In the event the chair resigns or is unable to perform his or her
duties, assume said duties until another chair is elected.
3. Organize subcommittees and workgroups as necessary.
C.
Secretary shall:
1. Record minutes of all committee and Executive Board meetings.
2. Distribute minutes to officers and make publicly available.
3. Take roll of committee meeting attendees, keep attendance records
in order to determine voting members and maintain a committee
membership database.
4. Assist the committee Chair with written correspondence and the
development of public announcements
D.
Treasurer shall:
1. Act as a liaison to AACPS budget personnel on issues related to
the SECAC budget.
2. Submit receipts from SECAC members to AACPS budget staff member
for reimbursement.
3. Provide a report at SECAC meetings detailing budget expenditures
and balance.
V. BUDGET
AND PLANNING
A.
The Executive Board will
meet each summer to plan for expenditure of their allocated funds and events.
B. The Division of Special Education shall make provisions for
secretarial assistance and administrative expenses of the committee.
C. The committee shall have the authority to allocate funds through
an electronic vote or by other means to fulfill specific budget requests
when time constraints necessitate that action be taken in between
regularly scheduled committee meetings.
VI. MEETINGS
A. The Executive Board shall meet as needed and no less than once per
quarter to plan and review current issues such as strategic focus and
schedule.
B. A minimum of 5 general committee meetings will be held between
September through May.
C. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of eligible voting
members present when the vote is taken.
D. All regular committee meetings shall be open to the general
public.
VII. RELATIONSHIP
WITH ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A. The committee shall prepare an annual report related to SECAC’s
strategic plan to share with school system officials/MSDE as part of the local
application.
B. The Superintendent of Schools may request that the committee
research and make recommendations based on the system vision and/or
goals.
C. The chair or designee shall work collaboratively with the county’s
Citizen Advisory Council and Anne Arundel County Council of PTAs to advocate
for students with disabilities and special needs.
VIII. COMMUNICATION
A. Any member of SECAC may discuss general information concerning
SECAC with non-members, such as the definition and role of SECAC, meeting times
and locations, presentations by speakers and committee-sponsored programs and
resources available to students and families.
B. Any oral or written statement issued on behalf of SECAC must be
discussed by the voting members (may be done electronically) of the committee
prior to its release. Any public statement shall reflect the position
of a majority of voting members. A non-response from a voting member will
be considered an abstain vote.
IX. REVIEW
OF BY-LAWS
A. The Executive Board shall review these by-laws every two years.
B. Proposed changes to the by-laws shall be presented to voting members
in writing at least 20 days prior to a vote.
C. Changes to the by-laws must be approved by a two-thirds vote of
the eligible voting members present at the meeting.
D. Committee by-laws shall be presented to the Board of Education
biennially.
