Meeting of April 10, 2019

Matt, Alison, Larry, Jen met with Frank Coenraad to discuss LDA Alaska

Frank is managing student services (interim) for the Juneau School District when he heard of the local LDA chapter, and Frank wants to set up a network to support parents and students from early in the education process.

Frank notes we need to have a broad perspective from how we prepare counseling staff through other aspects.

Joan Gianotti, of Raven Home School, was invited to attend this meeting but went to a play instead. She has a son with challenges, and her masters thesis was on the lack of transition planning for these students. Teachers and administrators care, but their good intentions have not been enough.

Matt advocated for the Wilson Reading System, and credited the program with making him a reader.

Frank has met with Jenny Malecha, the part-time disability support services person at UAS, and they are both open to conversations. Frank suggests that the first thing to do is to “get it on the radar,” timing is critical, and since this is around the end of a school year, it might be good to target end-of-summer when radar is up and “school is starting soon.”

Matthew noted that there is a “transitions” program at the high school level and Jen explained the nature of the program, which gives some children with complex needs extra years of JSD services. Jen noted that the IEP requires a transition plan starting by age 15 so that it is ready by the time they turn 16, but Jen noted that the transition plan was not realistic in her experience (with her son Will).

Alison suggested having an event(s) which could draw people together and get LD students, parents, teachers, and the community connected. Frank could connect with his contacts. Franks asks “should we plan an event, or, plan a meeting to plan an event?”

Jen suggested someone from IDEA should be invited to attend.

Alison noted that the Juneau Dyslexia community is significant and somewhat organized.

Frank noted that we need to connect social and emotional learning to academics, we need to have a vision of what success looks like. This trend is coming from industry which needs employees with work skills. For the district we could reframe to say “JSD is doing this,” we see this as a need, we want to move this forward.

Matt brought up testing at the JSD level and whether or not it is adequate for diagnostic evaluations.

Frank noted that college board tests are a big challenge and getting accommodations is a lengthy process.

Frank suggested we start a list of those we would want to invite to a meeting and look at calendars to see what would work, possibly around the beginning of May, planning for an event to happen around the beginning of the school year.

Jen suggested informing parents about LDA of Alaska, education about the IEP process, and helping students to refine a plan for their education.

Matt noted that his LD Sim class assigned research into the IEP process, the class role-played around the process, with freaked out parents, etc.

Frank will meet with Bridget Weiss (superintendent) and Stacy Dieouf (student services/special education coordinator) to explore possibilities. Frank wants to be sensible of “what is doable” with the resources we have. JSD used to have a college career counselor for each school, now there is one. Maybe a goal would be to have an event to start establishing a community network. UAS, a small college with a close-knit community, might want to create a niche as well.

Matt noted that Landmark College is a research campus and they bring educators in for workshops and conferences on LD education.

Alison and Matt discussed Understood where older LD students mentor younger LD students. Matt also mentioned the NVLD project that may have resources.

Franks suggested that an initial goal is awareness and networking. Frank told the story of Harborview’s celebration of grandparents day and the big “aha” was seeing the cellphones out to capture each other’s contact information – these grandparents were raising their grandchildren and had thought they were the only ones in their situation.

Matt told a story about an LD student being helped by a substitute teacher, who was able to help more than the teachers because the sub didn’t start with lowered expectations. As a job coach Matt sees disrespect and low expectations expressed inappropriately.

Alison noted that we need help getting people to come out.

Frank suggested we target mid August, look at calendars, keep in touch.