Iowa Family & Educator Partnership

Learn more at the Family & Educator Partnership website https://www.gpaea.org/families/family-educator-partnership/. Find free learning opportunities for families and educators, links to resources, road map to local services, printable materials and more.

Please note, there has been a slight change in districts covered by each Family & Educator Coordinator for the 2022/2023 school year.

Annette Clarahan

Family & Educator Coordinator
641-682-8591 or 800-622-0027 Ext. 5517
annette.clarahan@gpaea.org

Districts Covered: Albia, Cardinal, Centerville, Chariton, Davis County, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Keota, Moravia, Moulton – Udell, North Mahaska, Oskaloosa Christian, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Ottumwa Christian, Ottumwa Seton Catholic School, Pekin, Seymour, Sigourney, Tri-County, Wayne.

Kelly Wallace

Family & Educator Coordinator
319-753-6561 or 800-382-8970 Ext. 3034
kelly.wallace@gpaea.org

Districts Covered: Burlington, Burlington Notre Dame, Central Lee, Danville, Fairfield, Ft. Madison, Holy Trinity, Keokuk, Keokuk Catholic, Maharishi, Mediapolis, Morning Sun, Mt. Pleasant, New London, Van Buren, Waco, Wapello, West Burlington, Winfield/Mt. Union.

Have you ever watched a robot vacuum get stuck in a small space, trapped as it attempts every angle for escape, repeating the same unproductive moves over and over again? I felt like that robot in my head and in my life. Making the same mistakes. Revisiting the same unhelpful thought patterns. Getting stuck. Curiosity, I’m finding, is really great for opening the door and helping me get free from those old thought patterns.

In talking with parents and educators who are visibly upset with a situation I let curiosity do the work, without judgment, or I might as well be that robot vacuum repeating the same patterns. Curiosity can extinguish the flame, if the questions asked are appropriate, timely, and delivered with empathy.

• Let the person talk without interruption

• Ask questions rather than targeted statements

• Ask open ended questions

And remember, sometimes we just need to let silence do the heavy lifting.

Be on the look out for these new materials being added to the Family and Educator website, printing catalog and school building file bins. The Supported Decision Making Guide will help families understand the many options available to support an individual with a disability to make their own decisions. It also makes families aware of the many additional resources available to help determine the correct level of assistance an individual may need as they reach the age of majority.

The Family and Educator Partnership is committed to helping the schools we serve improve family engagement in special education. One such effort was by supplying schools with printed materials to help explain the special education processes in an organized file bin to be kept in the room where most IEP meetings are held. We hope you are still finding these resources useful. If you are in need of replacement materials, they can be ordered, at the districts expense, by clicking on the link below. You do not need to be logged in to the website to view these items, but you do need to login to order them.

https://aeacreativeservices.org/product-category/browse-catalog-items/fep-main-catalog/

It is helpful to understand that sometimes the difference between medical and educational recommendations for the same student is due to different standards and obligations, not because of wrong data or bad intent. The medical recommendations that are made by doctors and therapists are always going to aim for the maximum growth, but could be limited by insurance approval. The school IEP team is not obligated to provide services that will maximize a student's potential but instead must provide students with disabilities with a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Click here to read the full article.

Current members would like you to know that there are openings on the Iowa Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council for peers and family members. The Iowa Mental Health Planning & Advisory Council acts as an advisory body for the Department of Health and Human Services for the Federal Block Grant dollars that the State receives on an annual basis.

For more information, please visit:

https://dhs.iowa.gov/about/mhds-advisory-groups/MH_Planning_Council

For questions, contact: Todd Lange - todd.lange@amerigroup.com

For an application, contact: Wendy DePhillips - wdephil@dhs.state.ia.us For

For more information on Special Education guidance,
resources and procedures, please visit the
i3 IDEA Information website.

Email: comments@gpaea.org
Website: gpaea.org
Phone: 641-682-8591
Facebook: facebook.com/gpaea
Twitter: @gpaea

It is the policy of the Great Prairie Education Agency not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact Nathan Wood, 2814 N. Court Road, Ottumwa, IA 52501, (641) 682-8591 x5512, nathan.wood@gpaea.org (employment practices) or Dr. Angelisa Fynaardt, 2814 N. Court Road, Ottumwa, IA 52501, (641) 682-8591 x5311, angelisa.fynaardt@gpaea.org (educational programs).