To support students with special needs and their families to successfully navigate the services offered by Knox County Schools and the surrounding community.

Click on the Parent Advisory Council Logo to connect to the web page for more information dealing with Education Issues including videos, community calendar highlighting free family events, student and family trainings, and or supports and much more!

Advisorycouncil@knoxschools.org Or Call 865-594-9582

A common thing parents ask is "Why doesn't my child turn in assignments and homework, especially since they took the time to complete it?" This can be very frustrating to a parent. It may seem that the child is simply not trying hard enough, however it is important to understand that organization is a skill that must be developed. Click on the button below for tips on possible reasons for the behavior and suggestions on developing an organization system for your child.

One of the most important skills for a student to learn is to advocate for themselves. Youth are the most successful when they understand their strengths and the areas that they are in need of support. The article below shares information about how to help youth discuss these issue with educators, peers, and others. Click on the link below.

School can be challenging to any child, however with students that learn differently, there could be additional challenges that are hard for them to explain. Like any other child, these fears center on things that make them struggle. For example, a child that struggles with Math may not want to go to class because they don't want their peers to know about their challenges. Knowing about these fears can help your child make a plan to overcome them more effectively. Click on the link below for more information and suggestions for your child.

Mark your Calendars:

• October 21st - Parent Advocacy : Why What and How of Communication - Presenter TN Step

• November 18th - Conservatorships and Special Needs Planning - Presenter Smoky Mountain Legacy

• December 9th - Avoiding Conflict and Ensuring Positive Outcomes - Presented by Arc Tn (Family Engagement)

As part of the Safe Schools, Safe Students initiative, KCS is introducing a new TEXT-A-TIP for students, families, staff, and community members can anonymously report safety and mental health concerns. Click on the button below to learn more.

The Parent Portal mobile app by Education Logistics, Inc. (Edulog) allows school districts to share planned and actual school transportation information with parents and caregivers. The app provides the latest information on the planned time and location of the student’s school bus stop. It can show the position of the school bus and give an alert as the bus nears the bus stop. With Edulog’s Student Ridership module, parents and caregivers receive notifications when their student swipes an ID card on an RFID card reader as they board and disembark the bus.

Download the Edulog Parent Portal from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Search for “Edulog Parent Portal” and choose the app with the white bus on the teal background. Once you have the app downloaded, sign up using your email address.

The purpose of our School-Based Dental Prevention Program is to keep your kids' smiles bright and healthy! In partnership with Knox County Schools and with the consent from parents, we go into schools and place sealants on children's teeth, give oral hygiene education, dental screenings and referrals to dental offices as appropriate.

These services are offered free of charge to all children in grades K - 8 at schools with Title 1 eligibility. Click here for a list of 2024-2025 Target Schools.

All children in these schools will also receive dental education on daily brushing, oral hygiene, nutrition, and dental sealants. They will be given a bag of dental supplies (toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss) to begin practicing good oral hygiene habits at home. See below for some fast facts about children's dental health in the U.S.

• 51 million hours of school absences are due to tooth pain.
• 1 in 5 children have untreated cavities.
• 520 million children suffer from cavities in baby teeth worldwide.
• Once applied, sealants protect against 80 percent of cavities for two years and continue to protect against 50 percent of cavities for up to four years.
• Children ages 6-11 years old without sealants have almost three times more first molar cavities than children with sealants.