Families of children with disabilities partnering with educators to create better outcomes for students is pivotal in IDEA 2004, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. The GA Division for Special Education Services and Supports and its DOE partners, as well as other state agencies, collaborate to support families on a daily basis. The Division partners with parents through the State Advisory Panel on Special Education, the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership, and local school districts' special education stakeholder groups. In addition, the Division collaborates on leadership training and communication with the state's major parent education and advocacy groups. A Parent Liaison on staff is responsible for advising the Division on ways to increase parent engagement and build partnerships between educators and parents ultimately leading to better student outcomes. It is the goal of Georgia's parent initiatives to create a collaborative community of parents and educators so to increase student achievement, particularly those with disabilities.

See Also

• Parents' Rights
• Dispute Resolution
• Special Education Legal Aid Providers
• Parent Mentor Tool Kit
• Parent Information Fact Sheets
• Discipline
• Individualized Education Program (IEP)
• Evaluations to Determine if a Child is Eligible for Special Education
• Reevaluations and Independent Educational Evaluations
• Transition from Early Intervention to Public School
• Transition to Life After High School

Staff Contacts

If a parent is concerned about an issue pertaining to his or her child, call 404-656-3963 and ask to speak to the District Liaison from the county where the child attends. For information on statewide parent initiatives, particularly the Parent Mentor Partnership, contact Patti Solomon, Parent Liaison at (404) 656-3963 or psolomon@doe.k12.ga.us.

Major Family Websites and Partners

Educational resources and support services for families of children with disabilities are available at Parent to Parent of GA., a statewide resource hub and parent network that enhances parents’ skills on access to education, advocacy, parenting, and community supports. Parent to Parent of GA is the state’s Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) and is known as "Navigation to Connections to Improve Student Outcomes". The PTI’s services include a county-by-county database that lists services and resources; a navigation map depicting the education journey in a family friendly format; a referral service to assist with educational concerns; a list of trainings at the local, regional, and state level; a parent leadership program; one-on-one support from another parent; and parent partners highly-trained in IDEA and school issues. Georgia's PTI is part of a nationwide network of training centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education. For more information on the services provided to parents, educators, and other interested parties by Parent to Parent and Georgia’s PTI, visit www.parenttoparentofga.org or call 800-229-2038 or 770-451-5484. A trained parent is available to answer calls from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

The Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership is a state initiative designed to encourage school districts to hire a parent of a child with a disability to assist the district in bridging the gap between home and school. Nearly 70 parent mentors are on board in 59 school districts. By using the national Parent Engagement Standards, parent mentors strive to increase family engagement at each tier of the Georgia Student Achievement Pyramid of Interventions. To learn more about the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership, visit the partnership’s website at www.parentmentors.org.

Babies Can't Wait (BCW) educators provide information and guidance for families of children under the age of three. BCW educators, parents of children with disabilities, provide one-on-one support to families. For more information on BCW, visit their website at health.state.ga.us/programs/bcw.

The Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO), the state's protection and advocacy office, offers a series of trainings designed to teach parents how to advocate for their children with disabilities. To participate in the Parent Leadership Support Project (PLSP) send your name and contact information to plsp@thegao.org. For more nformation on the other services provided by the GAO, visit their website at www.thegao.org.

The Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) works to create system change for persons with disabilities through public policy, research, special projects, education, and training. GCDD supports numerous parent and self-advocate support projects in Georgia. To learn more about GCDD and their projects, visit their website at www.gcdd.org.