On Thursday, February 16, 2012, Monmouth University\u2019s School of Education hosted the third session of its Special Services Academy in the MAC Varsity Room. The session titled \u201cCode Changes and Legal Implications,\u201d had over thirty attendees from twenty-two different school districts. <\/p>\n
Dr.\u00a0 Lynn Romeo, dean of the School of Education at Monmouth, opened the session and introduced the main speaker, R. Armen Mc Omber, Esq., Board Attorney. Mr. Mc Omber spoke about legal issues and the IEP Process and provided his insights regarding collaborating with parents and gaining new knowledge.<\/p>\n
Richard Conte, project administrator for Monmouth-Ocean Educational Services Commission, commented he felt the Academy was a great opportunity for networking, not just between special services professionals but between them and Monmouth as well. He said that \u201cDr. Romeo has always made opportunities available to let districts know what Monmouth is doing,\u201d which is an integral part of the academy.<\/p>\n
Mr. Mc Omber said that the \u201cquality of attendees is excellent\u201d and that they \u201care truly experts in their fields.\u201d He felt he learned just as much from them as they did from him. <\/p>\n
The Special Services Academy is an opportunity for dialogue and an exchange of ideas and experiences for directors of special services, learning disabilities teacher consultants, school psychologists, school social workers, and speech language specialists. Through collaboration with University administrators and faculty, the academy provides professional learning communities for members through sessions which focus on promoting reflective practice and positively impacting student and teacher learning. A network of support and resources for members has been established.<\/p>\n
The first two sessions that were held addressed \u201cPre-referral Intervention\/Strategies\u201d and \u201cReferral and Evaluation,\u201d with a focus on autism. The last session of the Special Services Academy for this year, \u201cProgram and Placement,\u201d will be held on Thursday, June 7, 2012.<\/p>\n