Special Education
Contact Information
Office Phone - (540) 382-5114
Office Fax - (540) 394-4448
Resources
- VDOE Special Education Homepage
- T/TAC
- Handbook for Educators of Students Who Are English Language Learners with Suspected Disabilities
- Parent’s Guide to Special Education
- Regulations Governing Special Education Programs
- Special Education Regulations
- Procedural Safeguards
- Procedural Safeguards (Spanish)
- Private School Placement
- Private School Placement (Spanish)
- Disabilities
- Child Find Notice
Upcoming Events
SEAC Meeting November 18, 5:30 pm.
Mission Statement
Montgomery County Public Schools' Special Education mission is to engage, encourage, and empower students with disabilities by providing, in the least restrictive environment, the supports and services needed to graduate and live, learn, work and participate in communities of their choice with maximum independence.
Beliefs
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All students can learn in order to pursue their dreams.
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Schools are safe places of joy, wonder, and creativity.
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Every person deserves to be loved, valued, and respected.
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Kindness is an essential skill of a responsible, productive community member.
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The diversity of our community is one of our greatest strengths.
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All people deserve equitable access to opportunities and resources.
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Every child deserves an advocate.
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Honoring the voices of students and other stakeholders strengthens the school community.
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Open communication and feedback are vital to our growth.
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Learning and teaching are collective efforts that begin at birth and involve the entire community.
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Relationship building and high expectations are foundational to student success.
Special Education Advisory Committee
The Montgomery County Special Education Advisory Committee was formed in 1972. We recruit members who are persons with disabilities, parents of persons with disabilities, representatives from civic organizations, business or industry or any public agency concerned with the care of persons with disabilities.
The purpose of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) is to:
- Advise the local school division of needs in the education of children with disabilities;
- Participate in the development of priorities and strategies for meeting the identified needs of children with disabilities;
- Submit periodic reports and recommendations regarding the education of children with disabilities to the division superintendent for transmission to the local school board;
- Assist the local school division in interpreting plans to the community for meeting the special needs of children with disabilities for educational services;
- Review the policies and procedures for the provision of special education and related services prior to submission to the local school board; and
- Participate in the review of the local school division's annual plan.
SEAC Meeting Dates 2024 - 2025
September 30, 5:30 pm
October 16, 5:30 pm
January 27, 5:30 pm
March 24, 5:30 pm (Annual Plan/Child Find)
April 28, 5:30 pm
Parent Resource Center
PARENT RESOURCE Center Website
Contact Information
Jessica Cumbow
Parent Resource Center Coordinator
jessicacumbow@mcps.org
Address: 208 College Street, Christiansburg, Virginia 24073
Operations Center, Middle Building, Door 21
Phone: (540) 381-6100
Fax: (540) 382-6185
2023 Parent Involvement Survey
All parents of school-aged children and youth with disabilities who receive special education services in Virginia are encouraged to complete the Virginia Department of Education's (VDOE's) annual Parent Involvement Survey. The survey will remain open through December 15, 2023.
- Parent Involvement Survey - English
- Parent Involvement Survey - Spanish
- Parent Involvement (Indicator 8) Survey - Frequently Asked Questions
If you have questions regarding this survey, please contact Chiquita Seaborne, Family Engagement Specialist/Special Projects Coordinator, via telephone at (804) 225-3898 or via email, at Chiquita.Seaborne@doe.virginia.gov.
Virginia Department of Education
Services for Students Identified as Hearing or Visually Impaired
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) provides information on services for students with hearing and vision impairments at its website. The following links to information and resources are excerpted from the VDOE’s website: Special Education-Specific Disabilities-Sensory Disabilities.
Guidance Documents
- Guidelines for Working With Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Virginia Public Schools
- Guidelines for Working With Students Who are Blind or Visually Impaired in Virginia Public Schools
- Superintendent's Memo #198-16: Implementation of Unified English Braille for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
- Unified English Braille Implementation Plan for Virginia Public Schools (Updated September 2019)
- Services for Students Identified as Hearing or Visually Impaired
- Memo 294-20 Resources for Serving Students with Sensory Disabilities-2020
Statewide Resources
- The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind (VSDB) - The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind is located in Staunton, Virginia and provides a day program and outreach services, as well as a residential setting exclusively to students who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, or deaf-blind. The VSDB Outreach Services assist early intervention providers, local school divisions, and families in meeting the needs of children in the Commonwealth. The VSDB’s admissions policy is available at the above Website.
- The Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) - The Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides standards for educational interpreting services and other services to reduce the communication barriers between persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families and the professionals who serve them.
- The Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) - The Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired primarily assists Virginians who are blind in achieving quality employment outcomes. Vocational evaluation, job training, job development, placement, follow-up, and other services are provided to assist consumers in obtaining jobs in the public and private sectors. The DBVI’s education services program provides services to early intervention providers, school personnel, and families to help children to be successful in school and the community, and to prepare for the future. The Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired offers training in the skills of blindness to blind and vision-impaired Virginians and encourages people to develop positive attitudes about blindness. The Library and Resource Center provides services to local school divisions to support the education of children who are blind or visually impaired. Library services are also offered to persons who are print disabled.
- The Virginia Project for Children and Young Adults With Deaf-Blindness - The Virginia Project for Children and Young Adults With Deaf-Blindness provides technical assistance, training, distance education and networking information to families, service providers, and individuals who are deaf-blind/dual sensory impaired.
- The Technical Assistance Center for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and VNOC – The Technical Assistance Center for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing provides training and technical assistance in the areas of deafness and hardness of hearing. Assistance is available to local public school divisions as well as early intervention and preschool programs through the Virginia Network of Consultants for Professionals Working with Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (VNOC).
- The Accessible Instructional Materials Center-Virginia (AIM-VA) - The Accessible Instructional Materials Center-Virginia’s extensive library has developed an alternative system of providing accessible educational media under standards set by federal law (NIMAS) to students who meet the federal requirements for print disabilities and who are eligible for accessing educational media under an Individualized Education Program (IEP) as required under Part B of IDEA. The AIM-VA, in conjunction with partnering agencies, provides required accessible educational materials to students with an IEP and training for staff, at no cost to Local Educational Agencies.