Mayor's Advisory Council on Special Education
The Mayor’s Advisory Council on Special Education will assess the strengths and weaknesses of existing programs and policies for students who are identified as receiving special education services through the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) system. The advisory council will use the assessments to make objective recommendations to the mayor as they pertain to the overall educational experiences of those students.
2011 Work
The advisory council continues to work on the series of recommendations, which were presented to the Mayor in the 2010 report. Council members serve on one of four subcommittees focusing on monitoring, instruction and curriculum, a district strategic plan, and community-based job training.
The monitoring sub-committee utilizes the data dashboard, which was created to measure progress over time. The instruction and curriculum sub-committee is developing a checklist in partnership with MNPS to evaluate classrooms. It will then use the results to set recommendations for the 2011 report. The strategic plan sub-committee, in partnership with MNPS, is developing a five-year strategic plan around special education and greater inclusive practices district wide. The community-based job training sub-committee is piloting and expanding an existing program to ultimately increase the employment rate for individuals with disabilities. This will consist of instituting career/job assistance for students who complete the job training program and increasing awareness and involvement of the Chamber of Commerce and the larger business community.
2010 Report of Recommendations
The advisory council presented a new series of recommendations and a progress update on past recommendations to the Mayor on Sept. 16, 2010.
- The Road to Inclusive Practices: Third Report of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Special Education
- Presentation of Report
- Video of Report Presentation
2009 Report of Recommendations
The advisory council presented recommendations and a review of their past year of work to Mayor Dean on Thursday, July 23, 2009. The mayor responded to the report by asking the advisory council to focus specifically on the recommendations to develop school-based transition programs to help students with disabilities enter the workforce or post-secondary education.
- The Road to Inclusive Practices: Second Report of the Mayor's Advisory Council on Special Education
- Presentation of Report
- Video of Report
2008 Report of Recommendations
The advisory council presented recommendations to Mayor Dean on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008. The mayor responded to the report by asking the advisory council to continue working to ensure the recommendations are implemented.
- The Road to Inclusive Practices: Report of the Mayor's Advisory Council on Special Education
- Presentation of Report
Community Forums and Town Hall
The advisory council held a series of community forums following their meetings on May 27, 2008, June 9, 2008 and June 23, 2008. Mayor Karl Dean hosted a Town Hall Meeting on Special Education July 14, 2008, at East Literature High School. The forums and the town hall meeting were intended to give parents and other community members an opportunity to discuss their concerns or ideas about special education services in Metro schools with council members.