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Schools

Foothill SELPA Organizes Conference and Forum for Parents and Educators

Workshops, panels, and exhibitors are a few of the highlights of the program.

On Saturday, April 28, the Foothill Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) held a conference for parents, teachers, and administrators called “No Limit to Success” to educate community members on issues related to children with special education needs.

The 7th Special Education Parent Conference and Transition Forum, held at Burbank High School, was a collaborative effort among Burbank Unified Schools, Glendale Unified Schools, and La Cañada Unified Schools. The program consisted of an opening session, two break-out sessions, and a plethora of exhibitors. At the opening session, two local politicians were able to speak to conference attendees and lend them their support.

“In this era of declining resources, it’s about collaborating, communicating, getting the services that students need,” said State Senator Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge).

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California Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) echoed Liu’s sentiments and encouraged parents and administrators to contact him via his personal phone and email about education issues they felt needed to be addressed.

“We’re here about our kids and the profession of taking care of our kids,” remarked California Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge). “What do we care about? Education. Who are we there for? Our children.”

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Parents were given the opportunity to attend a number of workshops on topics like non-violent crisis intervention techniques and support social skills in the home and community.

“No one knows like you, no one knows the struggle like you do… when you need school support, no one does it better than Foothill SELPA,” stated Corky O’Rourke, a presenter at the conference. “I know from the bottom of my heart that we’re doing the best for your children.”

Conference participants felt that the program was informative and engaging, allowing them to work with school administrators and teachers on pertinent special education themes.

“I think it’s a really good, great to hear that a lot of administrators are here and it’s a great chance for parents to connect and see other parents that are involved, what a difference you can make in a child’s life,” noted Ita Garcia-Moses, a parent of two children on the autism spectrum.

Besides planning sessions for participants to attend, SELPA filled the campus courtyard with exhibitors for conference attendees to check out and scheduled a performance by the ARC Handbell Choir to display their musical skills.

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