Prairie State Wire

ISBE, Illinois State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities met Jan. 28.

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

I. Procedural Business

A. Call to order/Roll Call

a. In attendance virtually: Carolina Schoenbeck, Debra Vines, Elizabeth Hamilton Campos, Diana Kon, Kate Ulmer, Pat Dal Santo, Melissa Corey, Emily, Rosa Terrones and Janet Lathan-Thomas (ISBE)

B. Adoption of Agenda/Roll Call

a. No proposed edits to the agenda – motion made to approve agenda.

Elizabeth Hamilton Campos so moved, seconded by Pat Dal Santo. Motion carries.

C. Adoption of Prior Meeting Minutes

a. October 22, 2024

Carolina made a motion to approve October 22 2024, minutes.

Pat Dal Santos so moved, seconded by Deborah Vines.

II. Public Comment

a. None

III. Old Business

a. Legislative Day

Carolina: Legislative day is March 5th. The Legislative subcommittee has been meeting and will meet every other week for now. Trying to prepare. Surveyed the legislators to see what they were interested in, and they voiced interest in PUNS, the issue of backlog and how parents can receive funds and why it takes so long from when registered. Also interested in mental health.

A room is reserved at the Capital.

Janet will email Carolina the information for staying at the State House Inn to reserve rooms.

Goal is to have everyone attend the meeting in person. Understand that there are personal and professional obligations that limit ability to travel but would love everyone to attend in person.

If anyone has a mental health expert contact, we are looking for someone to make a presentation. Or anyone in the PUNS world that could present.

Presentation and meeting with legislators in the morning, lunch at ISBE and business meeting in the afternoon.

Who here will attend?

Debra: Will try really hard to attend in person.

Pat: Will try to attend for part of the day. Involved in a conference in Bloomington that day for the Illinois Association of Education At-Risk Youth.

Kate Ulmer: Will also try to attend, but also involved in the Bloomington conference. Waiting on Governor to be appointed to the Council. It is federally mandated that the McKinney-Vento State Coordinator be a part of it.

b. Note: Just announced a statewide database for parents to access mental health information and providers.

Diana Kon: Should be the Beacon Portal, information was shared with the committee. The portal is established as a basis for families to access community-based services. It allows for families to open an account and find services where they can receive support where they live and across the entire state.

c. Updates on Subcommittee

- Membership: Issue with membership and participation on the council, thus really trying to encourage people to attend and actively participate. Difficult when chairs of the subcommittees are not present.

III. New Business

a. Supporting the goals of council.

- 100% attendance at meeting

- Legislative date attendance

- Help with the PUNS crisis

IV. Review

- Legislative committee meeting and working on event needs.

- Comprehensive plan subcommittee has not met because do not have anyone who is withdrawing from a cooperative currently.

- Significant disproportionality subcommittee did meet with Holly Fester in December and Holly shared update.

- Elizabeth: Family and communication committee met in December and discussed ideas. Brainstormed on how to disseminate information on family matters. Family Parent and Training Center said we can utilize their newsletter. Legislative

committee, Carolina and I met with Representative La Ha who volunteered her newsletter as well. The other parent training information center also offered their newsletter. Thus, waiting to see if there is more interest in terms of membership from Isaac to join them. Will set another meeting to present a plan to the

committee as a whole in March.

V. Adjournment

a. Motion to adjourn – Carolina Schoenbeck so moved, seconded by Diana Kon, Motion carries.

Next Executive Meeting:

April 15, 2025 at 10 a.m.

https://www.isbe.net/Documents_ISAC/20250128-Minutes.pdf