We provide parent-to-parent mentoring by gathering information to understand a child's disability, its effects at school & home, parents' concerns, and the current situation at school. Often, we make home visits and observe students in their school environment.
Bilingual Parent Education & Training:
We aim to increase knowledge of the special education process, parents' rights under IDEA, the IEP/504 document, effective communication, and other topics of interest to parents by providing trainings and materials in Spanish and English.
We help prepare parents for IEP/504/other meetings by explaining specific terminology, documenting concerns, explaining evaluations, and communicating with the school. We know that careful preparation can prevent many problems later on during a meeting.
We serve as a neutral party to resolve parents' concerns through access of information & compromise on both sides. We are not traditional "advocates" hired to work solely on behalf of parents. Our job is to look at all relevant information presented by parents and the school and make sure the needs of the child are met. We do this by modeling appropriate participation & communication and helping the team stay focused on the student.
Staff
Malinda Furtado
Parent Liaison
(559) 730-2910 ext. 5125
malinda.furtado@tcoe.org
Tulare County Office of Education
Tim A. Hire, County Superintendent of Schools
P.O. Box 5091
Visalia, CA 93278-5091
(559) 733-6300