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South Brunswick SEPAG

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Agenda for June 17, 2026

  • Introducing SBSEPAG to new parents
  • Election/Nomination of SBSEPAG Executive Committee
  • Call for School Liaisons
  • SBSD Question & Answer Session
  • SBSD Transitioning Presentation

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Contents

  • Introduction and what SEPAG is and is not
    • Mission Statement
    • How to participate in SEPAG
    • How to offer input to SEPAG

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What is a Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG)?

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A Special Education Parent Advisory Group, or SEPAG (sea-pag) is a state-mandated, district-level, parent-driven group charged with

providing input to the local school district on system-level challenges in

special education and related services.

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SEPAG is parent-driven…and… parent-led

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Source: SEPAG SPAN guide

URL: Special Education Parent Advisory Groups in New Jersey

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This is what every SEPAG should strive for

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Benefits of SEPAG (What SEPAG can do)

  • Stage 1:
    • Outreach
    • Positive relationships
    • Collaborative problem solving
    • A trusted source of information
    • Information sharing
  • Stage 2:
    • System change based on input
    • Improved services and programs
    • Effective resource allocation

Source: SEPAG Guide (SPAN)

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What SEPAG is not

  • an advocacy assistance group, which focuses on upholding rights for children and advocating for change from outside the system;
  • a limited campaign dedicated to addressing a single issue or immediate concern; or
  • a Special Education PTO or PTA, which might plan carnivals, classroom activities, dances, fundraisers, or other events.

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Source: SEPAG Guide (SPAN)

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Refine

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Typical Special Ed Issues Are Individualized, Open-Loop with Limited Learning/Feedback

Identify Issue

Issue is identified and communicated to teacher or case manager

Escalate Issue

Unresolved issue may be escalated to School District Supervisors/Leaders up the chain

(Un) Resolved Issue

  1. Issue is acknowledged by School District and Resolved
  2. Issue is not resolved

Parent Groups become aware of (un)resolved issues selectively

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SEPAG helps identify (limited systemic) issues in a continuous learning feedback loop with collaboration from the school district

Parent (group) identifies Systemic Problem/Issue

Resolve Systemic Problem with Case Manager or Teacher & Informs SEPAG through parents-only monthly meeting

Refine

Direct Feedback from/to Parents and School District in Admin Meetings

SEPAG also discusses/escalates Issue with School District Leaders, if Appropriate

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Key Takeaway: We need to engage with the school district as a collective group and vice versa

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Goal of Monthly SEPAG Parents Only Meeting

Systemic issues alone related to SEPAG are presented to school admin

Identify

Parental issues are discussed here and directions/alternate strategies provided

Listen

School admin decides which systemic issues are critical to move forward

Resolve

Parents Only Meetings

General SEPAG Meetings with School Admin

Joint Exec/Admin meetings

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Ways to raise special ed issues to SEPAG

  • Email us at sepagsb@gmail.com (SEPAG exec group access only - no school admins)
  • Join the SBSEPAG Facebook page (maintained by past SEPAG co-presidents) and post (anonymously, if you like)
  • Join the WhatsApp SEPAG groups and raise issues there
  • Participate in monthly parents-only SEPAG meetings as well as school admin joint meetings
  • Volunteer and become an executive committee member, school liaison or PTO liaison

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Who we are…

The Officers/Executive Committee team of SEPAG consists purely of special education parents:

Tonya Scott, Sri Nagarajan - active executive members

Adil Shaikh, Vibhu Srivastava - support us when needed

There is a lot of work ahead for us. So please consider being part of our team. We are looking for volunteer school liaisons. This role is not very demanding

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SEPAG Exec Group 2025-26 Accomplishments…

    • Aligned SB SEPAG operations and policies in-line with SPAN guidelines, rather than ad-hoc rules
    • Held monthly parents only meetings and collected issues from parents
    • School admins then answered these questions with very brief interaction
    • Organized presentations/seminars during the remaining calendar year from third party groups

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SEPAG Exec Group Remaining Goals for Next Year…

  • Build a comprehensive SB-SEPAG website with ability for SEPAG exec members to quickly update calendar with detailed email contact information and ability for parents to join WhatsApp and Facebook groups
  • Publish a monthly newsletter
  • Organize a resource fair next year for parental participation
  • Any more ideas?

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We appreciate your feedback and input

  • Please participate in the parents survey (revised survey in the works)
  • We do not have a complete special ed mailing/contact list and are dependent on the school admin/PTOs to send out flyers and emails. So please email us with your email information. Please email us at sepagsb@gmail.com to be informed
  • As said previously, volunteer as a school liaison or other roles that are open.
  • Actively raise systemic issues in all meeting formats and WhatsApp groups by your presence as difficult as it may be (not just your issues but other parents as well)
  • Support the executive committee in its efforts to continue to run SEPAG smoothly
  • Upcoming meetings:
    • Parents-Only Meetings: Every Last Thursday of the month 6:30 pm virtual meeting
    • General meeting (see SB SEPAG website within school district)

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Thanks!!