Community Advisory Committee
What is the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education?The purpose of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is to establish a local forum to activate parent and community involvement in the provision of special education within the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA). The CAC advises the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) on the development, review, and implementation of the Local Plan. The State Education Code mandates that each SELPA must have a CAC and that a majority of the CAC members be parents.
Our Mission:
- Enhance the education for all students with disabilities.
- Increase understanding of Special Education issues.
- Build the advocacy skills of our family/caregiver community through education and support.
2024-25 CAC Meetings:
| Meeting Date | Agendas | Approved Minutes |
| August 26, 2024 | Agenda | 8-26-24 Minutes |
| September 23, 2024 | Agenda | 9-23-24 Minutes |
| October 28, 2024 | Agenda | 10-28-24 Minutes |
| November 18, 2024 | Agenda | |
| January 27, 2025 | ||
| February 24, 2025 |
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| March 24, 2025 | ||
| April 28, 2025 | ||
| May 19, 2025 | ||
| June 23, 2025 |
Meeting information from previous years can be found here.
We need your voice
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Join our monthly meetings
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Suggest topics for the agenda | Join a CAC subcommittee |
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Make your voice heard and help advise special education in your school district. Our monthly meetings always have time for public comment.
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Do you have a suggestion for the agenda at the CAC monthly business meeting? Please contribute ideas one month before the monthly meeting. | Make a difference in our community! Subcommittees do the grassroots work of carrying out the mission of the CAC. Any member of the public may participate in any of the subcommittees: Advocacy/Education, Membership/Engagement, and Communications. |
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Advocacy/Education Meeting Link Meeting Times
Our goal is to increase the understanding of special education issues and build the advocacy skills of our family/caregiver community through education and support. We seek to encourage meaningful communication among the SELPA policy board, school administrators, students/caregivers, and the broader community. We also advocate for legislation that enhance the lives of students with disabilities. Contact
[email protected] to join. |
Membership/Engagement Our goal is to expand membership and engagement, particularly among historically underserved communities, so that all students/caregivers across the SELPA may be represented and equitably served. Contact [email protected] to join. Besides CAC, join a support group within your own district. |
Communications Our goal is to connect people across the SELPA member districts and to promote CAC activities in support of students with disabilities. Contact [email protected] to join. |
Events and Happenings
Note: CAC webpage posts are compiled by CAC members and include resources/information that are not reviewed/vetted/endorsed by the North Region SELPA and may not align with IDEA.
Never miss a thing. Sign up for CAC News
The CAC will elect new members for terms beginning in calendar year 2025.
Read about CAC member roles and responsibilities.
Nominate yourself by completing this application.
Or help spread the word!
If you can’t attend the 10/28 election meeting, apply anyway.
Voting will continue until seats are filled.
Join the California Dyslexia Initiative (CDI) for a FREE expert webinar series. Learn more about why some students struggle to learn to read, how to recognize risk factors in your students, and how to support reading difficulties and dyslexia in the classroom. Register here: https://www.scoe.net/
Recordings and Slides from Past Webinars are available at: https://padlet.com/twilson14/CDI_ExpertWebinars
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Past Events
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Graduation and Diploma Options for Students Receiving Special Education Support
November 2024
Cheryl A. Theis, Director Parent Training and Information Center, DREDF presents information related to IEP team decisions that support students secondary education including recent legislation opening up options for graduation and diplomas. Pathway to Graduation Slides
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Postsecondary Transition Q&A
May 2024
Follow-up Q&A session to our May 2023 eveent with postsecondary transition experts and transition services agency leaders about what transition planning should be and what services may be available to your student.
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Literacy Roundtable
February 2024
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Hopeville Post-film Discussion Panel
January 2024
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Faculty, staff and students from the UC Davis Redwood Seed Scholars and the Cal State East Bay Think by the Bay programs presentation on inclusive post-secondary education programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
November 2023
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How Do We Support Our Children Living and Learning with Dyslexia?
May 2023
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Powerpoint Only
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Alternative Pathway to a High School Diploma 5-22-23 Presentation from Katy Babcock, North Region SELPA Director
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Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): What are the symptoms? How does it impact us? What interventions exist?
November 2022
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Post Secondary Transition
May 2023
Post-secondary transition planning is critical to ensuring that your student is prepared to lead a productive and independent adult life. Post-secondary transition experts and transition services agency leaders discuss transition planning.
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Underestimated and Misunderstood
May 2023
A conversation about advocacy in education in partnership with non-speaking students and their families. Resource Guide for Nonspeaking Students here.
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Middle and High School Transitions
March 2023
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"The Right to Read - The Greatest Civil Rights Issue of Our Time"
October 2022
Watch a post-film screening discussion with film subject Kareem Weaver of FULCRUM, Dr. Kathy Futterman of Cal State East Bay, Maria Pirner of OUSD, and Tandra DeBose of Family Resource Navigators.
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Right to Read (continued)
November 2022
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Top IEP Transition Tips for Parents and Caregivers
May 2022
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You Don't Agree with the IEP, Now What?
March 2022
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North Region SELPA CAC Local Plan Orientation Learn about why local plans and SELPAS exist, their purpose, and more. Hosted by Cheryl Theis from DREDF on March 27, 2021. Viewing this orientation is required training for all CAC voting members. |
Special Education and Related Services
Special education and related services give your child a reasonable opportunity to achieve IEP goals. IEP teams decide on services based on assessed area(s) of need and related goals. Your child may also need accommodations or modifications in the way instruction is presented and/or in the way your child is asked to show what they know. See a list of the most common services here.
Current membership and committees
We welcome families, educators, and community members of special education students in Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emery, and Piedmont Unified School Districts. Help us define our goals for the next year. Volunteer for sub-committees centering around education, advocacy, and more. Attend our monthly meetings.
To contact the CAC members or officers, please send an email to [email protected], and we will get your message to the right person.
Officer positions
| 2024 | ||
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Chair(s)
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Caroline Brossard
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| First Vice Chair | ||
| Second Vice Chair | ||
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Secretary
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Eliza Noh |
2024 Voting members
| District | Name |
| Alameda |
Caroline Brossard
Jill Hunter
Monika Russi
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| Albany |
Dinesh Kumar
Kelley Callahan
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| Berkeley |
Alexis Gonzales
Bill Schwulst
Eliza Noh
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| Emery | |
| Piedmont |
North Region SELPA CAC By-Laws
Mission and Duties of the CAC
Understand the mission, duties and guidelines for the North Region Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Community Advisory Committee (CAC). These By-Laws were revised March 2021 in order to be more inclusive and expand representation in our membership.