Our Inaugural! Guest Speaker Randy Booker
We had our first meeting in the balmy patio of Peets Coffee in Dublin. 20 of us enjoyed the mild weather and shared about our fears, hopes, and dreams in raising a Special Needs teen or middle-schooler. Randy Booker, Superintendent of Piedmont School District, was there to talk about "Socialization and Inclusion." I regret not having recorded it, because it was full of heart, passion, and insight. Randy is not only a school administrator, he is also a parent to two Special Needs boys. He brought a unique insight, having sat in both the parent's seat and the administrator's seat. The main point he wanted us to come away with is "The IEP is a team effort." The more we can cooperate with the administrators, the better. When it becomes adversarial, everyone loses, especially our child. Dropping off coffee and a donut every once in a while only helps. I read somewhere, "If you want to make honey, don't kick over the beehive." And where d...