July 29, 2020

Dear Penn-Delco Families,

Your Penn-Delco Special Education Administrators and Staff are dedicated to supporting you and your children. We know there are many concerns as we transition back to the 2020-2021 school year, but we stress: we are here for you!

There is a great deal of work happening to plan for our safe return to school. Our priority is to keep health and safety at the forefront of our planning and programming, while also addressing the unique academic, social/emotional, and related services needs of our students.

The Office of Pupil Service and Special Education is planning informational sessions for all families whose children receive specialized services. We plan to hold three sessions: elementary, secondary, and a session for families of students with highly complex needs. These sessions will be held in early August and we will send you specific dates and times ahead of the sessions. 

However, if you have any specific questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us so that we may answer any pressing questions.  We want each family to feel comfortable with the opening of the new school year knowing their children’s services are in place. Our email addresses and phone numbers are provided below. 

We recognize that there are concerns about possible regression toward IEP goals. The Office of Pupil Services and Special Education, along with Curriculum and Instruction Administration, are working to address these concerns. Once we return to school, we will be reassessing and gathering data to evaluate the goal areas within your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) so that we can continue to work toward meeting the goals identified in your child’s IEP and provide appropriate interventions.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has issued guidelines to schools to address these concerns and we will work collaboratively with IEP team members to determine the most appropriate course of action for each student. Each and every child has unique needs, and as such, the process will be very individualized. 

Your child’s special education case manager will be your point of contact once the school year begins. However, please feel free to contact Special Education Administration should you have any questions, and particularly if you have any questions regarding significant health and safety issues regarding your child’s return to school. 

We hope you enjoy the remainder of the summer! Enjoy, relax and refresh!

Sincerely,

Regina McClure – rmcclure@pdsd.org X 1322

Michael McCormick – mmccormick@pdsd.org X 1321

Amy Bell – abell@pdsd.org X 1333