Orange County Schools' Special Education Alliance

The primary goal of the Orange County Schools'high quality services, and when necessary, support
Special Education Alliance is to meet the need for alitigation to achieve these goals. Orange County
countywide system that can focus on specialSchools' Special Education Alliance also encourages
education. This includes offering staff development andstaff members, parents, advocates and organizations
training to school employees, creating leadership into get involved by using their voices and contact the
advocating for legislative and administrative change,local officials and hold them accountable for promises
overseeing the decisions and rulings rendered byand mandates for which regular education and special
administrative agencies, offering a way to fund theneeds children are entitled.
litigation and appeals of administrative and judicialOrange County Schools' Special Education Alliance is
decisions and rulings especially when the outcome haslead by an Executive Committee that is composed of
a countywide significance or precedent setting in itsSuperintendents from different school districts across
implications for all students.Orange County. The actual carrying out of the goals is
The Orange County Schools' Special Educationthe responsibility of the Review Committee. The
Alliance was created with the intention of addressingReview Committee is comprised of five
all the concerns of all students regardless of if theSuperintendents regionally nominated, Orange County
student has any manner disability. Any student that isSchools' legal counsel, two private attorneys
not receiving the full services they need changedrepresenting school districts in special education
because of lack of funding to support mandatesmatters, two SELPA directors, and one business
created under the federal Individuals with Disabilitiesadministrator. The Review Committee has been
Education Act. The main problem that Orange Countyworking hard for the past two years in order to try
Schools faces with meeting this federal mandate isand meet the goals of the Orange County Schools'
drawing funds from the regular education program.Special Education Alliance. Even though the focus of
Funds are often taken from the regular educationthe Orange County Schools' Special Education Alliance
program to support the needs of special educationis in the areas of legal and funding, it tries hard to work
students. Orange County Schools' Special Educationclosely with teachers and staff members so that its
Alliance aims to provide the services all students needmembers are informed about the needs of the
to be successful in meeting academic standards.schools at root levels.
Orange County Schools' Special Education AllianceSince the Orange County Schools' Special Education
plans to accomplish this goal by providing staffAlliance was created it has accomplish a great deal to
development to its practitioners, use the legislativemeet the needs of the school districts across Orange
process to seek adequate funding to provide theseCounty.