The Department is required to establish and maintain a state Special Education Advisory Council under Massachusetts General Laws (c. 15, §1G). The Advisory Council is composed of individuals involved in or concerned with the education of children with disabilities. Membership has included a diverse group of individuals reflecting both the state requirements of membership, including parents, educators, and agency designees.
The Special Education Advisory Council is composed of members appointed by the Commissioner on behalf of the Board of Education. Appointment to the Council is for a three-year term, and no member may serve more than two terms. Over half of the voting members are individuals with a disability or a parent of a child with a disability. Membership is presently comprised of local education officials, teachers, and representatives from higher education, charter schools, special education schools, and organizations that provide transition services to children with disabilities. A reasonable balance of business, civic, labor, and professional groups, and geographic areas is currently maintained.
The Special Education Advisory Council welcomes public comment on matters within its purview. Accordingly, a maximum 30-minute period is made available at its meetings for persons in the audience to address the Advisory Council for no longer than 3 minutes. Written material of any length may be submitted. Preference will be given to persons who seek to address specific agenda items for the upcoming meeting. Agendas for upcoming meetings are posted prior to the meeting on the Special Education Advisory Council website. Persons wishing to speak are strongly encouraged to submit their request before the day of the meeting; contact information is provided below. Preference will be given to those who submit requests by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the scheduled meeting. If time permits, the Chair will allow members of the public who have not contacted the Department in advance to speak in the public comment period; those individuals must sign in prior to the start of the meeting. The Chair may limit the number of speakers due to time constraints and may increase or reduce the time allocated per speaker. While there is no requirement to submit comments in writing, a speaker who elects to do so should submit copies of their comments prior to or at the meeting for distribution to Advisory Council members. Requests to address the Advisory Council, written comments, and other inquiries may be transmitted by mail, e-mail, fax, or telephone to: Special Education Advisory Council, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149, Phone: 781-338-3375. E-mail: specialeducation@doe.mass.edu . Please make any requests for special accommodations or interpretation services at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.
Under Federal regulation (34 CFR § 300.167), the Department is required to establish and maintain a Special Education Advisory Panel composed of individuals involved in or concerned with the education of children with disabilities. The responsibilities of the Special Education Advisory Panel include:
For more information about the Advisory Panel, please visit Special Education Advisory Panel - Special Education
Special Education Planning and Policy Office specialeducation@doe.mass.edu
Last Updated: January 14, 2025
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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