- Solon City School District
- Parent Mentor
Solon Schools Parent Mentor Program
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Our Solon Parent Mentor is Joanna Innes. Joanna is a parent to a child with special needs. She uses her first-hand experience to help work with school officials and guide families to increase the educational success of students who may receive special education services. The parent mentor is a free service, provided through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Joanna can be reached at joannainnes@solonboe.org or 440-349-8039.
What Does the Parent Mentor Do?
- Acts as a liaison between parents/guardians and the school
- Guides families and helps them understand their rights and responsibilities through the entire special education process
- Provides confidential support for concerns and questions
- Supplies information on special education services, policies and procedures
- Links parents/guardians to local resources, providers and other parents/caregivers for support
- Explains the Individual Education Plan (IEP)/504 process and can attend team meetings if requested
- Provides a lending library of materials to assist parents/guardians and professionals
- Works cooperatively with Solon's Organized Parent Education Network (OPEN) to provide presentations, parent workshops and parent networking meetings
- Publishes information in PTA newsletters highlighting special education topics as well as on the OPEN Facebook page
Why Do We Need A Parent Mentor?
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT . . .
- Your child and special education services?
- State and federal laws regarding students with disabilities?
- The assessment process and how a student is identified for special education services?
- The (IEP) Individual Education Plan and how are parents involved in its development?
DO YOU WANT . . .
- Information about special education resources?
- Information about specific disabilities?
- Information about OPEN (Organized Parent Education Network)?
- Information about parent educational workshops?
DO YOU NEED . . .
- To talk to a parent experienced in the special education process?
- Someone to accompany you to parent/teacher meetings?
For More Information About Special Education Services including:
- Testing, IEP development and information
- The special education programs available in Solon Schools
- Parent Workshops
- OPEN
CONTACT: Joanna Innes, Solon Parent Mentor Coordinator, at 349-8039 or joannainnes@solonboe.org
HELPFUL LINKS TO HELP GUIDE YOU IN SPECIAL EDUCATION:
THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCESS:
A GUIDE TO PARENT RIGHTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION:
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/A-Guide-to-Parent-Rights-in-Special-Education
13 CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION:
https://parentmentor.osu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/13_types.pdf
SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON EACH DISABILITY FROM THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Students-with-Disabilities
ALPHABET SOUP: A Guide to Disability Education-Related Acronyms:
For more information about OPEN (Organized Parent Education Network), please click here: https://www.solonschools.org/domain/493
For support, please join the OPEN Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1760332334086455
