This month, SEPAC of Scottsdale features Barb Ross, a PIN specialist with the AZ Dept of Education and a previous SUSD parent (her kids have graduated!). Two of her children have disabilities and received special education services through the Scottsdale Unified School District. Barb works as a strong advocate for children and teens with disabilities and special education needs and enjoys serving children and their parents in her PINS role.
In March of 2011 the AZ Dept of Education will celebrate 20 years of PINS, that’s Parent Information Network Specialist. PINS is a unique federally funded project with the AZ Department of Education that provides an essential free source of educational information for parents of children and teens with special education needs. They know all about IEPs! And, they are parents of children, just like ours, who need special education services; so they understand the parent perspective.
Barb became a PIN specialist in August 2005 and services east Maricopa County – that’s us in the Scottsdale Unified School District. As a PIN specialist she recommends the PINS website http://www.ade.state.az.us/ess/das/pinspals/ and all of its information packed documents. In addition, parents can call the toll-free hotline M-F 8am-5pm 1-877-230-PINS (7467), or email PINS@azed.gov. PINS offers regional phone consultations or one on one consultations to help parents assess their child’s needs and explore options. The Network News, a quarterly newspaper provided by PINS, keeps subscribers up to date on special education issues, laws and hot topics.
When asked about how she got started, Barb relates, “After the diagnosis of my son with autism in 1994 and reading my first procedural safeguard notice (PSN); I was overwhelmed with the amount of information needed to successfully navigate special education to ensure my son’s right to a free appropriate public education. It became clear to me if I wanted to make a difference for my son, I needed to help all children.” Following her quest she participated in training offered by the Arizona Center for Disability Law, then volunteered as a court appointed surrogate parent for children who were wards of the state. She became involved with Arc of Arizona, co-chaired the education committee and sat on the Governor’s Council for Developmental Disabilities Education Subcommittee. She also worked as legislative liaison for Arc of Arizona.
Barb recommends that you “Be proactive and learn your parental rights before you have issues or concerns.” She also recommends that you “Prepare for the IEP well in advance, fully review all details of the IEP, and learn about current research for best practices for teaching a student with your child’s disability. Be part of the solution!”
Barb’s children have grown and many of them attended and graduated from SUSD schools – two with disabilities. She continues to serve all children with disabilities because “it’s the right thing to do.”
