To encourage discussion and gain new insight to the Special Education program, the second annual Special Education Summit will be held on May 16th at Gaithersburg High School for parents, community members, and staff of MCPS. In an effort to foster communication between the parents and Montgomery County officials, families will have an opportunity to speak to representatives from various MCPS offices as well as other Montgomery County agencies and non-profit organizations. Workshops and resources for families of students with disabilities will also be set up at the summit to provide the families with opportunities to learn more about how they can help their student.
The summit will also feature a keynote speaker, Priscilla Gilman, the author of The Anti-Romantic Child: A Memoir of Unexpected Joy. Gilman is a former professor of English at both Yale and Vassar, and is a sought-after speaker because of her “wise and inspiring” keynote speeches. She has spoken about a wide range of subjects to an even wider range of audiences that range from Ivy League university students to New York inmates. Along with her critically-acclaimed book, she has also written for many of the largest newspapers in the country, such as The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune. Her keynote speech on May 16th will be on Special Education, a topic that she has studied and written about extensively.
The first Special Education Summit, held last year, included remarks from the superintendent, members of the board, and the keynote speaker, Dr. Barbara N. Miller, a professor at Portland State University and a founder of an independent education company.
Article by the MoCo Student Staff Writer Fonda Shen of Richard Montgomery High School