RE: You’re Invited to Trainings and Meetings of the Western Pennsylvania Coalition of Education Advocates

From the Disability Rights Network-

Friends –

The Western Pennsylvania Coalition of Education Advocates (COA) is an advocacy group that was originally formed in June of 1997 as an initiative of the Education Law Center – PA and the Arc of Allegheny County.  The mission of the COA is to promote the provision of a quality public education to all school-age children with disabilities in western Pennsylvania and across the state.

The COA has an email listserv that is maintained by the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN) that includes over 200 members made up of parents, advocates and attorneys from multiple counties in western Pennsylvania.  The Coalition is supported by DRN in collaboration with other local organizations including ACHIEVA, PEAL Center, the Arc of Somerset County, the Arc of Westmoreland County, Mission Empower, and Total Learning Centers.

The COA provides an opportunity for parents and child advocates to network with each other while receiving training on issues and topics that are relevant to the group’s mission, such as federal and state laws that set forth the educational rights of children with disabilities.  The COA also provides collective advocacy opportunities for parents and advocates to formulate a unified position and take action on legislation and regulations that will impact children with disabilities in public schools.

The COA will meet four times during the 2012-2013 school year (in September, December, February, and April) and meetings are currently hosted at six locations in western Pennsylvania:  Pittsburgh (ACHIEVA), Wexford (Total Learning Centers in Wexford), Erie (Mission Empower), Somerset (Arc of Somerset County), Westmoreland (Arc of Westmoreland County), and the South Hills (Total Learning Centers in South Hills).

For more detailed information on meeting dates, locations, and training topics, click here to view a Word version of the Western PA Coalition of Education Advocates 2012-2013 School Year Calendar.  To view the document in pdf, click here.

Thank you,

Shari A. Mamas
Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN)
smamas@drnpa.org
www.drnpa.org