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PUBLIC COMMENTS SOUGHT!

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PUBLIC COMMENTS SOUGHT!
Published: February 27, 2023

The next Council on Educational Services for Exceptional Children (CESEC) Meeting will be virtual and is scheduled for Wednesday, March 8th at 9:30am. Council meetings are held four times a year and are open to the public. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit written comments at any time or attend the CESEC’s quarterly meetings and register for public comment.

Meeting Link: https://ncgov.webex.com/ncgov/j.php?MTID=m581c59c01e6b286da4e575a4e80ea298

Meeting Number: 2420 569 9662

Password: Council (C must be capitalized)

Join by Phone: 415-655-0003 US Toll 904-900-2303 US Toll (Jacksonville)

The Council advises the State Board of Education with respect to the unmet needs of children with special needs and in the development and implementation of policies related to the coordination of services for students with disabilities. The Council also advises the State Board of Education with respect to developing evaluations, reporting on data, and developing corrective action plans to address findings in federal monitoring reports.

Public Comment Procedure

Public comments are an essential and necessary part of CESEC fulfilling its role to advise the State Board of Education with respect to the unmet needs of children with special needs in the state of North Carolina. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit written comments at any time or attend the CESEC’s quarterly meetings and register for public comment. Thirty minutes will be reserved on the CESEC agenda for public input at each meeting. Additional time may be added at the discretion of the Chairperson.

General guidelines for public input:

  • Public comment may be made verbally (in person) or in written form including email to CESEC. Priority will be given to in person comments. Written comments will be read by the Chairperson in the order they are received. All written comments will be documented.
  • Public comment is limited to no more than five minutes per person in the first thirty minutes of the afternoon session. Sign-in must occur by 12:30 pm.
  • Written comments should be sent to CESEC@dpi.nc.gov or Danyelle Sanders, EC Division, 6356 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6356 by 4pm, 10 business days prior to the regularly scheduled CESEC meeting. See the Upcoming Meetings link below. 
  • Comments should be focused on relevant topics to the mission of CESEC. No solicitation is allowed. The public comment opportunity is not a forum for vendors to market goods or services. It is for individuals to share concerns and successes that could help shape future direction in the accomplishment of the Council’s mission which is stated below:

The CESEC is established as an Advisory Council to the State Board of Education. Its establishment is set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) federal regulations in §§ 300.167-300.169 and the North Carolina General Statutes in §115C-121. The mission of CESEC is to advise the State Board of Education with respect to the unmet needs of children with special needs and in development and implementation of policies related to the coordination of services for disabled students; advise the SBE with respect to development of evaluations and reporting on data, and developing corrective action plans to address findings in federal monitoring comments.

  • All public comments will be taken under advisement by CESEC but will not receive verbal or written response.
  • Public comments will be summarized in the minutes of the meeting.
  • The Council will review public comments and decide on appropriate action, if any, according to the Council’s mission.

Making Public Comment in Person:

  • A sign-in sheet will be available at the registration table. All those wishing to speak must sign-in. The Chairperson will call on individuals based on the order of sign-in.
  • When called upon please state your name, county of residence and subject matter.
  • Comments should be factual, objective and related to the mission of CESEC.
  • Maintain confidentiality and privacy standards: Do not mention the personal names of students or school staff.
  • Members of CESEC shall not interrupt the speaker during the allotted five minutes of time. The Chairperson may interrupt the speaker if there is a concern that public comment procedure and/or privacy or other laws are being violated.

Submitting Written Public Comment

  • Any individual may submit a written comment via written letter or email to be signed in and read by the Chairperson and/or distributed at the quarterly CESEC meeting during the public comment period. Written comments may be up to 600 words.
  • All written comments must be received by at CESEC@dpi.nc.gov or Danyelle Sanders, Exceptional Children Division, 6356 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6356 by 4 pm, 10 business days prior to the quarterly CESEC meeting. Any comments submitted after that time will be read and/or distributed at a later date.
  • Written comment must include the name, address, email address if available, and county of residence of the individual submitting the comment.
  • Written comments should be factual, objective and related to the mission of the CESEC.
  • Written comments must maintain confidentiality and privacy standards.

If special assistance is needed to participate in the public comment period, every effort will be made to provide the appropriate accommodation. When requesting accommodations for public comment, please allow no less than 10 business days’ notice prior to the scheduled meeting. Contact the CESEC at CESEC@dpi.nc.gov or Danyelle Sanders, Exceptional Children Division, 6356 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6356 or (984) 236-2574