I have heard that you teach concerned citizens how to advocate for another child to receive a free and appropriate education. Tell me about the Parent Leadership Support Project.
The Parent Leadership Support Project (PLSP) is a four-month training program
coordinated by the Georgia Advocacy Office consisting of weekly presentations
given by leading educational and legal experts. GAO is committed to assist parents
of children with disabilities to master the information and skills necessary
to secure education opportunities to which all children are entitled. Upon completion
of this intensive training, participants commit to advocate for other students
with disabilities across the State.
The goals of the project are:
• To train advocates and enable Georgia parents of children with disabilities
and other concerned citizens to master information, and negotiate systems in
order to secure the educational opportunities that are mandated for children
with disabilities;
• To support grassroots parent leadership efforts; and
• To sustain shared learning among advocates.
The requirements of the parents participating in the training are:
• Attendance and completion of the PLSP training curriculum, and a commitment
to advocate on behalf of our communities' children to secure an appropriate
education leading to a meaningful life.
We held our first pilot training program from February through May of 2003.
A total of 24 parents completed the training. The class has been co-sponsored by the State Bar Foundation, Parent to Parent, and the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities.
If you are interested in obtaining information about the program, please e-mail plsp@thegao.org. If you would like information about presenting to this highly motivated group of learners please contact Leslie Lipson at llipson@thegao.org.