Albany special-education parents urge state law to require CPACs

Becky Zimmerman, speaking for the Albany Special Education Parent Advisory Council, urged the Albany City School District Board of Education to support pending New York State legislation to require a CPAC (a parent advisory council for students with disabilities) in every school district.

Zimmerman said the local CPAC has helped parents share resources and advocate for their children, and she asked sponsors to adjust language in the bill so CPACs provide input rather than have authority to "evaluate a district's special education program." "We are proud that this effort was inspired in part by a conversation we had last year with then assembly member and now state senator Pat Fehee," Zimmerman said, describing the council's advocacy role.

Zimmerman responded directly to common opposition points, telling the board that rural districts could form regional CPACs to share resources and that CPACs complement — rather than duplicate — existing committees on special education by offering a parent-led forum for families not yet engaged with formal processes. She also urged sponsors to revise the bill to clarify CPACs offer input and training rather than exercising evaluative authority.

The board accepted the public comment under the meeting's standard public-comment rules; no vote or formal board action on the legislation was taken at the meeting. The board's public-comment period procedure requires commenters to provide their name and place of residence and restricts statements to three minutes.