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Woburn CPAC reports growth, readies candidate forum; SEAM board appointment approved
Summary
The Woburn Special Education Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) told the school committee it has rebuilt membership and plans events including a candidate forum; the committee appointed its superintendent to the SEAM collaborative board.
Adam Chapman, the newly elected president of the Woburn Special Education Parent Advisory Council, told the School Committee on Tuesday evening that CPAC membership is at its highest level in a decade and that the group has restarted a regular meeting schedule and outreach. Chapman said CPAC plans a candidate forum for Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Woburn Memorial High School and a public meeting on Monday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Woburn Public Library program room.
Why it matters: CPAC is the district’s state‑mandated advisory group for families of students receiving special education services. A functioning CPAC provides a formal channel for parents to give feedback on programs such as Extended School Year and to raise issues to administrators and the school committee.
Chapman briefed the committee that CPAC held elections in May and now has a full board: Chapman as president; Alex Tizdell (Tizel in public comments) as vice president; Mara Petty as secretary; and John Wetzel as treasurer. He said CPAC circulated a fall survey of families who used Extended School Year services and will deliver a summary to Superintendent Crowley and the committee next week. Chapman also described CPAC’s effort to increase accessibility (mixing in‑person and virtual meeting dates, offering childcare, rotating meeting times and locations) to lower participation barriers for working parents.
Committee members thanked Chapman and several said they intend to attend CPAC meetings. Committee member Michael Austin suggested CPAC coordinate with the district’s subcommittees; Chapman said CPAC welcomes invitations to present at subcommittee meetings.
Separately, the committee voted to appoint Superintendent Dr. Crowley to the board of directors of the SEAM Collaborative, the regional special‑education cooperative that provides out‑of‑district placements and shared services. The motion passed by voice vote.
Discussion versus action: Chapman’s report was informational; CPAC requested and received committee support to continue outreach. The SEAM appointment was a formal action that the committee approved during the meeting.
Context and next steps: CPAC will hold its public meeting Sept. 29 and the candidate forum Oct. 15; Chapman said the forum will be recorded and streamed. The committee asked administration to be ready to describe how CPAC input is considered in policy deliberations.
