Parent advisory committee outlines expansion of inclusion work and Unified Champion Schools push
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Summary
Corey Hensley, president of the district Parent Advisory Committee for special education, reported growth in parent engagement, a year of inclusion activities and a goal to register all district schools as Unified Champion Schools with Special Olympics of Michigan.
Corey Hensley, president of the Walled Lake Schools Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), told the board the group has increased outreach, hosted parent learning sessions and is pushing districtwide inclusion through Unified Champion Schools registration.
In remarks presented to the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools Board of Education, Hensley said the PAC—an executive board that has worked with district staff on parent education and inclusion eventshelped expand parent participation this year. Hensley said local conference sessions before PAC meetings drew "20-plus parents" and the committee recorded what she described as "about 400% growth in attendance" since the prior year.
Hensley described Inclusion Week activities in March that included unified basketball assemblies, World Down Syndrome Day recognition and a bubble-blowing event for autism awareness. She said the PAC helped three high schools and one elementary school register as Unified Champion Schools with Special Olympics of Michigan and set a goal to have every district school register. "Inclusion is defined as every person is accepted and welcomed regardless of their ability or disability," Hensley said.
The PAC also organized a district "Shining Stars" recognition event and an agency resource fair; Hensley invited board members to attend the ceremony on May 22 at Walled Lake Central.
Why it matters: PAC activities aim to increase family engagement in special education, promote inclusive practices and expand unified sports programs that pair students with and without disabilities on the same teams. Board members asked about parental awareness and data collection; administrators said the pre-meeting conference sessions and outreach contributed to the attendance growth.
What board members asked: Board Vice President Miss Lehi asked whether the district collected satisfaction data to measure whether services improved after PAC-led efforts; administrators said they had not produced formal longitudinal satisfaction metrics but that the conference sessions and administrator access helped parents connect with district staff.
