Framingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council

☕ Join Us for a Coffee Meetup! ☕

The Framingham SEPAC invites families and caregivers to connect, share, and support one another at our upcoming Coffee Meetup!

📅 Friday, June 5
⏰ 9:15 AM
📍 B-Sisters Cafe

This is a relaxed, informal hour to:
✨ Meet other parents and caregivers
✨ Share experiences and resources
✨ Build community and support

Whether you’re new to SEPAC or have been involved for years, we’d love to see you there! 💬 No agenda—just conversation and connection.

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Beautiful day for playground meet up. Come join us 1:00pm

🌞🎉 Join Framingham SEPAC for a Playground Meet-Up! 🎉🌞

Looking for a fun way to connect with other families while the kids play?

📅 Sunday, May 31
⏰ 1:00–2:30 PM
📍 Dunning Elementary School Playground
🏫 48 Frost Street, Framingham

Whether you're new to SEPAC or a familiar face, we’d love to see you there! This is a casual opportunity for families to meet, chat, and let the kids enjoy the playground together.

💙 All families are welcome!

https://umassmed.zoom.us/meeting/register/74thjoSxSV67kUgEeyxlhw

Autism, Wandering, and Water Safety: Resources in multiple languages are available at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/autism-wandering-and-water-safety-additional-resources?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign&utm_content=ap_tl9bgrdivw

Swimming lessons are an important part of autism safety. 💦🛟

Many children and adults with autism are drawn to water, and wandering can become dangerous very quickly. Pools, ponds, lakes, creeks, canals, fountains, retention basins, and nearby bodies of water should always be checked immediately if someone is missing.

Water safety should include layers of protection: close supervision, barriers and locks, alarms, swim instruction, emergency planning, and making sure caregivers, neighbors, and first responders know to search water first.

For families with autism, swim lessons should be individualized and may need to include practice with clothes and shoes on, since emergencies do not always happen during swim time.

Learn more from NAA’s water safety resources. Link in comments.

From Adam Freudberg

School Budget Update: There have been a lot of questions to me seeking my views on the current city budget situation and shortfall. A convergence of increasing health care costs, inflation, and well earned and contractually obligated educator salary increases have arrived during the same fiscal year that more than 600 students have moved out of the city. Due to the loss of per pupil funding, a lack of citywide strategic planning to increase local contributions, and more, there is a rough and impactful budget gap across our city.

I sent a detailed message to the City Council seeking to collaborate and advocate because I believe the Framingham School Committee has already cut enough from our schools. The Council may not have all of the information they deserve before decisions are made. The School Committee and district already eliminated 81 educator positions and $4.8 million after months of painful review.

Cutting deeper now at this late stage before contractually required deadlines risks undoing progress in student behavior support, interventions, school stability, and core educational services. Drama. ESL. SAGE Gifted & Talented Program. And much more.

Each cut takes funds away from educators who expected to have jobs and who have a contractually obligated salary amount agreed to through a transparent process approved by the Mayor, Chief Financial Officer, and School Committee.

These cuts already go far beyond enrollment losses. Millions of dollars more in the education department are being discussed by some City Councilors, which would cut positions at every single school.

My core message is simple: 81 is enough. No more educator layoffs.

I also outline why I believe there are other options worth serious consideration, to help our community be more strategic.

For anyone who wants the full details, background, timelines, and recommendations, I’ve posted the full message here along with an image summarizing my epically long message. I put my email into AI and asked for an image to summarize it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-5QpiuBIerBoRNRLSqEzxJniXCxLcTHRpdZWpWWRn0U/edit?usp=drivesdk

💙 Autism Moms Meet-Up 💙

Join us for a relaxing evening of connection, conversation, and community with other moms raising children with autism. We'll have crafts, calming activities, refreshments & support in a welcoming space.

Wednesday, May 13
6:30–7:30 PM
Natick Mall Autism Welcoming Center

Register here: https://autismalliance.org/events/lets-build-village-moms-meet-0