Parental involvement in the special education process is key to improved student outcomes. Whitfield County partners with parents to develop programs for students, in addition to providing supports and information to ensure each student with a disability reaches his/her potential and graduates high school as a happy, contributing member of the community.

Parent Mentor

The Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership is parents and professionals working together to improve outcomes for students with disabilities by enhancing communication and collaboration between families, educators, and the community.

Erin Arledge serves as Whitfield County School's parent mentor. As a parent of a child with a disability, she has the understanding and knowledge to support parents in the IEP process. Additionally, she has skills in understanding issues students face as they age out of the school system and enter into the adult world.

Parent Rights

The Individuals with Disability Act includes a section addressing Procedural Safeguards. The safegards (parent rights) are designed to protect the rights of parents and their child with a disability and, at the same time, ensure a mechanism for families and school systems to resolve disputes.

The Georgia Department of Education provides videos to support parents' understanding of parent rights. (Best viewed in Explorer).

Special Needs Scholarship Program

The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program is a parental choice program for special needs students attending Georgia public schools who are served under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). For more information please visit the GSNS webpage.

Useful Documents

• Transition Manual for Students with Disabilites
• Parent Rights - Condensed Version
• Parent Rights Long Version
• Parent Rights (español)
• Special Education Procedures Manual 2021
• Whitfield County Schools Resource Manual for Students with Disabilities