Maine's Expanding Inclusive Opportunities Initiative
 for Children, Families and Communities

Core Team Meeting Minutes

12/4/08

Present: On-site: Patty Williams, Carolyn Drugge, Linda Labas, Ann O’Brien for Joan Smurski, Margaret Squires and by teleconference: Angela Faherty, Janine Blatt, Jean Bridges, Kathy Whaley, Ruth-Ann Rasbold, Vicki Hornus, Reeva Murphy, Lori Freid Moses, Cindy Brown, Janna Gregory, Debra Hannigan

Kathy & Ruth-Ann facilitated.

Linda and Reeva took minutes.

• Reviewed agenda and documents sent.
• Reminder: ground rule for teleconferencing - as participants talk please say your name.

Agenda:

• EO Website
• Glossary
• Parent members
• Outcomes/ Activities
• Planning the Jan 14 meetings

Agenda item: Web page

Discussion: Content feedback

• Looked good.
• Reflected what we outlined in our discussion of the web page.
• Good font and size of print.
• Easy to navigate.
• Suggestion to add pictures.
• The page was inviting.
• Title of our initiative should include the word initiative at the end and perhaps some other wording after initiative to indicate for whom and what.
  •  Reeva will draft and review with Linda.
• Paragraphs are a little dense on the opening page –
  •  Kathy will draft some changes to simply the page and perhaps make it less wordy. She will review with Linda.

Anything missing?

• No.
• Good for now.

Should this page stay on the UMaine server?

• Linda gave overview and rationale/ pros and cons of being on the UMaine server.
• Agreement to keep the page on the UMaine server.
• The page will include better logos for DOE/ DHHS – Carolyn and Angela/ Debra will review to be sure their logos are accurate and get new or better images to Linda.
• Suggestion to add the EO banner “logo”.
• Suggestion to add photos / images that represents child (ren) / child(ren) in inclusive settings.
• Carolyn will check on pictures from ECLG and get these to Linda to see if they can go on the page. Linda will check for proper release considerations.

Webpage name / address

• Discussion related to searching key words, for example “inclusion”.
• Discussed what would draw people in to use the website.
• Discussed ease of use (Want shorter over longer?) Discussed some options.
• Recommend Linda check with her web designer for a recommendation.

Navigation bar:

• Agreement that the list is fine as it is.
• Agreement that the bar on the left is good and should remain.

Final Decisions/ Recommendations:

• Linda will add EO banner “logo”.
• Linda will check with the web designer for a recommendation for our web address and get info to the Core Team.
• Reeva will work on the title to add initiative (Expanding Inclusive Opportunities Initiative..) and include more info about inclusive for whom and what (for children, families and communities?).
• Carolyn will check for pictures and send these to Linda.
• Carolyn and Angela will get their logos to Linda.
• Kathy will work on the first page to break up the info.
• Linda will check with web designer to determine the timeline for launching the web page (with a “hopeful target date of December 22 or 23).

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Agenda item: Glossary

Discussion:

• Kathy gave overview – glossary idea started as a way to share common language amongst the people in the initiative. Later we thought this was also needed for parents/ families and others so that they understood some of the terms and words we were using in our meetings and in our documents.
• Discussed using NECTAC glossary link or just Maine glossaries.
• Some words are not just Maine based.
• Some terms or words are legal terms etc.
• Kathy has an extensive PDF glossary.
• We also collected 4 Maine glossaries.
• Regarding the glossary and the content – it was determined that we wanted to have ours define terms for this initiative and then have a link for a more extensive glossary. (Don’t want to make this too extensive but useful).
• On the NECTAC list – Margaret asked if we could add hyperlinks that bring us to the other links. Kathy said she could look into this.

Decision:

• Kathy will continue to work on this.
• Kathy will create the glossary as follows:
  1. a link for commonly used words (she will send out to Core Team for review).
  2. links to acronym links/ lists and Maine links to glossaries for specific agencies/ groups.
  3. Kathy will try to include some with hyperlinks.
  4. Kathy will include her recommendations to eliminate some of the terms on our initial list for the Core Team’s consideration.

Agenda item: Parent participation

Discussion:

• Kathy gave an overview of the past discussions.
• Reviewed with those who were going to do follow-up. Each person will continue to recruit parent members.
• Margaret reported that MPF could support a $25.00 stipend for 4 families for one time attendance at a meeting (total of $100.00).
• Group continued to discuss the importance of parent input and participation and how the focus of this initiative will change from year to year. Discussed that the focus this year will be different than in the future – the what, how and how will change but we will always want family input/ involvement.
• Discussed parent orientation prior to January 14th meeting.
• The goal is to try to get parent’s up to speed and to make parents feel comfortable during the meeting (also person who invites the parent can sit besides that parent member during the meeting etc)
  1. Best option seems to be having a personal contact and a group meeting (even a phone meeting) for an overview but because of the approaching date this does not seem possible.
  2. Other option is to do individual contacts to provide the orientation materials using the same content information (using our initial recruitment information).
  3. Facilitators for the 14th will keep in mind that parent members are new to the group and do some check-ins through out the meeting.

Decisions:

• Carolyn will follow-up with her potential parent contact person.
• Debra Hannigan will get an email out to the CDS State Advisory.
• Jean Bridges – will continue to check with Head Start for a family member.
• Travel will be reimbursed (by Carolyn – Head Start Collaborative).
• $25.00 stipend will be provided to 4 parents (MPF).
• Once parents have been identified, the members who recruited the parent member will provide an orientation prior to January 14th.
• The TA consultants and Linda will review the materials we used to recruit members to this group and modify/ supplement as needed and get these out to the Core Team.

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Agenda item: Outcomes

Discussion:

• Kathy gave an overview of the newest outcomes draft.
  1. New info is in yellow.
  2. Added MOAs.
  3. Added proposed outcomes for regional/ program level.
  4. Family /child level – Kathy and Debra H. discussed & change the ending ones in yellow using more specific language. Also added Margaret’s suggestions.
  5. Proposed activities distributed in each category – none at family/ child level – played out like a logic model with most work at system and PD level.
  6. *** indicates activities that also relate to the local/ regional admin infrastructure.
  7. Kathy will format differently for next steps and to use at the Jan 14th meeting.

Discussion: State Interagency / Admin Level

• MOA’s added (MOU – understanding and MOA – agreements).
• Added one for funding.
• Suggestion to spell out language don’t use acronyms or initials.
• Define MOA/ MOU in glossary.

Decision:

• Agreement by the group to include the 2 new ones Kathy developed under policies and procedures.

Discussion: Family/ Child Level:

• Added 4 new ones.
• Change wording to present tense on last 2 highlighted statements.
• Last one highlighted change from if to as needed.
• Create a new one related to families of children who do not have special needs.

Decision:

• Kristen and Kathy will work on a new one for families of children without special needs.
• Agreement by group to include new ones but to work a bit on the language. Margaret and Kathy will do this.

Discussion: Regional / Local

• Add one for practice level support for inclusive practice.

Other:

• Need to add – Kristen and Janna to the Core Team list and put on the list serve.
• Linda will get contact information to Kathy and Kathy will add them to the list serve.

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Agenda: January 14 Meetings

Discussion:

• Review of work to date, outcomes discussion, web page etc.
• Snow date is Jan 15.

Decision:

• TA consultants and Linda will develop the agenda.
• Linda will send out information and the agenda a week before the meeting.
• Invitations to the Jan 14 should include snow cancellation info.

Snow/ cancellation in general:

• If Augusta schools are closed meeting is cancelled.
• Contact number for Barbara Sousa will also be provided.

Next Core Team meeting is on Jan 14 after the Steering Committee meeting from 1-4:30.

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