Parent Resources
Kent ISD is proud to provide special education services and materials to not only our schools and educators, but also directly to the family members and caregivers. Below are links to documents, events and other websites and resources that you may find helpful.
Surviving to Thriving - March 23
Author, podcast host and caregiver advocate Jessica Ronne will share how building resources, support and awareness of caregivers' needs leads to empowerment and knowledge and creates the capacity for caregivers to focus on self-care.
She is the founder and executive director of The Lucas Project, a non-profit dedicated to serving parent caregivers with recognition, respite and resources.
Jessica and her husband Ryan live in Michigan with their eight children, including their son Lucas, who has profound disabilities. To learn more about her and her family, visit jessplusthemess.com.
The event is Thursday, March 23 from 6-8 p.m. at Kent ISD's Educational Services Center at 2930 Knapp St. NE in Grand Rapids. The first 100 to register for this event will receive a care package from The Lucas Project. Childcare is provided.
Parent and Family Opportunities 2023
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16 Feb
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Midday Meet Up - IEP vs. Section 504: What's the Difference? 12:00 PM to 1:00 PMMidday Meet Up - IEP vs. Section 504: What's the Difference?Date: Feb 16Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Service Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Topic: IEP vs. Section 504: What's the Difference?
Bring your lunch!
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21 Feb
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Special Education for Parents: What Every Parent SHOULD Know 12:00 PM to 3:00 PMSpecial Education for Parents: What Every Parent SHOULD KnowDate: Feb 21Time: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PMLocation: VirtualCalendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Learn the role parents and caregivers play in special education, how to become an active member of the IEP team, and how special education documents and processes look from birth to age 26. Become equipped and empowered to work collaboratively with your child's school team.
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27 Feb
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Special Education for Parents: What Every Parent SHOULD Know 5:30 PM to 8:30 PMSpecial Education for Parents: What Every Parent SHOULD KnowDate: Feb 27Time: 5:30 PM to 8:30 PMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Service Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Learn the role parents and caregivers play in special education, how to become an active member of the IEP team, and how special education documents and processes look from birth to age 26. Become equipped and empowered to work collaboratively with your child's school team.
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1 Mar
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KDL Story Time - "Different" by Heather Avis 4:30 PM to 5:30 PMKDL Story Time - "Different" by Heather AvisDate: Mar 1Time: 4:30 PM to 5:30 PMLocation: KDL Grandville Branch, 4055 Maple St. SW, Grandville, MICalendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Join Kent ISD's Special Education Parent Liaison reading this children's book about the beauty of being different and how differences make us who we are! Listen and engage in activities to explore these ideas in ways everyone can understand.
Free copies of the book will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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21 Mar
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Coffee and Collaboration - Cultivating a Vision for Your Child 9:00 AM to 10:00 AMCoffee and Collaboration - Cultivating a Vision for Your ChildDate: Mar 21Time: 9:00 AM to 10:00 AMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Services Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Topic: Cultivating a Vision for Your Child.
Coffee provided.
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23 Mar
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Midday Meet Up - Understanding Special Education Acronyms and Terminology 12:00 PM to 1:00 PMMidday Meet Up - Understanding Special Education Acronyms and TerminologyDate: Mar 23Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Service Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Topic: Understanding Special Education Acronyms and Terminology
Bring your lunch!
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Surviving to Thriving - Jessica Ronne 6:00 PM to 8:00 PMSurviving to Thriving - Jessica RonneDate: Mar 23Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Service Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Hear from author, podcast host, and caregiver advocate Jessica Ronne. She'll share how building resources, support, and awareness of caregivers' needs leads to empowerment and knowledge, and creates capacity for caregivers to focus on selfcare.
The first 100 registered caregivers will receive a care package from The Lucas Project.
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13 Apr
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Desserts and Dialogue - Resources through the Michigan Alliance for Families 6:00 PM to 7:00 PMDesserts and Dialogue - Resources through the Michigan Alliance for FamiliesDate: Apr 13Time: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Services Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Topic: Resources through the Michigan Alliance for Families
Cookies provided!
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24 Apr
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PASE: Parent Advisors for Special Education 6:30 PM to 8:00 PMPASE: Parent Advisors for Special EducationDate: Apr 24Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Services Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Expand your knowledge and learn about changes and trends in the education system. Get support, contacts for service organizations, and workshops to learn how to assist in the educational process. Plus, share your feedback with educators.
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9 May
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Coffee and Collaboration - Parent Handbooks and Procedural Safeguards 9:00 AM to 10:00 AMCoffee and Collaboration - Parent Handbooks and Procedural SafeguardsDate: May 9Time: 9:00 AM to 10:00 AMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Service Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Topic: Parent Handbooks and Procedural Safeguards at a glance
Coffee provided.
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18 May
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Desserts and Dialogue - The Basics of School Transitions 6:00 PM to 7:00 PMDesserts and Dialogue - The Basics of School TransitionsDate: May 18Time: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Services Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Topic: The Basics of School Transitions
Cookies provided.
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6 Jun
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Midday Meet Up - Books and Resource Sharing 12:00 PM to 1:00 PMMidday Meet Up - Books and Resource SharingDate: Jun 6Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PMLocation: Kent ISD Educational Service Center, 2930 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, Parking Lot #11Calendar: Special Education - Parent and Family Opportunities
Books and Resource Sharing - Come with your favorites to share!
Bring your lunch too!
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A Parent's Guide to Navigating the IEP Process
The Kent ISD Special Education department, in collaboration with the Parent Advisors for Special Education (PASE), has developed this guide to make the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process more manageable and user friendly for parents. This guide should be used in conjunction with the Special Education Parent Handbook with Procedural Safeguards and other resources from Kent ISD and the Michigan Department of Education. Click here for a Spanish version of the parent guide.
A Parent's Guide to Navigating Section 504
The Kent ISD Special Education Department, in collaboration with a countywide Section 504 Committee, has developed this guide to make the Section 504 process more manageable and user friendly for parents.
This document provides an overview of the Section 504 evaluation and eligibility process. Click here for the Spanish version of A Parent's Guide to Navigating Section 504.
Here Comes the Bus
Here Comes the Bus: A School Bus Tracking App for Families
GPS school bus tracking technology is available to all parents and guardians of Kent ISD special education students who ride Dean Transportation buses. This free service provides families with the ability to track the location of their students’ buses in real-time, either on a computer or a mobile device. Participation is optional.
Tracking Features:
- Shows the real-time location of your child’s bus on a map
- Gives scheduled and actual arrival times at home and school for bus routes
- Provides push and email notifications when the bus is near
App Intro Video
Sign Up Instructions for Parents:
- Download the "Here Comes the Bus" app or visit herecomesthebus.com
- Click the "Sign Up" button.
- Enter school code 29983 and click "Next" followed by "Confirm."
- Complete the "User Profile" box.
- Under "My Students" click "Add." Enter your child's last name (up to 14 characters including a hyphen or a space) and student ID number.
- Once you confirm your information, you're ready to begin.
FAQ
Here Comes The Bus is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus. The app also features multilingual technology, supporting English, French, and Spanish. Click on the image to view the FAQ document.
MiPSE Parent Portal
We are excited to announce that we now offer online access to MiPSE (Michigan PowerSchool Special Education) to view your child’s finalized educational documents. Click here to view the brochure for more information.
During our first year of testing this new product, there are six districts participating.
- Kentwood
- Kelloggsville
- Grand Rapids
- Godwin Heights
- Comstock Park
- Center Programs
We hope to have all districts on board by 2023-24.
