Newsletter aids council

The Bangor Area Coordination Council has gotten into the publishing business to get information out to the parents and families of special-needs youths.

This month, the BACC has published the first of what it expects to be a quarterly newsletter “Transition — Moving Forward.” Distributed to about 300 families, the newsletter covers numerous topics within special education.

The spring issue contains articles ranging from student success stories to current events such as a federal court lawsuit against the state Board of Education.

Also included are listings of calendar events and source materials available to the families of special-education young people.

The intent of the upbeat newsletter, said BACC project director Janet May, is “to be a voice for parents and provide them with information to let them know what’s going on.”

The newsletter covers an area of nearly a half-dozen school districts in the Greater Bangor area.

Funded through state funds to the BACC, “Transitions” is a cooperative effort between the council and Ty Robertson, a University of Maine graduate student. Robertson took on the project for one of his classes.

May said the council was looking for comments and directions from families for the next edition which is due out in the summer.

“We’re really looking for it to be what (parents) want it to be,” May said. She can be contacted at 941-2855.