SAN JOSE, CA – On Wednesday, November 18, 2020, the Santa Clara County Board of Education unanimously passed two resolutions reaffirming its commitment to equity and inclusion by honoring November as National Homeless Youth Awareness Month and December 2, 2020, as Special Education Day.
Both resolutions raise awareness about issues that impact youth in Santa Clara County. The Santa Clara County Board of Education and the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) acknowledge children and families experiencing homelessness in Santa Clara County, and honor the progress made by educators, students, administrators, schools, and families to provide support for students with special needs.
Currently, as many as 1.6 million youth per year experience homelessness in our nation. It is estimated there are 200,000 homeless youth in California with approximately 9,706 homeless individuals in Santa Clara County, of which 8% are under the age of 18. To provide assistance and bring awareness to the community, the SCCOE has established programs to assist schools and districts in capturing accurate data and assisting in aligning services to best serve students and their families, as well as establishing a program dedicated to coordinating foster youth services and homeless youth education services. This is done by providing support and training that connects school districts and community stakeholders and updates them on educational law that protects foster and homeless youth.
This year’s Special Education Day marks the 45th anniversary of the nation's first federal special education law, signed by President Gerald Ford on December 2, 1975. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) makes free appropriate public education (FAPE) available to eligible children with disabilities and ensures special education and other related services are made available to students.
The Santa Clara County Board of Education recognizes the commitment of the SCCOE Special Education Department and the Inclusion Collaborative which provide services to students with disabilities. The Santa Clara County Office of Education provides high-quality services to advance and improve student equity, inclusion, and access to high-quality education.
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About the Santa Clara County Office of Education
Working collaboratively with school and community partners, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) is a regional service agency that provides instructional, business, and technology services to the 31 school districts of Santa Clara County. The County Office of Education directly serves students through special education programs, alternative schools, Head Start and State Preschool programs, migrant education, and Opportunity Youth Academy. The SCCOE also provides academic and fiscal oversight and monitoring to districts in addition to the 22 Santa Clara County Board of Education authorized charter schools.