We are taking a brief hiatus from Counselor’s Corner to meet Cindy Arriagada, the newly hired Parent Liaison with the Exceptional Children’s Department at Pitt County Schools. We recently had a chance to talk some with Cindy about her role and would love for you to meet her too!
PPS-PC: The title of Exceptional Children’s Parent Liaison is not something some parents are familiar with, and may be more involved than most of us realize! What would you say are the main roles for your position?
Mrs. Arriagada: As a Parent Liaison, I promote advocacy for families of students with special needs. My primary responsibility is directing parents to appropriate resources and services with Pitt County Schools and to be a liaison to community organizations. I listen and guide parents to resources in their advocacy for their child(ren).
PPS-PC: You are fairly new to this role. Tell us when you began, and what you found most intriguing about the position when you applied for it.
Mrs. Arriagada: As a parent of a child who had an IEP and now has a 504, I remember having so many questions when we first started this journey as a family. At first, I didn’t know who to ask, but I was fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing school staff who could guide me. The parent liaison position is such a valuable resource needed to help support our parents with IEP needs, and I hope to be that person that parents seek help and guidance from.
PPS-PC: What would you say have been some of the highlights you’ve experienced so far of being in this position?
Mrs. Arriagada: I love hearing from parents. In addition, I enjoy helping direct them to the appropriate staff member at their child’s school or community agency. My hope is that once accessing the resource, which may include speaking to staff or getting clarifications on the IEP processes, the parent will become more empowered in helping to support the school staff and their child(ren). There are many resources at the state and local levels to help parents navigate the special education processes. It does not have to be combative or trial and error. I hope they know that as a PCS Liaison, I can help them and in turn, they can help other parents.
PPS-PC: If parents want to contact you for support, how might they reach you?
Mrs. Arrigada: I can always be reached by email anytime at arriagc@pitt.k12.nc.us or my office phone; the number is 252-695-7961.
