Porter County Education Services (PCES) Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a parent-driven group that provides input and makes recommendations on Special Education policy, practices, programs and services that have an impact on students with disabilities and their families. SEPAC parent representatives will act as liaisons to share comments/concerns, however does not have formal authority to issue directives or set policy. We work collaboratively with the PCES Executive Director to create change.
If you need advice or just want to talk to another parent in your district about special education matters, please email us along with the district name and your inquiry will be forwarded to the parent representative(s) in your district.
Parent Advisory Council Members
Jessica Witherspoon, Parent Lead for PCES SEPAC
Jessica is the parent representative for Valparaiso Community Schools. She has a history of serving families and individuals within the disability community with extensive professional experiences from the Bureau of Disabilities Services (Medicaid Waivers & Group Homes), Special Education Team Leader with the state Parent Training & Information center and has spearheaded a project for Vocational Rehabilitation. She continues to serve the population she’s most passionate about. In the past, Jessica has served as a Parent Representative for the Indiana Division for Early Childhood executive board. She is knowledgeable in Article 7, IDEA, Section 504, and community resources. She brings a strong passion for serving the disability community and in doing so, has worked collaboratively with school personnel, government branches and various community organizations. She currently serves on disability executive boards, subcommittees and various community organizations. Jessica volunteers countless hours in helping parents and individuals navigate the disability journey. She is married and has three children, both with and without disabilities.
PCES SEPAC Representatives
Porter Township Schools Parent Representative
Alexis Kegebein is a parent representative for Porter Township. She has a background in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. She grew up in Hobart but decided after student teaching in Porter County to move to Porter County for the school district. Over the years she has worked with children from ages of birth to 12 years of age, with all kinds of abilities. She has always enjoyed working closely at the daycare with early intervention teams helping those with disabilities and helping to support the families of those children. Alexis is married to her husband Jason of almost 16 years and has two children with and without a disability. Her son has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (non-verbal) and Sensory Processing. He will be attending Porter Lakes in the fall. Since his diagnosis she has been trying to find resources and the best ways to find others that are experiencing the same things she is. She hopes to be able to share all of the things she has learned and continues to learn with other parents.
Duneland School Corporation Parent Representative
Jackie Hood moved to Indiana four years ago from Michigan for her husband’s job. She has two children. Her son is a second grader and her daughter is a kindergartener at Brummitt Elementary. Her son has an IEP and was diagnosed with developmental delay at age three after aging out of the early intervention program in Michigan. He was receiving speech and occupational therapy. Jackie is currently a preschool teacher in the Duneland School Corporation’s Developmental Preschool program. She previously taught for eight years, drawing on her degrees in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education. Jackie has a passion for advocating for everyone in the Special Education community and joined the parent advocacy group to help other parents be the best advocate for their own child.
Duneland School Corporation Parent Representative
Rebecca Shellito is a parent rep for the Duneland school system. She has worked in healthcare in northwest Indiana for nearly 30 yrs. She’s always found herself advocating as a nurse, for those who need a stronger voice and helping hand. This has been especially true since her son Nico was diagnosed with Autism. Once nonverbal, Nico is now a social butterfly in 5th grade. Together with her husband, the Shellitos founded a nonprofit, Uniquely Nico that hosts fun and free events for families with special needs. Rebecca has learned many valuable lessons through the years and wants to empower other families to be a strong voice for their child.
Valparaiso Community Schools Parent Representative
Jill Isley is a parent representative for Valparaiso Community Schools (VCS). She has an extensive background in Finance and Accounting. Previous roles include working for VCS Administration as an Internal Auditor overseeing extra-curricular accounting and the school treasurers. She currently works as a Controller for a leading national health fund. For many years, Jill was able to stay home and focus on helping her son with his development which included attending many therapy sessions due to his global development delays. She encourages others to seek out therapies, as she knows how important early intervention is to a child’s development. Jill and her husband have lived in Valparaiso for approximately 15 years. They have a daughter attending Purdue University and son at Valparaiso High School. Having had children at VCS for 13 years, she learned about providing the best education for her son including utilizing the special education services and school resources available based on his IEP. As an extrovert, Jill enjoys networking with parents of special needs children to ask about their experiences and to be a support with any useful information she has learned in her experiences with her son. She is excited to become a parent representative as she hopes to help others in seeking out the resources to help our special children to be their best.
East Porter County School Corporation Parent Representative
Jessica Kruger has lived in Kouts for 20 years with her husband. They are both graduates of Valparaiso University. Jessica has her Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering and is a licensed engineer in the state of Indiana. Growing up, she was very close with her cousin who had numerous developmental and physical complications. She was a student aide through middle and high school. Jessica has always been passionate to help. Jessica and her husband have two children in the Kouts school system. One is in elementary and one is in middle school. One of her children was diagnosed in first grade with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and high functioning Autism. They received occupational therapy (OT) services outside of school for large and small motor skills due to developmental delays. She is very passionate about services for children. She knows she doesn’t have all the answers, but likes to research and will help find answers. She wants to help her children and other children in the community be all they can be. She believes in reaching for the stars and that everyone was created for a purpose. Her IEP experience includes Other Health Impairment (OHI) and Specific Learning Disability (SLD).
Porter Township Schools Parent Representative
Maja is a parent representative for Porter Township. She is a graduate of Purdue University. She is married with two children, one of whom has an IEP. Maja is fluent in English, Macedonian, and Serbian. She works as a special education teacher. Her teaching experience spans from kindergarten through high school grades while working with children with different disabilities, such as ASD, OHI, SLD, SLI, ED, DD, etc. Maja advocates for inclusion and strives to find effective accommodations for students to succeed in the classroom. She commits to helping parents understand their children’s IEPs and support them through the challenges and limitations of their children’s special needs. Maja spreads the message that the first step in supporting a child is to focus on their abilities rather than their disabilities. By recognizing and nurturing their strengths, children will reach their full potential and thrive.
SELF School Parent Representative
Hello my name is Kaley Piercy. I grew up in Lake County, am a Lake Central graduate, attended Purdue and am now a Valparaiso resident. I am a stay at home mother, and I have three children. My son Mason is 9 years old. Mason has autism/ADHD/dyslexia. My daughter Madison is 6 and is in kindergarten a nonpublic school. Madison also has autism and ADHD. My son Greyson, who is three years old attends SELF School preschool and also has autism. As a mother of three children with special needs, I have experience with speech, O.T., First Steps, school resources as well as non-school resources, ABA therapy, behavioral eating therapy, tongue tie issues, dyslexia tutoring, PT therapy, and various related children’s health issues (ear tubes, vision issues, etc.). I have been on the PTO board at my older son’s school for a year. I volunteer at SELF School, donating time and services when I can. I have three years of experience at my daughter’s nonpublic school. I have a lot of experience with resources, private and public school, IEP development, reviewal and services, knowledge of various resource seeking and doctor referrals. I joined the Porter County SEPAC because I feel a calling to help others and share the knowledge and assistance I’ve gained and experienced from others.
Portage Township Schools Parent Representative
Cass Pogue is a Parent Representative for Portage Township Schools. She has two sons on the Spectrum. She is passionate about working with agencies that help those in need. She’s been volunteering for 7 years. She is very excited to have the opportunity to help the families in Portage schools to navigate unfamiliar territory.
