How to Become a Member

The Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) Board of Education invites all family members, community members and staff to serve on school district advisory committees and councils. The Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) strives for diverse member perspective.

• Link to: Online Application
• Link to: Download paper application

2025-2026 SEAC Member Directory 

The Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) is an aggregation of parents, community representatives and Saint Paul Public Schools staff. 

Co-Chairs:

• Joel Van Valin  (Co-chair) 
• Christina Locke (Co-Chair)

Parent/Guardian Members:

• Christina Nicholas 
• Kathleen Morrison (Student member) 
• Lisa Reiter
• Nicole Warner 
• Oanh Nguyen 
• Rachel Sewell 
• Rhonda Morrison
• Antonio Nicholas
• Sarah Glesmann

COMMUNITY MEMBERS:

• Amina Abdullahi
• Calton Sims

SPPS Staff:

• Heidi Nistler, Assistant Superintendent Specialized Services 
• Amy Eelkema
• Jackie Kelly, SEAC Liaison 

Why are you a SEAC member? 

Dear SPPS parent,

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year!

My name is Joel Van Valin and I am a current Co-chair of SEAC – the Special Education Advisory Council – for St. Paul Public Schools. I’d like to cordially invite you to attend a SEAC meeting this fall.

SEAC meets monthly with the Director of Special Education and other staff, and shares information on Special Education in the St. Paul Public Schools. Guests are welcome to attend. Some visitors only come to one or two meetings, while others have been members for many years. By attending a SEAC meeting, we hope that you can share your story, give feedback on the latest proposals, and learn something about Special Education. Parents, guardians, and others in the community who have an interest in Special Education are all welcome.

Last year, SEAC meeting highlights included a panel of high school students receiving Special Education, a visit from the Principal at Focus Beyond, a presentation by Community Education, and feedback on the new Cell Phone Policy and five-year plan for facilities. Each SEAC meeting has a time to ask questions and talk with other members and guests.

My wife Lisa and I are parents of two 2nd graders who both receive Special Education services. Attending SEAC meetings has been very helpful for making big decisions like whether to start kindergarten at 5 or hold them back a year, what elementary school they should attend, and topics to discuss at an IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting. The experiences of other parents of children receiving Special Education have been invaluable. And we have been able to share our own ideas and experiences, helping the school district improve its Special Education programs.

I look forward to seeing you at a SEAC meeting this year. And if you are not able to attend, please do check out the resources on the SEAC website.

 

Kind regards,

Joel Van Valin

SEAC Co-chair