June 12, 2019

Bolinsky Receives Spirit of SEPTO Award

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PHOTO: State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (right) is pictured with Nick Glomb (center) and Walt Glomb (left) after all three had received 2019 Spirit of SEPTO Awards.

Bristol – The Connecticut Special Education Parent Teacher Organization Alliance (SEPTO) convened their annual awards meeting at the Bristol Public Library on the evening of Monday, June 10th. State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-Newtown) was presented with the Spirit of SEPTO Award, an honor bestowed upon those who embody the mission of SEPTO, which is to make sure all students receive a quality education regardless of physical or cognitive abilities. Jennifer Strychalsky, the founder of Newtown’s own SEPTO group, was also recognized and honored for her efforts to establish a local SEPTO, as well as for the management of its successful first-year of operations.

“Newtown has an ever-improving support system and our local SEPTO is a tremendous resource for parents with students that have special needs. It can be a cumbersome process to ensure your child has the supports he or she needs to succeed in the classroom and SEPTO serves as a quality network of fellow parents who can provide kinship, guidance and insight to each other,” said Rep. Bolinsky.

Bolinsky authored and co-sponsored several new laws brought before the legislature this session to positively impact the I/DD community. The legislative items he co-sponsored or supported included:

The establishment of a task force that will identify quality employment opportunities for those with disabilities
A new study to analyze the implementation of laws governing dyslexia instruction and training in order to make greater policy recommendations for other students
The inclusion of coverage for critical postsecondary transitional services for those diagnosed on with autism spectrum disorder

Rep. Bolinsky went on to say, “Despite the fiscal challenges the state is facing, this was a successful session in terms of directing resources to our most vulnerable population. I believe that we can always do better, but we moved several good initiatives forward this year. I look forward to further exploring ways, with guidance from special education advocates and learning from best-practices implemented in other states, to identify learning disabilities early-on in life and proactively get better in providing appropriate, affordable, life-improving supportive services to those who need them.”

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