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CEC IDEA Workshops: Coming to a City Near You!
Halloween will mark the first of CEC’s regional workshops on the new IDEA 2004 regulations. Kicking off a 9-city tour in Orlando, CEC’s experts will be presenting critical information on new and modified areas of the IDEA 2004 final regulations, which were released in August and went into effect October 13.
Do you know…
How to meet the HQ standards through HOUSSE?
How to evaluate children suspected of having a specific learning disability?
How to conduct a resolution session?
For answers to these questions and much more, attend CEC’s IDEA 2004 Workshop coming to a city near you:
Orlando, FL October 31
Colorado Springs, CO November 6
Garden Grove, CA November 8
Dallas, TX November 17
Seattle, WA November 28
Boston, MA December 1
Chicago, IL December 4 Philadelphia, PA December 6
Washington, DC December 7
CEC IDEA Regulations Side-by-Side Now Available Free to Members - Includes 10 New Topics!!
CEC is pleased to present briefs comparing selected significant issues from the IDEA 2004 final regulations with those from the IDEA 1997 regulations. These side-by-side briefs also contain critical CEC analysis and comments from both CEC’s recommendations to the IDEA 2004 proposed regulations and U.S. Department of Education discussions. CEC members can access these briefs, including those on 10 new topics, online now for FREE! Non-members and members will also be able to order and purchase this publication as a bound volume in the near future. Click here for more information!
Featured Topics Include:
This information can be accessed by clicking here or visiting: http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PolicyAdvocacy/IDEAResources/default.htm
Special Education IS a Priority -- Special Educators Vote on Election Day
Help make education a top priority of our elected officials by voting November 7. This Election Day, Americans across the country will vote for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Be a good role model to your students and peers by exercising your right to vote.
Unsure of who your candidates are, where your polling place is, how to register to vote? Visit CEC's Legislative Action Center.
Federal Government Threatens to Slash Funding for Gifted Education Program; Raise Awareness by Contacting Local Media
The only Federal program for students with gifts and talents is on life support.
Both the President and the House Appropriations Committee have proposed the elimination of the Javits program for students with gifts and talents. Only marginally better, the Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed to slash the program by nearly 50% to just over $5 million. The Javits program is the only Federal program that is dedicated to supporting the education of students with gifts and talents by funding a research center on gifted education and providing grants to states and localities to fund gifted programs for students who have been traditionally under represented in gifted programs.
Last year, the Javits program was cut by $1.4 million. As a result, no new grants were awarded to help educate students with gifts and talents. The cuts and outright elimination proposed this year will obviously have devastating effects on the Javits program -- no new Federal grants for gifted education, no growth for the Javits program, detrimental impact on the National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented, and more.
States who received a Javits grant in 2005: AZ, CA, CO, IA, MD, MA, MN, NH, NY (3), OH, TX, WY
What You Can Do
1. Send a letter to your local media - CEC's Legislative Action Center (LAC) has an op-ed letter prepared for you to personalize to your local media. Simply input your zip code and the LAC will automatically select every media (print, radio, television) outlet in your area. Take Action Now!
2. Send a letter to your Congressional delegation - Use CEC's Legislative Action Center to personalize a letter CEC has already written for you urging members of the House and Senate to preserve funding for the Javits program. Take Action Now!
3. Education IS a Priority -- Special Educators Vote on November 7th! With Election Day two weeks away, don't forget to vote on November 7th! Visit CEC's Legislative Action Center for candidate information, polling locations, and much more! Click here for more information!
Advocate for Students with Disabilities, Gifts and Talents As Election Day Nears
Unacceptable education funding proposals have been put forth by President Bush and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Funding for education — and special and gifted education remain severely under funded.
Nearly a month ago members of Congress left Washington, to hit the campaign trail and left behind education funding legislation that address vital programs such as IDEA and the Javits program for students with gifts and talents. CEC has been actively urging Congress to provide additional funding for both of these programs and to uphold its 31-year commitment to fully funding IDEA.
What’s Happening Now:
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have proposed a decrease in the Federal share for IDEA down to 17 percent- far from the promised 40 percent. Take action on this issue.
The only Federal program dedicated to gifted education is on life support.President Bush and the House Appropriations Committee want to eliminate the Javits program and the Senate wants to slash it in half. Take action on this issue.
The Bush Administration supports eliminating Medicaid reimbursements for transportation and administrative costs for Medicaid-eligible students with disabilities.This elimination would total $9 billion over 10 years. Take action on this issue.
Therefore, it is critical that members of Congress hear from their constituents on the vital impact Federal funding has on students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. Special educators must be part of the discussion as this funding will impact every school district in the nation.
Five Ways to Take Action:
1. Education IS a Priority -- Special Educators Vote on November 7th! Be sure to register and vote on Election Day. Click here for information on candidates, polling location, and much more.
2. Schedule a meeting with your member of Congress while he/she is back in your home state. Members of Congress want to meet with constituents. (Click here to find out who your elected officials are)
3. Email Congress directly by personalizing a letter CEC has written on the CEC Legislative Action Center
4. Submit an op-ed to your local newspaper by using CEC’s Legislative Action Center
5. Invite your member of Congress to tour a school or college and let them see for themselves the positive contributions federal dollars make to your school.
Department of Education Unveils Performance-Based Pay Initiative for Teachers
On October 23 in Ohio, Secretary Margaret Spellings announced the first in a series of grants focused on performance-based compensation for teachers and principals. The Teacher Incentive Fund, an initiative of President Bush, seeks to provide states and localities with funds to be used for teachers and principals who improve student achievement in high-poverty schools. The measurement of student achievement is to be based on standardized student assessments.
In addition to providing performance-based financial incentives for teachers and principals, grants provided under the Teacher Incentive Fund can also be used to recruit teachers and provide mentoring programs/workshops. The grant to the Ohio Department of Education is the first of 16 rants to be awarded in the next year.
CEC Policy and Advocacy Services Welcomes Jill Berthiaume
CEC Policy and Advocacy Services welcomes Jill Berthiaume as CEC's new Administrative Specialist. Jill has held positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and with Fairfax County, Virginia. As a 2006 graduate from George Mason University, Jill had the opportunity to intern at the British Parliament in London, England and a local CPA firm. In addition to working at CEC, Jill is currently enrolled in a master's degree program of public policy at GMU. Welcome Jill!!