CEC Policy Insider

CEC White House Event Attendees Share Their Reactions

On Wednesday, February 22, CEC was invited to participate in a special White House event where our members met with top officials in the Obama Administration to discuss special education policy issues. To read more about CEC's visit to the White House, please click here.

Following Wednesday's event, several of the attendees volunteered to share their reactions with us. Check out the videos below or visit CEC's YouTube page to view.

 

Special education teacher and member of CEC’s Board of Directors Donna Sacco from Arlington, Va., on her participation in a White House dialogue on Feb. 22 with leaders from the White House Domestic Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

 

CEC member Vivian Correa, professor of special education and child development at the University of North Carolina former member of CEC’s Board of Directors and current President Elect of CEC’s Teacher Education Division (TED), on her participation in a White House dialogue on Feb. 22 with leaders from the White House Domestic Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

 

Special education teacher, member of the CEC Board of Directors, and former Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year Matti Rodriguez-Walling, from Miami, Fla., on her participation in a White House dialogue on Feb. 22 with leaders from the White House Domestic Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

 

CEC student member Julie Farbman, who is studying at the University of Maryland to become a special educator, on her participation in a White House dialogue on Feb. 22 with leaders from the White House Domestic Policy Council and the U.S. Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

CEC Responds to House ESEA/NCLB Proposals

Over the past year, the U.S. House of Representatives Republican lead Education and Workforce Committee has introduced a series of bills, meant to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB).  In the beginning of 2012, Chairman John Kline (R-MN) released the final two bills, The Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act. While CEC is hopeful that Congress will complete a full reauthorization of the law, CEC cannot support these bills.

10 States Receive ESEA Waivers

Today, CEC’s Deb Ziegler attended a White House event where President Obama and Secretary Duncan announced that 10 states received waivers from the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act currently known as No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB). The waivers allow states to replace ESEA/NCLB targets with targets of their own. To get the waivers states had to demonstrate that they adopted college and career-ready standards in addition to comprehensive systems of teacher and principal development, evaluation and support.

CEC’s Perspective on NCLB after 10 years

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is turning 10 this year. What has this controversial law meant to students, educators and families? CEC was honored to be featured in a compilation of essays from a prestigious group of education thought leaders sharing their perspectives on the NCLB after 10 years. 

Click here to read CEC’s contribution, along with the others.  And comment below to tell us what you think about this law and the impact it has had on you, your students and your community.

1.5% Cut: If applied to all of FY12, how much will IDEA lose?

Congress has still not acted to fund fiscal year 2012. Although it appears something may happen this week, no final details have been released about the education budget. One issue CEC has been working to address since September is a 1.5% cut to IDEA and three other education programs that was made in the current short term funding bill (called Continuing Resolutions or CR’s) funding the federal government through December 16.