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 Members Raise Top Special Education Issues at White House Meeting

Today, in a meeting reserved solely for members of the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Center for Learning Disabilities, CEC members met with top officials within the Obama Administration to discuss critical issues confronting special education across the nation. 

At a time when the economy is impacting schools across the country and as the Obama Administration is pursuing reforms in education through the Race to the Top program and granting waivers from some of NCLB’s most stringent requirements, CEC members asked officials questions that are on the minds of many special educators, such as:

Does Your School District Want to Participate in a UDL Project?

Are you already using Universal Design for Learning and want to expand it within your district? The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), a non-profit educational research and development organization, is inviting school districts to apply to participate in a year-long project focusing on the application of Universal Designs of Learning Professional Development System (UDL PDS). This program is designed to help school districts apply universal designs of learning concepts across content areas in reading and writing. The initial focus of the project will be middle school literacy practices and fostering success for all learners by drawing on best practices in adolescent literacy instruction.

Speak out on behalf of special education and share your story with CEC!

Every year, CEC publishes the Federal Outlook for Exceptional Children, providing an overview of federally-funded programs – IDEA and Javits grants – that impact the lives of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.  The Outlook is distributed to members of Congress, federal agencies, and other leaders in the education community with the hope that a better understanding of such programs will lead to increased federal funding for special/gifted education programs.  

Make your voice heard. Throughout the Outlook are personal stories and photos of children and youth participating in special education, early intervention, and gifted education programs across the country.  These success stories help put a human touch on the graphs and charts that typically illustrate the need for increased funding for programs such as IDEA and the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act.

Stories may be submitted by anyone in contact with a student with disabilities and/or gifts and talents (with parent’s permission) – including, teachers, related service providers, school administrators, and parents.

Submit your success story and become a part of this year’s Outlook!

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.