July 2024 - Special Educator e-Journal
Table of Contents
- Special Education Legal Alert. By Perry A. Zirkel
- Buzz from the Hub
- Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Recent Long-Term Trend Assessment for 13-Year-Olds
- U.S. Department of Education and Civic Nation Launch Nationwide Campaign to Help Students and Families Cut Costs and Access Affordable High-Speed Internet
- Guide to Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event
- Supporting the Whole Child through Trauma-Informed Practice
- Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET
- Acknowledgements
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Special Education Legal Alert
By Perry A. Zirkel
© June 2024
This month’s update identifies a pair of recent court decisions that illustrate the continuing diversity of judicial rulings with regard to the IDEA’s overlapping issues of child find and FAPE. For related publications and earlier monthly updates, see perryzirkel.com.
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Buzz from the Hub
Sports and Children with Disabilities
All children can benefit from the exercise, energy release, and pure enjoyment of playing sports. This includes children with disabilities. This article talks about the benefits of sports, the types of sports for children with special needs, and how to get started with sports.
Fun Activities to Stay Active with Physical Disabilities
Just because a child is in a wheelchair or has other physical disabilities does not mean that he or she can’t stay active. There are plenty of games and sports that children can play when properly modified. (Example: Lower the basketball hoop for children in wheelchairs or place a ball on a tee instead of having it be pitched.) Let children try a variety of activities and adapt those activities to their needs. From PediaPlex.
Physical Activity for Students with Disabilities
Check out this 5-step plan from Action for Healthy Kids that starts with “safety first” and includes consideration of each child’s IEP and how wellness activities can support the overall educational plan for each child. After explaining the steps in the plan, the article also covers general inclusion ideas for all students and concludes with ways to adjust physical activities to include students with disabilities.
Including All Children: Health for Kids With Disabilities
Also from Action for Healthy Kids is this lengthier article that takes a look at barriers to participation across various types of special needs (e.g., medical, sensory-communication, social-psychological, mobility, cognitive), possible physical activity limitations associated with each, and inclusion tips for each.
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Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Recent Long-Term Trend Assessment for 13-Year-Olds
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued the following statement on the recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) long-term trend assessment in math and reading for 13-year-olds:
“The latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress is further evidence of what the Biden-Harris administration recognized from Day One: that the pandemic would have a devastating impact on students’ learning across the country and that it would take years of effort and investment to reverse the damage as well as address the 11-year decline that preceded it.
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U.S. Department of Education and Civic Nation Launch Nationwide Campaign to Help Students and Families Cut Costs and Access Affordable High-Speed Internet
Over 300 local and national organizations joined Civic Nation and the U.S. Department of Education to launch Online for All, a digital equity campaign working to close the digital divide by focusing on internet access, affordability, and equity for students, families, and all Americans. Online For All is kicking off today with a Week of Action to drive enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program. The Week of Action will bring together the federal government and over 300 organizations to raise awareness about the program and help eligible families sign up.
An estimated 28 million households in the U.S. do not have high-speed internet at home, and two-thirds of these households are offline because they need help affording an available internet connection. The Affordable Connectivity Program, created through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, significantly lowers the cost of internet, and millions more eligible households could still benefit. With a community of supporting organizations and trusted messengers, Online For All will meet people where they are and ensure Americans across the country are connected.
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U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division (Justice) jointly released a Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline. The Departments recognize and appreciate school administrators, teachers, and educational staff across the nation who work to administer student discipline fairly, and to provide a safe, positive, and nondiscriminatory educational environment for all students, teachers, and other educators.
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Guide to Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event
Communities around the world have been shocked by increasingly frequent reports of violence – in Paris, Nigeria, San Bernadino, and elsewhere. These events are hard even for adults to comprehend and, sadly, we can’t shield our children from pain and fear when they’re exposed to such tragedy. But we can help them process what they’re experiencing in the healthiest way possible.
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Supporting the Whole Child through Trauma-Informed Practice
Equipped with rapidly growing knowledge about how trauma can undermine young people’s healthy development and ability to learn, many youth-serving professionals, community leaders, and policymakers are infusing principles of trauma-informed practice into program design, implementation, and policy proposals. Creating Cultures of Care: Supporting the Whole Child through Trauma-Informed Practice shares important insights about trauma-informed practice, drawing from both the prevailing literature and on-the-ground community expertise.
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Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET
* Lower School Learning Specialist - When passion and impact come together, an institution becomes more than a place to work. As many of our teachers and staff will tell you, Flint Hill is a place where they are challenged and inspired, and yet it still feels like home. To learn more- Click here
* Special Education Teacher - AZ - Elementary, Middle and high School Resource and Self-Contained Special Education Teachers throughout the Phoenix metro area are needed for the 24/25 school year. Under the direct supervision of the Principal, the Special Education Teacher will provide tailored and consistent instruction to support students' academic growth and help them reach their full potential. To learn more- Click here
* Elementary School- Autism Teacher (SY 24 - 25) - Great Oaks Legacy Charter School is seeking a dynamic, mission-aligned educator to join our team as an Elementary School Autism Teacher to teach Pre-K - 4th Grade for the (2024-25) academic year. To learn more- Click here
* Middle School - Special Education Teacher (ERI) (SY 24 - 25) - Great Oaks Legacy Charter School is seeking a dynamic, mission-aligned educator to join our team as a Middle School - Special Education Teacher with a focus in Emotional Regulation Impairment (ERI) for 5th - 8th Grade for the (2024-25) academic year. To learn more- Click here
* Special Education Teacher (Toutle Lake School District) - The Special Education Teacher leads the IEP team to develop data driven student learning and behavioral goals. The Special Education Teacher is responsible for developing curriculum and program strategies consistent with the student's learning level and to continually assess student progress towards IEP goals. To learn more- Click here
* Special Education Teacher - Your primary responsibility will be to create a positive and inclusive learning environment that promotes academic, social, and emotional growth for all students. This position requires excellent communication skills, strong organizational abilities, and a genuine passion for helping students with diverse learning needs. To learn more- Click here
Acknowledgements
Portions of this or previous month’s NASET’s Special Educator e-Journal were excerpted from:
- Center for Parent Information and Resources
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- FirstGov.gov-The Official U.S. Government Web Portal
- Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP)
- National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
- National Institute of Health
- National Organization on Disability
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Education-The Achiever
- U.S. Department of Education-The Education Innovator
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- U.S. Office of Special Education
The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this or prior editions of the Special Educator e-Journal