CEC Opposes Legislation to House Proposal to Overhaul ESEA; Lacks Protections for Students with Disabilities

Posted on 18 June 2013 by The Council for Exceptional Children

House-sealTomorrow, the House Education and the Workforce Committee will consider the Student Success Act (H.R. 5), legislation which proposes dramatic changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind, introduced by Chairman John Kline (R-MN) along with every republican on the Committee.

While H.R. 5 eliminates adequate yearly progress and maintains disaggregating student achievement data so that we know how students with disabilities are performing – two CEC supported provisions, our list of concerns with the bill is long:

 

  • Weaken accountability systems for students with disabilities;
  • Mandate overly prescriptive teacher evaluation systems;
  • Eliminate highly qualified (Read more...)
Posted in NCLB/ESEA, U.S. Congress | Comments Off

#AppMondayTAS – Activity Timer

Posted on 17 June 2013 by Patrick Black

Each week I will be featuring an app from BridgingApps.org.  These apps are features in the Bridging Apps newsletter each week and are reviewed by Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Special Education Teachers.  Come back each week for a new review.  If you’d like more information on how to use the BridgingApps.org website, or to find more app reviews, please click here.

Activity Timer - $.99 (iPad Only)


Reviewer Comments
This Activity Timer is different from most timers because it allows you to add an activity image from your photo library. Why would this be important? Let's say you need your child to finish their homework before going swimming. You can (Read more...)
Posted in #appmondaytas, .99, bridgingApps, iOS, iPad, organization | Comments Off

EdCeptional Live! #045

Posted on 16 June 2013 by Patrick Black



We'll be recording EdCeptional Live! tomorrow, June 17 at 8:15 pm.  Join us on Goolge+ as we talk special education, technology and more!

EdCeptional Live! #045



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Posted in EdCeptional Live, google, live, recording | Comments Off

Bullying of Kids With Disabilities – Part IV

Posted on 14 June 2013 by Jim Gerl

Some guys doing intimidation in Instituto Regi...
Some guys doing intimidation in Instituto Regional Federico Errázuriz, Santa Cruz, Chile (Photo credit: Wikipedia)












Bullying remains the hottest of hot button issues in special education law.  In the first installment, I explained the early cases laying the conceptual groundwork for the proposition that failure to react to bullying can constitute a denial of FAPE under IDEA.  In a later installment, I discussed the seminal decision of TK & SK ex rel LK v. New York City Dept of Educ 779 F.Supp.2d 289, 56 IDELR 228 (E.D.N.Y. 4/25/2011).  This case is important not just because it analyzes special education law principles involving bullying, (Read more...)
Posted in bully, bullying, FAPE, Free Appropriate Public Education, Gerl, Legal Information, special education law | Comments Off

Senate Education Committee Passes Overhaul of ESEA by Partisan Vote; CEC Cited During Debate

Posted on 13 June 2013 by The Council for Exceptional Children

Children 6Yesterday, the Senate Education Committee voted to make significant changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), better known as No Child Left Behind.  But, like so many issues considered now in Congress, this vote fell along party lines with all democrats voting for the bill and all republicans voting against it, making it difficult to see how the two sides will come together as the bill continues through the legislative process. 

That said, students with disabilities achieved a meaningful victory yesterday with the defeat of an amendment proposed by Senator Isakson (R-GA) that would promote the use of alternate assessments for any student with disabilities, wh (Read more...)

Posted in CEC Legislative Action Center, NCLB/ESEA, U.S. Congress | Comments Off

EdCeptional Minute #44.5 – Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest

Posted on 13 June 2013 by Patrick Black


In this week's EdCeptional Minute we explore Pinterest and the many, many boards relating to Assistive Technology and Special Education.  Be sure to give it a listen, and check out the video featuring all the boards!

EdCeptional Minute #44.5 - Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest



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Posted in EdCeptional Minute, EdReach.us, Pinterest | Comments Off

#DCteachers Endorsing Elizabeth Davis

Posted on 12 June 2013 by Maria Angala

From Maria Angala over on TEACHER SOL.

In this coming WTU run-off election, I am supporting my colleague and friend Elizabeth Davis. Liz and I worked together for almost 8 years as Teacher Consultants of the DC Area Writing Project. We are both well respected in our circle and are active members of the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educators. Ballots will be mailed on June 17. GET OUT THE VOTE!
 
 
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Dueling Children Left Behind? Major Parties Offer Different ESEA Reauthorization Bills

Posted on 12 June 2013 by Jim Gerl

English: President Lyndon B. Johnson signing t...
English: President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Photo credit: Wikipedia)



























The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, better known as The Artist formerly known as No Child Left Behind, is way due for reauthorization.  Although the Act was blended with IDEA in the NCLB incarnation, that may or may not change when ESEA is finally reauthorized.

In what can hardly be called breaking news, the two major political parties introduced one or two versions each of a reauthorization bill for ESEA last week. They did not agree!

Here is a statement by the Democrats on their ESEA bill.   Here is (Read more...)
Posted in Elementary and Secondary Education Act, ESEA, Gerl, Legal Information, No Child Left Behind, No Child Left Behind Act, special education law | Comments Off

Senate Education Committee Debates Future of Public Education

Posted on 12 June 2013 by The Council for Exceptional Children

ESEA stackAs Senators on the education committee continue to debate the reauthorization -- rewrite -- of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), one thing is clear: the future vision for public education is drastically different among Democrats and Republicans. 

Leading the republicans, Senator Alexander (R-TN) has repeatly called legislation put forth by the democrats as "creating a national school board".  To which democrats have defended by saying that states are under no obligation to receive federal monies, and therefore would not be bound by federal requirements. A clear philosophical difference exists between the two political parties.

The debate about ESEA ce (Read more...)

Posted in NCLB/ESEA, U.S. Department of Education | Comments Off

Support Shown for U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at Senate Hill Briefing

Posted on 11 June 2013 by The Council for Exceptional Children

UncrpdAn overwhelming show of support for global accessibility was unmistakable, as Senate Building room 106 filled with disabilities rights advocates on June 5, 2013.  Attendees gathered for the Enabling briefing and panel discussion for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).  Panel members included Francis West of IBM, Judy Weber of World Wide Web Consortium, Andrew Kirkpatrick of Adobe  Systems, Brian Markwalter of Consumer Electronics Association, and  David Dikter of Assistive Technology Industry Association.  Moderated by former U.S. Congressman Tony Coelho, the panel identified several benefits of World Wide Accessibility, a global a (Read more...)

Posted in CEC Legislative Action Center, U.S. Congress | Comments Off