Clarification of 4-1-2016 post re: April 4 1:25 p.m. Testimony due on Special Ed to the BOE, posted 4-1-2016

To: WIS Colleagues
From: Debbie Anderson

Aloha, All,

        Wanted to clarify that in a great hurry to catch interested parties before 2 p.m. Friday, I'd forwarded messages received only about half an hour earlier from a couple of other colleagues. To differentiate better, I've identified below more details.

        As a courtesy, here's what I explained to our SpEd Dept. over the weekend: 

        A call from the BOE for open public testimony provides an opportunity for DOE teachers to communicate with the BOE who are non-educators about current issues, and can be considered a professional responsibility. We have made progress recently by getting the Committee On Weights (COW) to be more inclusive of Special Education voice. Our BOE representative Brian De Lima is open especially to information we can provide to him about Special Education, as his public experiences involve acting to protect the interests of his daughter with a disability at Hilo High.

        The BOE Student Achievement Committee is interested in interventions which help improve outcomes for all students. For our ELs, a more inclusive model shows greater gains over a model of too much "pull-out."

        As you can see from my forwarding the message below (see previous post April 4 1:25 p.m. Testimony due on Special Ed to the BOE, posted 4-1-2016, http://hstajgrabar.blogspot.com/), other schools may have issues different from our school's experiences. Individualized education plans determine student placement on a continuum which should begin with the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

        Teachers need to understand that they are not protected from personal liability if they act in violation of student Civil Rights. Perhaps sharing your concerns could help us make progress in improving our equality of education for all. 

         Given that the U.S. Department of Education Friday released draft regulations on the two areas of the ESSA law http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/index.html, I'd like us to be able to access more training on UDL for differentiation based on the following:

 "Be developed, to the extent practicable, using the principles of universal design for learning. Under this section, the term “universal design for learning”means a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that--

(A) Provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge 31 and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and

(B) Reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are English learners." 

As every teacher can be included as a teacher of students with disabilities or EL, my testimony addresses a request for greater access to UDL.

        Please consider writing up your experiences. If you need assistance with sending testimony in on Monday morning, I'll be available to help at X239.

Thanks for sharing,

Debbie