★ On May 26th, the U.S. Department of Education released proposed regulations regarding the Every Student Achieves Act (ESSA) for public comment. Public comment will begin on May 31st and proceed for 60 days. For more information, read the Department of Education's blog on the matter. The official version of this request for comments will be published in the Federal Register on May 31st.
★ On May 13, the Obama administration instructed public schools to allow students to use the bathrooms that conform to their gender identity. School districts that don't comply with those rules will be in violation of Title IX anti-discrimination laws and may lose federal funding. The US Department of Education and the US Department of Justice issued a joint statement on the law. You can read that statement here.
★ The Mental Health Reform Act of 2016 now ensures appropriate services for people with mental health needs. The legislation includes supports for children of all ages, including infants and toddlers. To learn more about the provisions for infants/toddlers, read the article by Zero to Three.
★
The Office of Special Education Programs within the U.S. Department of Education is in search of doctoral level virtual interns who are interested in developing products to support the
★ The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services hosted a Google Hangout in February to discuss the need for increased inclusion in preschool settings. You can view the video here.
★ Other updates, courtesy of the Council for Exceptional Children:
We are seeking new members who are interested in supporting our work. New members to the Council will be considered "at-large" and will shadow existing members to ensure a smooth transition. If you want to stay up-to-date about what is happening in the field and within DEC and would like to lend your voice, please complete our
new member application survey so we can match you to opportunities that fit best with your interest, experience, and availability.
Registration instructions will be provided via email after sign-up.
Be sure to complete the Subdivision needs assessment provided during the April webinar. If you were not in attendance or need a copy, contact
[email protected]
TELL US
WHAT
YOU
THINK
★ Are you interested in supporting DEC in providing comment on the proposed rules for ESSA?
★ If you could submit a policy or advocacy story in bullet format, and the Policy & Advocacy Council put it in written format and gave you credit, would you be more likely to share a story for a future e-brief?
★ If a member of the Policy & Advocacy Council agreed to collaborate with you, would you be more likely to work with such an individual to prepare a story for a future e-brief?
Have an early childhood special education policy or advocacy story you would like to share?Whether you are a Subdivision leader/member of just an interested DEC member unaffiliated with a Subdivision, contact [email protected] or DEC CAN Coordinator [email protected] to share what's happening in your state or Subdivision or just to bring awareness to an important policy or advocacy issue relevant to DEC. Your story will be shared in a future issue of YES DEC CAN!
