Consider This...
Things to Consider in February 2022 from RTSC
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This Month:
- Cover Article
- Announcements
- February Articles
- Tips, Media and Resources
- Upcoming Events
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News and information about education, research, and support for SESPs; adoptive, foster, and kinship caregivers; and child welfare and education professionals helping children with trauma and other special needs get the most from their education.
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Register Now for the FCSN Visions of Community Conference!
By Mary-Beth Landy
Senior Trainer and Support Specialist for RTSC
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Here’s a little riddle for you…What’s all warm and cozy, has fuzzy feet, and is like one of over a thousand others? Why…YOU in your warm and fuzzy slippers at the FCSN 2022 Virtual Visions of Community Conference on March 19th! Yes, this year’s conference is virtual again, which has its advantages. There will be several days of pre-events, starting on Monday, March 14th, including Networking Sessions, a Meet and Greet for the Youth Forum, and the very popular “Meet the Commissioners” (Wednesday, March 16th, from 5:00-6:00). The workshops are geared towards parents and professionals, and well as our popular Youth Forum. There are language tracks or interpretation for Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese, as well as American Sign Language (ASL). Not sure that this conference is for you? Well, with over 50 workshops, two fabulous Keynote Speakers! The morning Youth Keynote will be offered by Elijah Armstrong, an activist of space of disability and education. Haben Girma, accessibility advocate and human rights lawyer, will be offering the afternoon keynote. Haben is the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School and was named a White House Champion of Change by President Obama. She is a powerhouse that you don’t want to miss!
Registration is open! Just click on the VOC image to register. If you are a Special Education Surrogate Parent (SESP) we have limited scholarships available. Contact Emma Gregory, RTSC Program Associate, egregory@fcsn.org, 617-399-8342, for the registration code to attend for free!
Looking for to seeing everyone there and remember that we are hosting a “Meet-up” Session for individuals interested in becoming an SESPs at 4:00 on March 17, 2022, so encourage your friends to join us! Make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable students in the state. Click on the Image below toe Register!
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SESPs: Interested in Supporting Another Child? |
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There are so many students in DCF custody in need of a Special Education Surrogate Parent (SESP)! If you are a current SESP, consider taking on another student. Contact Megan Ronzio at mronzio@collaborative.org if you are interested in being an advocate for for another child.
This would also be a great time to recommend this program to your friends! As you all know, this is a great opportunity to support a child. Encourage your friends to register for one of our Online Orientation's to take the first steps in becoming an SESP!
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RTSC is hiring a new Project Associate! The Project Associate will be responsible for overseeing the SESP application process, assisting with recruitment efforts, and coordinating project training and events.
We are looking for someone with a deep equity focus, belief in the strengths of Black communities, adaptability, growth mindset, organizational skills, and experience in or a desire to learn about Special Education and partnerships with state agencies. A Bachelor's degree is preferred, but not required.
We offer a great team, flexibility, hybrid work model, and opportunity to learn and progress.
If you are interested, send your resume and cover letter to jobs@fcsn.org.
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Often, when I speak on the topic of trauma, the issue of intergenerational trauma is brought up. It can be a difficult topic to explain to people, especially those that have not experienced trauma themselves. Well, now Disney has gone and made things a little easier. Just on a personal level, if you have not seen “Encanto” yet, I highly recommend it. But on a larger scale, this is a tale of a family who has been suffering from political exile, loss, grief, and seems, on the surface, to have not only overcome it, but excelled in spite of it. But the family has actually suffered because no one talks frankly about trauma itself. Take an in-depth look into the enchanted world of one family’s struggles with trauma.
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In the Summer of 2020, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education launched a website that is designed to ‘address the need for enhanced early literacy instruction: Mass Literacy: Empowering Educators and Students in Massachusetts Through Evidence-Based Early Literacy. This site was designed to "address the need for enhanced early literacy instruction”. The website provides information about literacy acquisition and instruction; describes evidence- based literacy practices for schools as well as teacher -prep programs; and provides quality resources and support for educators. We will be highlighting sections of this website in the upcoming editions.
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Critical Race Theory. There I said it. But now what? It has been the topic of conversations and controversy in the media, schools and school boards. But does it have to be and what does it really mean to our students? Hoa P. Nguyen sits down with middle school teacher and author, Lorena Germán, whose book Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices, to talk about how to bring the critical thinking about a variety of difficult subjects into the classroom and minds of our youth.
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On February 9, 2022, Jeffrey C. Riley, Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued a revised Mask mandate for all schools in the state. As of February 28th, students and faculty will no longer be required to wear masks in the classrooms. See the attached advisory.
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Useful Tools, Media and Resources
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The Children’s Behavioral Health Advisory Council, with the help of the Children’s Mental Health Campaign, are conducting Listening Sessions with families in order to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to mental health services for children and families in the Massachusetts communities most impacted by the pandemic. They are looking to reflect the experience of youth under the age of 22.
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Looking for a resource for kids to talk about mental health? Isaac’s story is just that resource. It’s a downloadable book for youth talking about the similarities and differences of hurt within our bodies and within our brains. Simply stated and elegantly illustrated, this is a great must-have for very teacher and counselor.
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The National Child Traumatic Stress Center offers these resources on topics from talking to kids about suicide, to keeping teens safe while staying connected. Take a look at the these valuable and downloadable tips sheets.
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This blog post describes how intentional breathwork can help us through anxiety and heal from trauma.
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The Federation's Massachusetts Family Ties now has a searchable directory. You can now search by topic, location, language, or enter something in the search bar.
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TIPS: Transition Information for Parents and Students with IEPs (Ages 14-22) Brochures
A series produced by the LINK Center- a project of FCSN and DESE
For the past few months, we have been highlighting brochures from our TIPS Series! The third brochure in the series is "Disability Disclosure" Click on the image on the right to view the full brochure or click HERE to see all of the brochures in this series!
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Upcoming Federation Events |
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Connecting Families: It Takes a Village
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Presenters: Michelle Grewal, Stephanie Klink and Lindsey Lukasson. |
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They say it takes a village to raise a child, but in a hybrid-digital-distanced world, our “villages” look different than years past. More than ever, we need the right supports in place for ourselves and families. Come learn about different support systems, how to build them and keep them strong! Participants will be able to identify different types of support systems and type of support they need in their lives. Participants will identify at least 1 support person in their life and identify how to connect with additional supports. Participants will review their current relationship with each support person/entity and come up with a plan for ongoing healthy communication with those individuals. (More Information)
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This event will have simultaneous interpretation in the following languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese |
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Register for an Online Orientation to Become an SESP!
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Transition Planning:
This presentation provides an understanding of the transition planning process, including why transition planning is important, services that could be included, who is eligible, student and parent/SESP roles in transition planning, and the role of student’s vision. We will discuss how to prepare for a transition planning meeting, using the transition planning form, the age of majority, the anticipated graduation date, and the options when the Team does not agree, including procedural due process rights.
Trauma Training:
This training will offer a systematic approach to looking at Developmental Childhood Trauma as it impacts our students in the child welfare system. This interactive training will study trauma’s effects on the academic and social/emotional learning of a student and the impact on their IEP.
Discipline and Suspension:
This training describes different types of disciplinary offenses, the school responsibilities for discipline, range of consequences for rule violations, the difference between suspensions, expulsions, and emergency removals, different categories of suspensions, procedures for out of school suspensions and expulsions, and legal protections for students on IEPs.
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Are you interested in becoming a Special Education Surrogate Parent (SESP)?
Visit the links below to learn more!
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(800)331-0688 or (617)236-7210
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