May 2, 2023

In case you missed it, AESA's Perspectives Journal was sent via email last week. This month's topic is Growing Teachers: Five Essential Elements of a Large-Scale System of Learning.

AESA Welcomes Sheila King as the New Chief Program Officer

Dr. Joan Wade, AESA Executive Director, is excited to announce the selection of Sheila King as the agency's new Chief Program Officer. This is a new position, established to help AESA continually meet the needs of member-driven programs and services.

In her new role, Ms. King will serve as a collaborative member of the AESA Leadership Team. The CPO will primarily be responsible for creating and growing new products, services, and supports that are aligned with the Association’s mission and beliefs. The CPO will promote opportunities for stakeholder input to assist with evaluating existing services and identifying emerging needs.

Most recently, Sheila was the Chief Information Officer for Heartland AEA (IA). Ms. King’s experiences include mentoring, coaching, and providing professional learning for teachers, administrators, and educational service agency staff; strategic planning, process improvement, and service design; project leadership, implementation, and evaluation; and budget management.

Please join us in welcoming Sheila King to her new role at AESA!

A robust learning program is planned at this year's Summer Leadership Conference!

Here is a closer view of just a small portion of what you'll be discussing with your colleagues:

ESAs Leaders of Transformation Within Their School Districts:

Real-Time Data May Not Be Fast Enough

Rory Peacock, Deputy Executive Director, Technology Services, ESC Region 11 (Texas)

Data is driving decisions in our ESAs and school districts more and more every day. Real-time dashboards can provide a wealth of information, but there is more than just having the data at your fingertips.

Escaping the Student Data Trap: Using Implementation & Systems Data to

Drive Equitable Services

Wanda Cook-Robinson, Superintendent, Oakland Schools (Michigan); AESA Foundation Board Trustee; and Past-President AESA Executive Council.

Being responsive to trends in student data is a popular strategy, but far too many times these strategies fail to produce the intended results. Shifting focus to systems and

implementation data positions ESAs to deliver the equitable services our schools

need.

There is much, much more! Networking, thought leadership, problem-solving! Join us this summer in Cincinnati!

Webinar Series: Fixing Student & Child Privacy Laws

It is shaping up to be the most active child and student privacy year in more than two decades. In just the past three months, we've seen child privacy mentioned in the State of the Union, discussed at three Congressional hearings, and prioritized in numerous state and federal bills. The Parents Bill of Rights passed the House and includes stunning amendments to FERPA & PPRA.

To help guide stakeholders through these landscape shifts, AASA has invited AESA members to join them in a webinar series to educate policymakers on the basics of student privacy, the areas of conflict, and options for how laws can be improved.

The first in the series will be Tuesday, May 9 at 1 p.m. ET.

Register for one (or all) here.

USED Issues New Student Privacy Guidance

Earlier this month, USED released two new Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidance documents that focus on student health records and encourage school officials to consider the importance of student privacy, including health privacy, before disclosing information from education records: 

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act: Guidance for School Officials on Student Health Records. This document provides school officials with general information about FERPA, with a particular focus on student health records maintained by educational agencies and institutions and by third parties acting on their behalf.

Know Your Rights: FERPA Protections for Student Health Records: This one-page document provides a brief overview of parents’ and eligible students’ rights under FERPA, with a particular focus on student health records.

USED Opens Applications for the Disability Innovation Fund: Pathways to

Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project

USED’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is inviting applications for a discretionary grant, with approximately $224 million available to fund multiple innovative projects managed through partnerships among state vocational rehabilitation agencies (SVRAs), state and local education agencies (SEAs and LEAs), and centers for independent living (CILs). Funded projects will focus on the creation of systemic approaches to improve access to pre-employment transition services for individuals with disabilities. The deadline for applications is June 5.

The American Library Association published its annual list of most banned books with the highest number in two decades. EdWeek notes that the library association recorded challenges to 2,571 unique titles, up from 1,858 that were challenged in 2021. These books ranged in genre from young adult fiction to memoirs, and from graphic novels to

books about teen health.

In a new report from the Learning Policy Institute, authors reviewed state ARP plans and other legislative resources to examine community school initiatives in eight states (including Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Maryland). The report highlights three potential approaches to state support for community schools: (1) ongoing support through school funding formulas, (2) competitive grant funding, and (3) capacity-building supports (such as certification processes).