posted Jun 12, 2013, 6:54 AM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
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updated Jun 12, 2013, 6:55 AM
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On June 11th, the Senate Education Committee will be starting debate to reauthorize - rewrite - the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, better known as No Child Left Behind.
During this debate, CEC believes amendments will be offered that will (1) exclude many students with disabilities from the accountability system, and (2) weaken qualifications for special education teachers. If enacted, these amendments will turn back the clock on progress that has been made on behalf of children with disabilities (read more). Urge your Senators to reject these proposals today by usingCEC's Legislative Action Center! |
posted Apr 12, 2013, 6:46 PM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
Maryland CEC would like to extend our most heartfelt congratulations to Matthew Villanueva of Montgomery Village and Elizabeth Claire Menke of Middletown for being selected as two of the twenty-one 2012 CEC Yes I Can! award winners. Matthew was honored for his academic achievement, while Claire received her award for her outstanding participation in school and community activities. Way to go, Matthew and Claire! We are so proud of you! |
posted Mar 2, 2013, 8:14 PM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
Nominations are
being accepted for the following Maryland CEC Executive Board positions:
President, President Elect, Treasurer, Representative to the State Unit for 2
years, and Student Representative. A brief description of each position’s
duties is identified in the table below. You must be a member in good standing
with The Council for Exceptional Children and the Maryland Unit CEC.
If interested,
please submit a letter of interest and a resume’ to Val Sharpe at: vsharpe@towson.edu. For
questions, please contact Val Sharpe at 410-480-9667.
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Position
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Position Duties
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Nomination Deadline
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President
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1.
To serve a two year term as chief
executive officer of the State Unit with the powers and duties usually
belonging to such a position;
2.
To give leadership to general policy making and carry out the directives
of the membership;
3.
To call and preside at meetings of the Executive Committee, the annual
meeting, meetings of the State Representative Assembly, and all other
Unit sponsored meetings;
4.
To recommend chairs of standing committees (with the exception of the
Program, Finance, and Nominations Committees), with a quorum vote
approval of the Executive Committee;
5.
To serve as an ex-officio nonvoting member of all committees with the
exception of the Nominations Committee;
6.
To recommend to the Executive Committee the types of ad hoc committees
and other appointive bodies needed;
7.
To submit the annual Unit report and list of State Unit officers to the
Council for Exceptional Children by June 30.
8. To prepare and submit an annual set of assurances to the
Council for Exceptional Children by September 30.
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May 15, 2013
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President Elect
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1. To
serve a two year term;
2.
To serve in the place of, and with the authority of, the President in
case of the President's absence or inability to serve;
3.
To serve as chair of the Program Committee for the annual meeting;
4.
To plan other meetings according to the policies and directives of the
Executive Committee
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May 15, 2013
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Treasurer
This position
is appointed by the Executive Board Officers.
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1. To
serve a two year term;
2.
To serve as custodian of the funds of the State Unit;
3.
To pay out money for expenses approved by the Executive Committee and
accompanied by the signature of an Executive Board member.
4.
To make a line item annual report of the financial status of the State
Unit to the Executive Committee, the Unit’s Board, and the Unit’s
Representative Assembly at the annual meeting;
5.
To act as Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee;
6.
To prepare and submit a line item annual budget for approval by the
Executive Committee for adoption by the State Representative Assembly at the
annual meeting;
7.
To submit records of all monies collected and expended to the Finance and
Audit Committee for auditing; and
8.
To transfer all monies and records to the new Treasurer within 30 days
after installation.
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May 15, 2013
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Representative to the State Unit
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1.
To serve a two year term;
2.
To represent the State Unit at meetings of the Representative Assembly
and to participate in balloting and other activities necessary to the
functioning of the Representative Assembly;
3.
To report regularly to the State Unit Executive Committee, State Board,
State Representative Assembly, and general membership on activities of the Representative
Assembly and CEC;
4.
To communicate issues and concerns from the State Unit to the CEC
Representative Assembly;
5.
To inform the state about the disposition of Representative Assembly
issues and advice forwarded to the CEC Board of Directors; and
6.
To take other specific direction from the State Unit concerning the
activities of the CEC Representative Assembly.
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May 15, 2013
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Student Representative
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1. To
serve a one to two year term dependent upon the year of school program
completion;
2.
To represent the body of student members of the State Unit at Executive
Committee meetings.
3.
To communicate issues and concerns from the body of student members of
the State Unit to the Executive Committee.
4.
To take other specific direction from the Executive Committee concerning
the incorporation of the body of student members of the State Unit as a
whole; and
5.
To provide leadership in the planning, coordination and implementation of
oversee State Unit SCEC events.
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May 15, 2013
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posted Feb 7, 2013, 2:38 PM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
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updated Feb 7, 2013, 2:39 PM
]
On Monday, February 11, CEC, will join with over 3000 members of the Non-Defense Discretionary Coalition, and hold a National Day of Action. We asking CEC members to email their Senators and Representatives and tell them to prevent further cuts to save education, and other non-defense discretionary programs that serve children and youth.
The National Day of Action is Monday, February 11. Please go to this site for more information on how you can make your voice heard.
http://www.cec.sped.org/Policy-and-Advocacy/Current-Sped-Gifted-Issues/Spotlight/Day-of-Action-Resources |
posted Jan 17, 2013, 5:19 PM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
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updated Jan 17, 2013, 5:21 PM
]
As tragedy struck in Newtown, Connecticut, we want to reach out and help those who helped those in need. The CEC USG - Towson Chapter #288 will be building a care package by collecting donations to send to the first responders that aided during the Sandy Hook crisis.
We are collecting items such as:
· Blankets
· Non-Perishable Food Items
· Travel Sized Toiletries
· Household Items (cleaning supplies, kitchen utensils, etc.)
If you can help, please drop any items off between January 28th and February 8th in the ‘Sandy Hook Heroes’ Box located in the Student Services office in Building III of The Universities of Shady Grove (9630 Gudelsky Drive Rockville, Maryland). |
posted Jan 15, 2013, 5:16 PM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
Every year, CEC publishes the Federal Outlook for Exceptional Children, providing an overview of federally-funded programs – IDEA and Javits grants – that impact the lives of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. The Outlook is distributed to members of Congress, federal agencies, and other leaders in the education community with the hope that a better understanding of such programs will lead to increased federal funding for special/gifted education programs.
Make your voice heard. Throughout the Outlook are personal stories and photos of children and youth participating in special education, early intervention, and gifted education programs across the country. These success stories help put a human touch on the graphs and charts that typically illustrate the need for increased funding for programs such as IDEA and the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act.
Stories may be submitted by anyone in contact with a student with disabilities and/or gifts and talents (with parent’s permission) – including, teachers, related service providers, school administrators, and parents.
Submit your success story and become a part of this year’s Outlook! |
posted Dec 20, 2012, 3:38 PM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
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updated Dec 20, 2012, 3:40 PM
]
Join CEC and tell Congress VOTE No TODAY on HR 6684 and pass a balanced budget solution that invests in education. Representatives should Vote no because if enacted, the Budget Resolution and HR 6684 would: · Replace the sequester,but do so by imposing dramatically deeper cuts to education and all other nondefense discretionary programs. (!!!!) · Fail to extend the teacher tax deductionwhich provides a deduction for educators who have out-of-pocket expenses for classroom supplies. · Overall, if enacted, this would reduce funding for IDEA and other programs that serve children and youth with disabilities to record low levels and greatly impede educators’ ability to provide the appropriate services children are entitled to under IDEA. This plan won’t work for children and youth, educators or our country. Help us Tell Congress - We need more investment in Education – NOT Less.And education programs have already suffered significant harmful cuts. The final FY 11 Continuing Resolution (CR) cut education programs (exclusive of changes to Pell grants) by an aggregate $1.25 billion with more than three dozen education programs eliminated and another four dozen cut. The FY 12 omnibus appropriations bill cut Education Department funding by another $233 million. Since FY 10, funding for over 50 education programs has been terminated, cutting over $1.2 billion. |
posted Oct 27, 2012, 7:47 PM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
The Prince George’s chapter (CEC Chapter 263) held its bi-annual Awards Reception on April 26th, 2012, supported partially by a mini-grant from the Maryland Council for Exceptional Children.. This was an opportunity to honor outstanding PGCPS professionals who go above and beyond in providing services to people with special needs. Nominees were nominated for one in the following categories: The “Dr. Jessie B. Mason Award” is awarded to an outstanding special education administrator; the “Frances Fuchs” is awarded to an outstanding special educator; the “Robert J. Janus Award” is awarded to an outstanding related service provider; and the “James E. Duckworth Award” is awarded to an outstanding non-special educator. The turnout was great. Joan Rothgeb, Director of Special Education, PGCPS addressed the crowd, while a riveting piano mini-recital was performed by Ernest Serry, a young man who attends Dodge Park Elementary School’s CRI Program. Young Mr. Serry brought everyone to their feet. A good time was had by all as we celebrated with the award nominees, recipients, their family and friends as well as our colleagues. Our chapter also presented a check to the Prince George's County Special Olympics during the Awards Reception Program. |
posted Oct 21, 2012, 6:45 AM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
Join us in San Antonio for the CEC 2013 Convention & Expo – the largest professional development event dedicated to special and gifted education. There, educators from around the world will discuss the most pressing issues in special and gifted education and share information in areas such as common core state standards; administration and supervision; autism spectrum disorders; emotional and behavior disorders and supports; instructional strategies for math, reading, and science; policy; technology; and response to intervention.
The CEC Convention & Expo offers hundreds of educational sessions conducted by leading experts and endless opportunities to network with others working with children and youth with exceptionalities and their families. Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn about new and pending legislation and explore cutting-edge products and services in the exhibit hall. Educators won’t want to miss this chance to catch up on what’s happening in the field, broaden their perspective of special education, and further their professional growth. CEC's Convention & Expo is the heart and soul of the special education community and your premier professional development event.
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posted Sep 29, 2012, 4:02 PM by Maryland CEC Webmaster
The student chapter of Towson University SCEC #288 at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) was granted funds by MDCEC to attend the 2012 CEC Convention and Expo in Denver, Colorado last year. With the support from MDCEC and by meeting our fundraising goals, our chapter was fortunate to receive enough funds to send both myself and our other co-president, Malwina Mendoza, to this noteworthy event. Our experiences at this convention were truly remarkable. This opportunity served as an excellent networking opportunity and ultimately gave us a head start in meeting some of our professional goals as future educators.
While at the convention, I attended a number of sessions dedicated to educating professionals on how to improve the educational success of children with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. My particular area of interest regarding special/gifted education is autism, which guided my decision of which sessions to attend.
I had the opportunity to attend the Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD) showcase, Social and Academic Interventions in Autism: The Experts Speak. The presenters included; Dr. Amanda Boutot, Dr. Gary Mesibov, Dr. Brenda Smith, and Dr. Gilbert Tippy. At this showcase, I expanded my knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), including how it is used, when it is used, and the guiding principles of an ABA program. The speaker, Dr. Amanda Boutot, also discussed ABA-based strategies and procedures that can be used when working with children with autism, which can be applied in my own classroom one day. I had the esteemed pleasure of meeting Dr. Boutot at a later date at the convention, in which I was able to discuss her presentation and express my own passion for working with students with autism. I also attended the session, Effective Small Group Instruction: Bridging the Gap, which focused on implementing ABA practices into lessons with small groups when working with children with autism.
At the DADD Showcase, I was also able to hear from Dr. Gilbert Tippy on the DIR (Developmental, Individual differences, Relationship-based) Model. Throughout Dr. Tippy’s presentation, he discussed each part of the framework and how educators can develop an intervention program that will meet the unique needs of children with autism. He provided examples of how you can strengthen emotional relationships and adhere to children’s’ interests while increasing their social, emotional, and intellectual development.
I also had the opportunity to attend the session, Enhancing Classroom Instruction for Children with Autism through Visual Learning and Technology. Due to the recent growth in technology within the classroom, I was extremely interested in this topic. The speaker, Dr. Colleen Lawruk, presented research on the connection between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and screen based media. At this session, I learned various ways to individualize and differentiate technology within the classroom and how to appropriately select technology for students.
Another session that I was able to attend was Preventing and De-escalating Conflict and Aggressive Behavior presented by Dr. Michael Rozalski, Dr. Reece Peterson, and Dr. Joseph Ryan. I attended this session to increase my knowledge in effective behavior management techniques, particularly with students with emotional and behavioral disorders. I learned a variety of behavior support strategies, relaxation strategies, and de-escalation strategies that can be used with students during the acting-out cycle.
On my last day at the convention, Malwina and I observed the session, Stages: An Online Resource for Standards-based Professional Development Self-Assessment and Planning. This session was presented by Dr. Debi Gartland, Professor at Towson Univeristy, Ms. Sharon West, Branch Chief - Maryland State Department of Education, and our former faculty advisor Dr. Roberta Strosnider. The session focused on the website Maryland Learning Links and the Stages of Professional Development Conceptual Framework, including how these are useful to professional development and improving the education of students with disabilities. After the session, Malwina and I had the liberty of eating lunch with Ms. Sharon West, Dr. Roberta Strosnider, and Ms.Valerie Sharpe, our current faculty advisor, in which we were able to discuss our own educational philosophies as well as our professional goals for the future.
While the sessions I attended greatly expanded my understanding of effectively educating students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents, Malwina and I also had the opportunity to network with a number of professionals from around the world. We were fortunate enough to be able to attend a DADD business meeting, in which we were able to meet the officers of the division including; Dr. Richard Gargiulo, Dr. Nikki Murdick, Dr. Gardner Umbarger, Dr. Teresa Taber Doughty, and Dr. Tom Smith. Additionally, we were able to meet a number of educators and professionals at the expo, while receiving information about various resources related to special education. At the Texas social, Malwina and I had the pleasure of being introduced to Dr. Bruce Ramirez, the Executive Director of CEC, as well as Dr. Margaret McLaughlin, the 2012 CEC President.
My attendance at the 2012 CEC Convention and Expo was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. The information and knowledge I have gathered from the sessions and conversations with leading experts will impact my ability to adhere to the CEC’s overall mission of improving the education and quality of life for students with exceptionalities. The support from the funds granted to us from MDCEC made this opportunity possible for both Malwina and me. Without such help, we would not have been able to participate in the convention and benefit from the invaluable experience.
Jennifer Cossette Co-President of the student chapter of Towson University SCEC #288 at The Universities at Shady Grove |
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