The Special Education Symposium, which is a free event sponsored by the Iowa Department of Education, is June 13-14 and is intended for special education teachers, teacher leaders and mentors, Area Education Agency staff, administrators and families with students with disabilities.
Breakout sessions will include topics such as enhancements for early interventions, literacy and significant disabilities, improving adolescent literacy, leadership supports in special education, teaching social emotional skills, and addressing Specially Designed Instruction through diagnosis, design, delivery and engagement.
Keynote speakers
- Don Deshler, a nationally known expert in Specially Designed Instruction
- Todd Whitaker, who specializes in staff motivation for teachers and administrators
- Tim Harris, a 26-year-old with Down Syndrome who owns and runs his restaurant in Albuquerque, Ariz. He also runs a nonprofit, Tim’s Big Heart Foundation, which helps people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Visit the event website for more information and to register.
Welcome to the May 2016 issue of School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education. Inside, read Director Ryan Wise’s take on how the state is faring with its fledgling Teacher Leadership and Compensation program. Legislative Liaison Shan Seivert makes a prediction. And Attorney Nicole Proesch provides important reminders as the school year begins to wind down.
Feedback from educators is needed on Iowa’s current literacy standards as outlined in the Iowa Core, by May 13. Help spread the word about the online survey by forwarding this email to your staff.
The literacy standards outline learning expectations for English-language arts and for literacy in history, social studies, science and other technical subjects. This effort to collect input on literacy standards is part of an ongoing review of Iowa’s standards prompted by the Governor’s Executive Order 83. Thank you for your time and willingness to assist in this important work for Iowa’s schools and students.
