Special Education Directors,

The ADE/ESS Professional Learning and Sustainability unit is pleased to announce two “grow your own” opportunities for educators in Arizona public schools.

• The General Education Teacher to Special Education Teacher (GETSET) program provides tuition reimbursement to certified general education teachers who want to pursue a career change to become certified in an area of special education. 

• The Special Education Teacher Tuition Assistance (SETTA) program provides tuition reimbursement to paraprofessionals and educational interpreters that leads to special education teaching certification.

Certifications that satisfy the application requirements:

1. Mild/Moderate Disabilities, K–12
2. Moderate/Severe Disabilities, K–12
3. Early Childhood Special Education, Birth–Grade 3/Age 8
4. Hearing Impaired Special Education, Birth–Grade 12
5. Visually Impaired Special Education, Birth–Grade 12

 Application materials are below. PEAs have an opportunity to submit an application for one candidate per program. Applications earning the highest scores in the evaluation process will be approved until the funding that is set aside for the program is depleted. Applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 15, 2022.

• General Education Teacher to Special Education Teacher (GETSET) Application
• Special Education Teacher Tuition Assistance (SETTA) Application

Please note:

• Applicant must have been employed by the PEA for two full school years as of June 30, 2022.
• Applicant agrees to two full years of teaching in a special education capacity at the PEA once special education certification is achieved.
• Educational interpreters are eligible to apply for the SETTA program.
• GETSET and SETTA are tuition reimbursement programs. Potential expenses are pre-approved, and reimbursement is provided after each semester is completed and program requirements are met.

For additional information, please email the Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

Special Education Directors,

The following is a free professional learning opportunity available to you and your staff.

The Power of Strengths-Based IEPs with Carol Kosnitsky

Thursday, March 3, 2022, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

The dilemma: how do you write an appropriate IEP that provides both insights into the student’s disability and needs as well as the student’s strengths, interests, preferences, and personal accomplishments? It’s hard to look at many IEP requirements and not to think that the focus is on deficits. We can remain true to IEP requirements and incorporate all we have learned about the power of language, high expectations, growth mindsets, and Universal Design for Learning.  Rarely do these big ideas make their way into students’ IEPs, but you can change that! This session will explore some of the self-defeating and student-limiting practices common in IEP writing and provide alternative strengths-based models that can change our conversations, our expectations, and our IEPs.

Carol Kosnitsky is the nationally recognized and popular author of IEP Goals That Make a Difference: An Administrator’s Guide to Improving the Process (2018, LRP Publications). This book is used widely by teachers as well as administrators. As a distinguished special education consultant with more than 35 years in the field, Carol provides consultation and professional development services across the country, traveling from her home base in New England.

Her work focuses on improving outcomes for students with disabilities through increased access to the general education curriculum.

She is particularly sought after for her expertise regarding the development of relevant and measurable IEPs, the aligning of IEPs with the Common Core, and the collaboration between general and special education to improve education for all students. Ms. Kosnitsky was a special education director for 20 years in New Hampshire, served as President of the New Hampshire Association for Special Education Administrators, and developed the New Hampshire Academy for Special Education Directors.

Register in advance for this event.

If you are a special education teacher or related service provider, the presenter requests that you bring a current IEP with you to the training. Please be ready to examine your own IEP in relation to the content of the session and remember that all student information needs to remain confidential. This session is for training purposes and does not replace the technical assistance provided by the ADE.

Questions regarding this professional learning opportunity can be sent to the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

Special Education Directors,

ADE/ESS, in partnership with the Neurosequential Model Network led by Dr. Bruce Perry, is pleased to announce two exciting training opportunities for Arizona’s schools: the Neurosequential Model in Education and the Neurosequential Model in Therapeutics training programs. This train-the-trainer, capacity-building process provides educators and therapists with a comprehensive introduction to key concepts related to the developmental impact of trauma on the brain as well as examples and practical application of these concepts in educational settings.

Please join us for a free informational session on March 3, 2022, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. to learn more about these professional learning opportunities. This session will review key information including training content and requirements. Admission into the training series will require attendance at the webinar (or viewing of the recorded webinar) and an application process. The cost of the training program is $250 per participant. These documents provide further information about each training program:

• Neurosequential Model in Therapeutics
• Neurosequential Model in Education

Please register for the informational session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

If you have questions, please email Lauren Blocher.

Special Education Directors,

ESS collects data each year through the Teacher Attrition Survey to make informed decisions about recruitment and retention efforts in Arizona. Participation in the survey is mandatory for all public education agencies in Arizona.

The survey is open and will close on May 4, 2022. Please see this memo for further details. Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the survey can be located online. For additional questions, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox. 

Thank you for completing the Teacher Attrition Survey.

Special Education Directors,

The Arizona Department of Education encourages our public education agencies (PEAs) to register for the Arizona Educator Job Fair to recruit new employees to your school community.

• When: Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Where: Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel and Conference Center, 9495 W. Coyotes Blvd, Glendale, AZ 85305
• Registration: Click here to reserve your booth
• Registration Deadline: Thursday, February 10, 2022

Once registered, we encourage you to promote the job fair in your community to encourage attendance from prospective employees. A flyer and social media graphics (graphics option one and graphics option two) are available to share at your convenience! 

ADE’s Educator Recruitment and Retention Specialist, Carrie Brown, is available to support registration and ensure successful participation in our job fair. You can email Carrie directly. 

We look forward to seeing you at the February 26 Arizona Educator Job Fair! 

Special Education Directors,

As part of our ongoing recruitment efforts on behalf of Arizona’s public schools, ADE/ESS compiles and updates a list of education career fairs happening at educator preparation programs across the country.

If your school is planning to recruit for special education teachers from out of the state, we hope this list will make that task a bit easier for you. Review the Education Careers Fair Calendar to support your recruitment efforts this spring. The list is also available on the Arizona Education Employment Board website on the “Employer” page under the “Find a University Job Fair” icon.

If you have questions, please email Kim Rice or email Julie Lenza, ESS Recruitment and Retention Specialists.

Special Education Directors,

Please see below the free professional learning opportunity that is available to you and your staff.

From Barriers to Belonging: Supporting Inclusion for Students with Disabilities

with Eric Carter

Thursday, December 2 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Students learn best and flourish most when assured of their belonging. Yet too many schools still struggle to become places of widespread and meaningful inclusion for children and youth with disabilities. In his presentation, Dr. Carter will share a powerful framework for reflecting upon and fostering belonging within our schools and classrooms. Together, we will explore the implications of this work on the ways we welcome, support, educate, and embrace students with disabilities.

Register in advance for this event.

Erik Carter, PhD, is Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University. His research and teaching focus on strategies for promoting full participation, belonging, and valued roles in school, work, community, and congregational settings for children and adults with intellectual disability, autism, and multiple disabilities. Prior to receiving his doctorate, Dr. Carter worked as a high school teacher and transition specialist. He has published widely in the areas of educational and transition services for children and youth with disabilities, including more than 250 articles and chapters as well as seven books. 

Questions regarding this professional learning opportunity can be sent to the ESS Recruitment and Retention inbox.

Please share the following details about upcoming professional learning opportunities for general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers 

Wednesday, December 1, 2021 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers.

In this free webinar, we will explore multiple representations to build conceptual understanding for the addition and subtraction of integers. We will apply and extend previous understandings of operations with whole numbers to create zero-sum pairs.  Additionally, we will demonstrate how to develop grit and creative problem-solving with accessible low-floor/high-ceiling tasks. 

Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers

Wednesday, December 8, 2021 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers.

In this free webinar, we will explore multiple representations to build conceptual understanding for the multiplication and division of integers. We will demonstrate how to develop grit and creative problem-solving with accessible low-floor/high-ceiling tasks. 

Attendance at both sessions is not required but recommended. A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in the session. Participants can earn 1.5 hours of professional development credit per session. 

Count Me In! Practice Session for Exploring Integers

Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Practice Session for Exploring Integers.

Come to this session to refine your understanding of working with integers. Attendance at any prior “Count Me In! Integers” session is required to attend this practice session.  A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in the session. Participants can earn 1.5 hours of professional development credit for this session.

Note: Accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of each webinar. 

Please email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors,

Are you looking for Speech-Language Pathologists and/or Speech-Language Pathology Assistants? 

On November 18–20, 2021, ADE/ESS will be recruiting for speech personnel on behalf of all public education agencies (PEAs) at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) annual fall conference. ESS will operate a booth in the virtual exhibit hall to promote the advantages of working in a school setting and to showcase speech vacancies in Arizona's public schools. 

If your PEA would like ESS to promote your speech opening(s) at ASHA, please post them on the ADE job board as soon as possible. Our recruiting materials will direct candidates to the job board as well as to information about becoming licensed and certified to practice in Arizona. 

Post your speech vacancies at the Arizona Education Employment Board.

If you have questions, please email the Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

Announcing the Arizona Professional Learning Series

An Opportunity for Public Education Agencies

The ADE/ESS Arizona Professional Learning Series (AZPLS) provides district and school teams with a systemic method for achieving systems change in aligning state, district, and school site efforts to impact literacy achievement for all students and to close the literacy achievement gap for students with specific learning disabilities. 

The AZPLS provides districts and schools with:

• Six inclusive professional learning modules for K-8 general education teachers, special education teachers, school site leadership, and coaches.
• Six accompanying, interactive professional learning modules for parents and students.
• Leadership coaching from a national presenter to build site capacity in facilitating module professional learning, coach with a focus, collect and analyze data through an inquiry cycle, and sustain implementation.
• Collaborative team structure inspiring shared leadership and decision making from all stakeholders.
• A coaching framework designed for job-embedded professional learning focused on collaborative teams and teacher instructional planning/delivery.
• Web-based data tools and reporting to support targeted needs throughout implementation.

Required AZPLS team members include the district special education director, curriculum director, a school site administrator, two or three general education teachers from different grade levels/content areas, one special education teacher who works closely with general education teachers, and one school site coach.

To indicate your interest in an informational webinar, please sign up at this link by November 11, 2021.

If you have any questions, please email Stacy Riccio.