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 district and charter schools in Arizona.

The survey is now open and will close on May 8, 2020. Please see this letter for further details. Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the survey can be located at http://bit.ly/teacherattritionsurvey. For additional questions, please contact [email protected].

Thank you for completing the Teacher Attrition Survey.

Special Education Directors:

Are your students with disabilities meeting the math requirements for middle and high school? Do they have the skills to meet and successfully complete the standards in Algebra One? Are there structures in place for special education and general education teachers to collaborate effectively to meet the needs of students with disabilities?  

Count Me In: Hands on Algebra is a two-day professional learning opportunity that will focus on inclusive practices for teaching mathematics for middle and high school students with learning disabilities. Teachers will walk away with a conceptual understanding of the progressions within algebraic reasoning and thinking and learn collaboration strategies that will support all students in meeting the High School Algebra standards.

We strongly encourage school teams of special education and general education teachers who teach mathematics in Grade 6 through High School Algebra to register. Participants will be required to attend BOTH in-person training days and a follow up one-hour coaching session.

Prescott—May 4 and 5, 2020: http://bit.ly/AlgebraPrescott

Show Low—June 18 and 19, 2020: http://bit.ly/AlgebraShowLow

Please see the attached flyer for further details. Additional trainings in Tucson and Phoenix will be offered in Fall 2020.

Questions about registration may be directed to [email protected].  Questions about the training may be directed to [email protected] or [email protected].

Join our ESS Math Listserv to stay informed of upcoming professional learning opportunities! bit.ly/essmathlist

Special Education Administrators,

The ADE/ESS is pleased to announce FREE upcoming math webinars:

Please see this flyer for more information and share with others who may also be interested in this professional learning opportunity. Questions can be directed to [email protected] or [email protected].

Please see this important announcement regarding training for school-based sign language interpreters below. ADE/ESS contracts and works with TAESE to support assessment and training of school-based interpreters by TASK12. Training slots are limited, so don’t let this important opportunity pass by – please forward to your staff as appropriate.

The Training of Interpreters in Public Schools (TIPS) is accepting registrations from Arizona sign language interpreters to participate in an intensive training that begins with a face-to-face on January 11, 2020 and is followed by three online modules over a five-month period. The aim of this training is to improve interpreter performance skills and ultimately benefit children and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to:

LeeAnn Lundgreen TASK12 | www.task12.org Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education www.taese.org | Utah State University | Tel: 435.797.9045

Special Education Directors,

The University of Arizona has been awarded $2.5M from the US Department of Education for two important projects.

The primary goal of the first project is to prepare teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs). This project will provide new applicants to the program with full tuition coverage and an opportunity to work closely with scholars from the rehabilitation counseling field. With adoption of the distance education model, all teacher candidates can complete the training program remotely.

If you know of a potential candidate who is considering becoming a TVI, this might be a perfect opportunity with financial support available. Questions can be directed to Sunggye Hong, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Special Education Unit Chair and Program Director of Visual Impairment Specialization at [email protected] and 520-621-0945.

The primary goal of the second project is to prepare educational interpreters. This project is an undergraduate program that will provide new applicants to the program with money for tuition. Undergraduate students must have finished ASL 1 - 6 and have at least 56 general education units completed.

If you know of a potential candidate who is considering becoming an educational interpreter, this is an excellent opportunity with financial support available.  Questions can be directed to Dr. Cindy Volk at [email protected].

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

For your convenience, we have updated this year’s list.  If your school is planning to recruit for special education teachers out of state, whether in person or by sending flyers or job postings to particular universities, we hope this list will make that task a bit easier for you. This list is also be available on the AEEB job board site under the “Find a University Job Fair” icon. https://www.arizonaeducationjobs.com/guest/post.

The Arizona Department of Education/ Exceptional Student Services, in partnership with AHCCCS, is pleased to announce that the National Council for Behavioral Health will deliver Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification (YMHFA) training to Arizona educators. This 3-day interactive training will teach participants how to:

• Teach the Youth Mental Health First Aid course, including the 5-step action plan, evidence-supported treatment and self-help strategies, and prevalence data.
• Present the program with fidelity to the tested, core model.
• Apply the program to a range of adult learning styles.
• Tailor presentations to diverse audiences and learning environments.

Upon the successful completion of the course requirements as outlined by the National Council for Behavioral Health, participants will be certified to teach the standard Youth Mental Health First Aid course.

Registration:

There is no fee for participants! However, registration is first-come, first-served and based on statewide representation.

Please see this application form for more details.  If you have questions, please contact Aanya Rispoli at [email protected].

Dear Special Education Director,

The Arizona Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ArSHA) will be holding its annual convention in Phoenix on April 5 and 6. Hundreds of Speech-Language Pathologists, Speech-Language Technicians, and SLPAs will attend the convention.

The Arizona Department of Education sponsors school-based speakers at the convention to support high quality, relevant professional development for our school-based speech personnel. This year’s ADE-sponsored topics include AAC, executive function, critical thinking, push-in therapy, and using telepractice in a school setting.

ADE/ESS will have a table in the exhibit hall to recruit SLPs/SLTs/SLPAs on your behalf. If you have a speech vacancy in your district or charter, please post your job on ADE’s free Arizona Education Job Board: https://www.arizonaeducationjobs.com/sides.

At the convention, we will hand out a flyer that lists all SLP/SLT/SLPA positions posted on the Arizona Education Employment Board as of April 1. Don’t miss this opportunity to advertise current job openings!