Special Education Directors,

Please share the following math professional learning opportunities with general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Virtual Professional Learning Opportunities:

The following virtual sessions are being offered via Zoom and are free to attend. Click the session link to view the session description and to pre-register.

Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers - Thursday, January 12, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Formative Assessment in Mathematics with Desmos (Grades 9–12) - Thursday, January 19, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers - Monday, January 30, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P. into Esti-Mysteries (Grades K–6) - Wednesday, February 1, from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P. into Graphing Stories (Grades 6–12) - Thursday, February 2, from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Empower Students to Use Universal Tools Through Instructional Routines - Wednesday, February 8, 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Introduction to Fluency with Whole Numbers (Grades K–6) - Choose one of the following dates:

Monday, March 27, from 3:30–5:00 p.m. - Register in advance for Introduction to Fluency with Whole Numbers (Grades K–6) on March 27

Wednesday, May 3, from 3:30–5:00 p.m. - Register in advance for Introduction to Fluency with Whole Numbers (Grades K–6) on May 3

Count Me In! Algebra Tiles Part 1: Exploration of Algebraic Expressions - Thursday, March 30, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P. into Open Middle (Elementary Grades K–5) - Wednesday, April 12, from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P into Open Middle (Secondary Grades 6–12) - Thursday, April 13, from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Literacy and Math Intertwined: Using Poetry to Engage All Learners - Monday, April 17, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Count Me In! Algebra Tiles Part 2: Exploration of Substitution and Solving Equations - Monday, April 24, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Count Me In! Algebra Tiles Part 3: Multiplying Binomials and Dividing Quadratic Equations - Tuesday, May 2, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Count Me In! Algebra Tiles Part 4: Factoring Quadratic Expressions - Wednesday, May 10, from 3:30.–5:00 p.m.

Note: Accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of each webinar. These sessions will not be recorded. A computer or tablet is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in each session.

Share the Spring 2023 ADE/ESS Math Professional Learning Offerings flyer.

Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors,

The Arizona Education Job Fair & Career Expo will take place on February 4, 2023, from 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Conference Center.

The Job Fair and Career Expo is an excellent opportunity for you to recruit new employees to your school community.

Register for the Job Fair and Career Expo!

The registration deadline is December 5, 2022.

Email the Educator Recruitment and Retention fair inbox for more information.

Looking for self-paced professional learning on current special education topics of interest?

Special Education Learning Experiences for Competency in Teaching (SELECT) is a federally funded program sponsored by ADE/ESS and offered through the Institute for Human Development at Northern Arizona University. SELECT courses are recommended for special and general education teachers, administrators, related service personnel, paraeducators, and other interested individuals.

Certified school personnel can take SELECT classes for renewal hours.

• SELECT classes can be taken for university credit for those teachers or administrators who are required by their school districts to have official transcripts and for those who may need to transfer hours out of state (tuition and associated fees apply).
• The classes can also be taken for professional growth contact hours for free.

Register at the NAU SELECT webpage. Courses are offered in 5-week and 8-week sessions. Registration closes when classes are full or two (2) weeks before the start of class.

For more information, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

Special Education Directors,

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

From November 17–19, 2022, ADE/ESS will staff a recruitment booth on behalf of all public education agencies in Arizona at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (AHSA) annual national convention. Over 20,000 SLPs and graduate students attend ASHA’s convention each year.

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 information about becoming licensed and certified to practice in Arizona and to the Arizona Education Employment Board.

Post your vacancies today!

For more information, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

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 now and will close on January 31, 2023. Please see this memo for further details. Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the survey can be located online. If you have additional questions, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox. 

Thank you for completing the Teacher Attrition Survey.

Special Education Directors,

Project EASEL, in partnership with ADE/ESS, would like to invite you to tune into the Exploring Strategies for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) fall and spring professional learning series. We plan to share various information and strategies to support your understanding and implementation of assertiveness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation. 

Details for the upcoming SEL session:

Teaching Middle School Students to Persist Through Challenging Tasks Using Self-Efficacy

October 11, 2022, 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Description: Do your students lack confidence in their abilities, think that they will always do as well or as poorly as they have done in the past, give up easily when they encounter obstacles, or feel that they cannot learn the course content or succeed in school, sports, or arts? Self-efficacy instruction can help. Self-efficacy helps students to persist through challenging tasks and builds their confidence in overcoming difficulties academically, emotionally, and in their extracurricular endeavors. During this one-hour webinar, you will learn instructional activities to develop and support self-efficacy. These include how to help students reframe negative self-talk, strategies to help students manage their physiological feedback caused by emotional reactions, and how to view mistakes as opportunities to learn.

Registration is required for all Project EASEL SEL sessions. Please register in advance for Teaching Middle School Students to Persist Through Challenging Tasks Using Self-Efficacy.  

Please view the flyer for upcoming Project EASEL SEL sessions with updated details. If you have any questions, please email Pattie Noonan.

Special Education Directors,

ADE/ESS is acutely aware of the shortage of qualified special education teachers and related service providers across Arizona. ESS has multiple activities and programs to support PEAs to confront this shortage every school year. The ESS Recruitment and Retention team has created Developing a Grow Your Own Program: A Guide for Special Education Administrators as a reference as you consider developing and implementing a Grow Your Own program as part of your own recruitment and retention efforts.

A Grow Your Own program is an opportunity for school districts and charter schools to assist their community members and currently employed staff who are interested in entering the special education teacher, leader, or related service provider professions. Through tuition reimbursement, the school district or charter organization supports the candidate with a continuum of education that will also help to meet workforce needs.

Public Education Agencies (PEAs) can develop their own tuition reimbursement program using Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding sources to support individuals interested in special education certification in early childhood special education, mild/moderate disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities, hearing impaired, or visually impaired, as well as school psychologist and speech-language pathologist certifications. Other special education positions may also qualify.

For more information, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

Special Education Directors,
 

Project EASEL, in partnership with ADE, would like to invite you to tune into the Exploring Strategies for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) fall and spring professional learning series. We plan to share a variety of information and strategies that will support your understanding and implementation of assertiveness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation. 

Details for the upcoming SEL session:

Middle School Students Can Self-Regulate: Strategies for Supporting Self-Regulation

September 20, 2022, 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Description: Do your students have difficulty turning in homework, focusing on academics during class, studying for tests, completing all aspects of projects, or managing their emotions?  Self-regulation instruction can help. Self-regulation instruction and practice can support students in completing tasks, reaching goals, and managing their emotional reactions. During this one-hour webinar, you will learn instructional activities that build and support self-regulation, including how to support students in developing detailed plans and help them to predict and plan for potential setbacks as they work toward accomplishing a task.

Registration is required for all Project EASEL sessions. Please register in advance for Strategies for Supporting Self-Regulation.

Please review this flyer for upcoming Project EASEL sessions with updated details. If you have any questions, please email Pattie Noonan.

Special Education Directors,

Please share the following literacy professional learning opportunities with general and special education teachers.

The following virtual sessions are being offered via Zoom and are free to attend. Click the session link to view the session description and to pre-register.

Creating Culturally, Linguistically, and Inclusive Math Spaces: Using Interactive Read-Alouds for Grades K–12 

Tuesday, September 13 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Experience how to use the Interactive Read-Aloud strategy to introduce math topics, engage in high-interest problem-solving, and develop students’ reasoning.  

Establishing a Consistent, Organized, and Respectful Learning Environment through Classroom Libraries for Grades K–12

Tuesday, October 25 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Engage in research, practices, and strategies to create an inclusive classroom library space where all students can self-select books they love, understand, and read fluently.

Putting the L in S.T.E.M. for Grades K–12

Tuesday, November 29 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Focus on creating meaningful literacy and STEM connections! This session is appropriate for special and general education teachers.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

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.

For the past few years, the survey has opened in February and closed in May of each fiscal year. This school year, the Teacher Attrition Survey will open on November 1, 2022, and close on January 31, 2023.

Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Teacher Attrition survey can be located online.

For additional questions regarding the Teacher Attrition Survey, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.