Friday Fax
Date: April 22, 2005
From: Dr. Eugene R. Thompson
Director of Educational Leadership
To keep you updated with activities taking place through
the CSPD efforts on the Navajo Nation, I am sending you a “Friday Fax”
with information about current and upcoming professional development activities.
Current Events
This past week, training and technical assistance was provided
as follows:
- The parent conference on IDEA 2004: What’s the
New Idea? was a huge success. The Improving Communities of Practice projects
at UNM and NAU co-sponsored the conference with the Growing in Beauty project
of the Navajo Nation Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services
and hosted 173 parents, teachers, administrators, and others at the conference
in Window Rock. Fifty-three (31%) of the 173 participants were parents of
children with disabilities. Thank you to those of you who attended it. It
was great seeing you, and the conference would not have been the same without
you. Many of the conference participants attending the conference were happy
to establish new contacts with the local educational resources in the area
that had set up poster sessions.
- We are happy to learn that the U.S. Department of Education
has announced that the proposed regulations for IDEA 2004 will be released
some time in May. There will be a series of public hearings held during
June and July to receive comments about the proposed regulations. As most
special educators know, the timely release of regulations is crucial for
schools and parents. Input from educators and parents will be important
during this process.
- We were happy to see many of the BIA-operated and funded
school staff in attendance at the IDEA 2004 Institute (Albuquerque) hosted
by the New Mexico Public Education Department/Special Education Office and
the Walsh-Anderson Law Firm in collaboration with the Mountain Plains Regional
Resource Center. Over 300 participants attended the institute that acquainted
school staff, parents, and state staff with the major revisions of IDEA
that will impact school staff and services to students with disabilities.
Finally, you may contact us at any time regarding professional
development training plans and/or activities for the current or future school
years. We always look forward to hearing from you as to how we might facilitate
a plan, including Project IDEAS, for your agency or school or for providing
technical assistance or training above and beyond what we have currently set
out to do in the present scope of work.
Upcoming Events:
April 23, 2005.
Level II residential class for the Ft. Defiance Agency
home-living assistants at the University of New Mexico-Gallup campus. This
class, rescheduled from April 2, 2005, will complete the three-credit Spec
Educ 201 course.
April 25-26, 2005.
Follow-up on-site visits with teachers at the Dilcon Community
School regarding reading strategies class taken by staff last semester.
April 27, 2005.
- IDEA 2004 training for school staff and parents at
the Pinon Community School.
- Administrative Assistants Day
May 20, 2005.
UNM/NAU quarterly meeting at the Seba Dalkai Boarding School.
You may consult the CSPD Activity Calendar on the Navajo
Nation on the CDD website at: http://CDD.unm.edu/cspd/
for further information. Have a great week.
