Annual CAN
Meeting Summary
July 15 –
18, 2006
Over 30 CAN Coordinators – from state and provincial units
and divisions – attended the annual CAN meeting in
July. The four day meeting covered a
variety of topics, including a training for new CAN Coordinators; legislative
and regulatory updates by CEC staff, Congressional staff, Department of
Education officials, and staff from other associations; effective advocacy
strategies; and new grassroots initiatives.
This brief summary is intended to provide both attendees and
non-attendees with a brief overview of the topics discussed, new resources
available and new advocacy outreach plans of action.
New CAN Coordinator Training – Saturday, July 15
A new CAN Coordinator training session is held every year during the annual CAN meeting. Led by CEC staff and veteran CAN Coordinators, this session allows new CAN Coordinators to learn the basic tools needed to lead a successful grassroots network. A special note of appreciation to the veteran CAN Coordinators who prepared thorough presentations for this session: Pat Hensley, South Carolina CAN Coordinator; M. Christopher Tabakin, Pennsylvania CAN Coordinator; Lisa Cavin, Texas CAN Coordinator; Bob Riedel, Kansas CAN Coordinator; and Sharon Walsh, DEC Governmental Relations Consultant.
This year, attendees heard presentations on the following topics:
- What
are the CAN Coordinators Responsibilities?
- What
are Public Policy and Communication Services’ Responsibilities to CAN?
- How
to Set Up a CAN Listserv
- Establishing,
Building, Organizing and Maintaining a CAN Network
- Establishing
and Building a Relationship with Policy Makers at the Local, State, and
Federal Levels
- Tips
on Meeting with Your Members of Congress
- How
to Conduct a Training Workshop for Your Unit
- Establishing
a Relationship/Receiving Support for CAN Activities from Units/Divisions
- How
to Network with Other State/Local Based Organizations
- Navigating
Your Way Through the Legislative and Appropriations Process
- CEC’s
For access to some of these PowerPoint presentations, visit
the CAN portion of CEC’s website: http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PolicyAdvocacy/CAN/AboutCAN/default.htm
and select CAN Resources on the left navigation bar. Please feel free to use these presentations
for your own training.
General CAN Meeting – Saturday July 15
Late Saturday afternoon marked the start of the general CAN meeting. CAN Coordinators heard greetings from CEC’s Executive Director, Bruce Ramirez; CEC President, Jamie Hopkins; CEC Teacher of the Year, Connie Miller and CEC staff.
Presentations included:
- Overview
of the IDEA 2004 Regulations (Note: the final Part B regulations have been
released, check CEC’s website for more information – www.cec.sped.org )
- Overview
of the NCLB 2% Regulations
- Department
of Education Toolkit (Note: Access the Toolkit by visiting: http://osepideasthatwork.org/toolkit/index.asp
)
- Appropriations
for Fiscal Year 2007
- Jacob
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Act
(Note: for updated appropriations
information, see CEC’s July 27th Public Policy Update:
http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=6603
)
CEC CAN Meeting – Sunday, July 16
The general CAN meeting continued on Sunday with a
discussion on a variety of topics including the reauthorization of the No Child
Left Behind Act, CEC advocacy strategies, and
legislative updates on legislation impacting students with disabilities and/or
gifts and talents both in the
In preparation for the reauthorization of the No Child Left
Behind Act, CEC has been collecting member input on areas of strength and
improvement to help craft CEC’s NCLB recommendations to Congress. CAN Coordinators were asked to seek input
from their networks prior to attending the annual meeting and to present these
views during a brainstorming session which focused around seven questions:
- How
would you change the requirements for becoming a highly qualified teacher
under the new NCLB?
- What
should provisions surrounding multiple measures and growth measures in
assessments and accountability look like under the new NCLB?
- Do
you think the NCLB provisions surrounding alternate and modified
assessments based on alternated and modified achievement standards are
effective practices for students with disabilities? Why or why not?
- What
may be the appropriate balance between sanctions and supports in the new
NCLB?
- CEC
is award that NCLB is under funded.
What specific NCLB provisions need additional funding?
- How
should the new NCLB address the issue of instructional and assessment
accommodations?
- What
other issues should the new NCLB address?
Click Here for notes collected from these brainstorming sessions.
Deb Ziegler, CEC Associate Executive Director for Policy and
Communication Services provided an update and summary on CEC’s Strategic Plan
and membership survey. Advocacy
continues to be a priority listed in CEC’s Strategic Plan and CAN is a key
component to implementing effective advocacy strategies. In CEC’s membership
survey, supporting advocacy for policies and resources was listed as one of the
top reasons for continuing membership.
To support CEC’s Strategic Plan as it relates to advocacy, CEC staff shared with CAN Coordinators CEC’s Advocacy Toolkit and a presentation on being an effective advocate. Both of these resources are available online by visiting the CAN Resources area of CEC’s website: http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PolicyAdvocacy/CAN/CANResources/default.htm .
CEC staff presented CAN Coordinators with a new advocacy initiative – a nationwide get-out-the- vote campaign in preparation for the 2006 mid-term elections. This educational, informational campaign will encourage CEC members to vote on Election Day in November. To complement this nationwide effort, CEC will identify targeted House and Senate races and survey these candidates on issues that impact students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. For additional information on these initiatives, see the attached word document.
CEC staff provided legislative updates on the Higher Education Act, Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005, the Head Start Act, and an update on Medicaid Reimbursement. For additional information on these issues, please visit the Policy and Advocacy section of CEC’s website (www.cec.sped.org) .
CEC CAN Meeting – Monday, July 17
CAN Coordinators heard from a variety of Congressional staff, association staff and officials from the Department of Education on current policy issues impacting students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents, as well as a political forecast for the upcoming November elections.
Featured speakers included:
Election
2006 & The Political Landscape
· Jonathan
Stevens, Policy Director,
· Tom Manatos,
Advisor to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Capitol Hill Update on Various Education Issues
· Brad
Thomas, Professional Staff Member, House Committee on Education & the
Workforce, Congressman Buck McKeon (R-CA)
· Tec
Chapman, Professional Staff Member, Senate Health, Education, Labor,
Pensions Committee, Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY)
· James
Rice, Legislative Assistant, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Capitol Hill Outlook on No Child Left Behind
· Alice
Cain, Senior Education Aide, Education and the Workforce Committee, Congressman
George Miller (D-CA)
· Roberto
Rodriguez, Senior Education Advisor, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Keynote – OSEP Update: Alexa Posny, Director, Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education
Education Appropriations and No Child Left Behind Roundtable
·
Ed Kealy, Executive Director, Committee for Education
Funding
· Jane
Clarenbach, Director, Public Education &
Affiliate Relations, National
Association of Gifted Children
· Alex Nock,
Commission on No Child Left Behind
· Candace Cortiella,
Professional Advisory Board Member,
· Monty
Neil, Executive Director, Fair Test
· Jeff
Simmering, Director of Legislative Services, Council
for the Great City Schools
NCLB Update: Kerri Briggs, Office of Communications
and
Day on Capitol Hill - Tuesday, July 18
After days of preparation for Congressional visits, CAN Coordinators stormed Capitol Hill for a day of lobbying on behalf of students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. The day started with a Congressional breakfast reception honoring Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) with the CEC Outstanding Public Service Award. Read Congresswoman Woolsey’s press release on accepting CEC’s award: http://woolsey.house.gov/latestnews.asp?ARTICLE5110=63355
Read CEC Honors Two of Congress’s Most Stalwart Supporters of Special Education:
http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=6608
CAN Coordinators met with members of Congress and their staff to discuss CEC’s talking points on IDEA, the Javits program for students with gifts and talents, Medicaid reimbursement, No Child Left Behind, and more.
Additional
Information
Additional resources are available online for CAN Coordinators, please visit the CAN section of CEC’s website (located within the Policy and Advocacy section) by visiting: http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PolicyAdvocacy/CAN/AboutCAN/default.htm or by going to CEC’s webpage (www.cec.sped.org) and selecting Policy and Advocacy.
Read CEC Today article: CEC CAN Coordinators Take Capitol Hill By Storm!!!
Read CEC Public Policy Update story on CAN meeting: http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=6592
A big thank you to all CAN Coordinators -- your
dedication and persistence leads to legislative successes for CEC members and
children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents!!!