2013 IDEA Leadership Conference

 

MPC  Co-Directors Attend The 2013 IDEA Leadership Conference

On July 29 – 31, Cassandra Archie and Godfrey River, Co-Directors of the Metropolitan Parent Center, attended the 2013 IDEA Leadership Conference held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.  The goal of the conference was to support better outcomes for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families by providing opportunities for key leaders and partners to interact with Department staff and OSEP-funded technical assistance providers. 

The two and half day conference provided many opportunities to hear from experts in the field and to learn about evidence-based practices that will support our work with families to improve results for their infants, toddlers, children and youth. 

 

The two and half day conference provided many opportunities to hear from experts in the field and to learn about evidence-based practices that will support our work with families to improve results for their infants, toddlers, children and youth. 
 

Cassandra Archie – MPC Co-Director with Michael Yudin Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Michael Yudin, Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) - U.S Department of Education, provide opening remarks highlighting the values of inclusion, equity, and opportunity as they relate to improving results and outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, and the importance of working with Parent Centers to achieve these values.






All means all, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan addressed the audience and said “Children with disabilities are a part of, not separate from, the general education population,”

One of Duncan’s priorities is Preschool for All plan. Duncan said that through the plan “we have an opportunity to give every child in America an equal chance to succeed.”

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has a long, successful history of ensuring that infants, toddlers and preschoolers with disabilities have access to early education services. We will use what we have learned from those programs as we move forward in supporting the development of high-quality preschool programs for 4-year-olds.

Currently, of the nearly 746,000 preschool children served in IDEA-funded preschool programs, about 35 percent are in segregated settings. We want to see all children participating fully in quality, inclusive programs.

Duncan said that the Preschool for All proposal will result in more inclusive early education options for preschoolers with disabilities. This increase in options will help to identify children with disabilities earlier, giving them a strong start.

Reception on The Hill

 

MPC Co-Directors, Cassandra Archie and Godfrey Rivera with Joyce Brown – Education Staff from Representative Charles B. Rangel’s office.

On Tuesday, after the conference, there was a reception on the Hill honoring the parents of the 6.9 million children with disabilities.  We shared information with Joyce Brown about the work the MPC is doing and the families we serve in Manhattan. During the reception Senator Tom Harkin was honored for his tireless work on behalf of families of children with disabilities.