Lots of Education Related Bills Passed in Springfield

Governor Pritzker recently took action on the final bills that were sent to him from the Spring legislative session.  Of the nearly 600 bills that were passed by the legislature, he signed all but eight of them.  You can read about all of the bills impacting schools in the Digest of Bills Passed, an annual publication put out by our colleagues in the Alliance (Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Principals Association, and Illinois Association of School Business Officials). 

You can, of course, learn much more about many of these bills from Michelle Todd and Jessica Nguyen when they present on September 11, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. for IAASE's first webinar of the year.  Click here to get registered!

That Pesky RTI and Special Education Bill

UPDATED (08/26/2019)
On Friday, August 23, 2019, Governor Pritzker took action to sign this bill into law.  HB 3586 is now a Public Act.  IAASE will work with Senator Koehler and Representative Crespo to make sure that the necessary fixes are implemented during the veto session in the Fall so that the detrimental impact of this legislation are minimized.  Further, IAASE is working with ISBE Leadership to develop interim guidance for school districts on this topic.

________________________________________________________________________
During the spring legislative session, lots of bills get drafted and rewritten and passed. Some get moved to another house without action and others get amended so quickly that we have whiplash. In some situations, errors occur, but members have made promises to one group of people or another. With the clock expiring on the session, members agree to pass the bill and "fix it in veto session." This is the case with HB 3586 (Koehler / Crespo).

Here is what the bill was supposed to do:

1. For CPS Only, requires the District to post changes to its special education policies or procedures on its website. (Just a note that the district already does this).
2. For CPS Only, before any procedural manual can be adopted, it must allow for public comment and those public comments must be kept on record for two years (for other districts, when approving a manual like this, you need to have a board hearing, but the comment period is not as extensive).
3. For CPS Only, requires the District to give parents ten days notice about any data that needs to be collected for things to occur at the meeting (this is in specific response to the Public Inquiry issues where there were challenges with people coming to meetings and not being able to receive ESY services because there was not enough data to support this).
4. For CPS Only, requires the District to send home copies of all documents that will be reviewed at the meeting.
5. For CPS Only, requires the District to keep service logs for each provider and to make these service logs available at each IEP meeting and to notify parents about these logs at the beginning of each year.  And, if the services are not implemented consistent with the IEP, the District must notify the parents about the fact that they have not been implemented as soon as possible.
6. For CPS Only, requires the District to utilize RTI.

While the leadership of IAASE is always challenged by bills that impact ONLY the Chicago Public Schools, this one was especially challenging.  And that's because of the "drafting error" that occurred in the process of writing the bill.  That drafting error makes numbers 4, 5, and 6 applicable to EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT in the state.  That means that the following will be true should Governor Pritzker decide to sign this into law:

1. ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS will be required to send home copies of all documents that will be reviewed at the meeting.
2. ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS will be required to keep service logs for each provider and to make these service logs available at each IEP meeting and to notify parents about these logs at the beginning of each year.  And, if the services are not implemented consistent with the IEP, the District must notify the parents about the fact that they have not been implemented as soon as possible.
3. ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS will be required to utilize RTI.

Some of you might already do these things in your districts (as a matter of fact, all of us were required to submit an RTI plan to the state more than ten years ago).  But the other provisions in this bill are dangerous and worrisome to the say the least.

IAASE has been working with the sponsors of the bill (Koehler and Crespo) to make sure this is addressed in the Fall veto session if it is signed by Governor Pritzker.  Without any fixes, the bill will become effective on the day that the Governor signs it into law.  If that happens, we will work with the ISBE on temporary fixes (between the signing date and the Fall veto session) and send you all information about this as it becomes available.

In the News - Take a Look

Two news articles from this past week that you should take a look at.  The first one is from the Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) and it focuses on the new accessible playgrounds that were installed in Barrington School District 220 and Palatine School District 15.  Our IAASE President, Dr. Kevin Rubenstein is quoted.  Take a look at the article here.

The second article is from NPR in Springfield and it focuses on residential placements and the costs associated with these programs.  NPR's Dusty Rhodes did a fantastic job of researching this story during the past several weeks and you will definitely want to take a look and listen.  It also quotes our former president, Melissa Taylor!

Medicaid Committee Members Wanted

Interested in helping out and getting more involved with IAASE?  The Medicaid Committee might be the perfect venue for you.  The medicaid committee is scheduled to meet on the following dates:

October 1, 2019
November 19, 2019
February 11, 2020
April 14, 2020

All meeting will be held in webinar format at 8:00 a.m.

If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Kim Moore, our Medicaid Committee Chair. 

On Paraprofessional Licensure - A Note from ISBE

Many of you know about the updated law regarding teacher licensure that removes some of the requirements related to the test of basic skills.  IAASE supported the bill when it was moving through the legislature as it removed an unnecessary burden on potential applicants into the teacher pipeline.  But, we hit a wrinkle when it was signed last week.  That wrinkle is that it also applies to paraprofessionals and that meant that a shortage of parapros throughout the state would be getting worse.  IAASE President, Kevin Rubenstein, received lots of calls from people all over the state who were concerned about this issue.  He worked with the team at ISBE and our governmental relations consultant (Shannon Miller Bellini) to figure out a way to address the issue.  We realize that this is not a perfect fix, but Dr. Carmen Ayala, Superintendent at ISBE addresses the issue in her weekly newsletter:

From ISBE Superintendent, Dr. Carmen Ayala 

As many of you know, last week Governor Pritzker signed PA 101-0220 into law. The new law eliminates the requirement that a licensure candidate pass a test of basic skills. This clears the path for any teacher candidate who had completed all other requirements to earn the Professional Educator License. ISBE has identified 246 individuals with currently pending license applications that will be updated. Those candidates will either receive a license or be able to move forward with other remaining requirements. 

We understand there are concerns regarding the passing of this law and how it effects individuals applying for a paraprofessional endorsement. We are working with the sponsors of the legislation to author a trailer bill during the fall veto session to reinstate the option for those applying for a paraprofessional endorsement to do so using a test. In the interim, individuals who do not hold an associate degree or higher or a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution of higher education may proceed with taking the ETS-paraprofessional exam or ACT WorkKeys, with the understanding that ISBE cannot consider a passing score as a means to obtain the endorsement until subsequent legislation is enacted. This likely will not occur until November due to the timing of the fall veto session. 

The law does not affect endorsements and licenses that have already been issued. We have prepared a fact sheet with frequently asked questions to assist you and we will continue to keep you updated as we have more information.

Our IAASE Legislative Team will collaborate with the bill's sponsors to make sure that there is a fix for the Fall Veto Session. 

IAASE Administrator Academy at Fall Conference

Looking for a great Administrator Academy?  IAASE has you covered...

Register now at this link (opens in a new window).

What Went Wrong: Analyzing and Strategizing to Prevent District Losses in Special Education Litigation  AA 1886

Presented by:  Dr. Christina Sepiol

This course is focused on informing and educating school staff on the topics and practices that frequently involve special education litigation. By a review of the legal foundations and standards, followed by an analysis of case law examples, participants will be able to identify sources of legal guidance, including the risk factors for discussion by school staff when faced with legal situation in their own educational settings. In addition, this presentation will review those topics and practices that may be initiated in general education but have special education implications such as transgender issues, discipline, and responding to school crisis. Finally, participants will discuss and be able to identify possible resolution options in the different legal situations that they may face. Communication of litigation options to key stakeholders, including a rationale for each, will be a component of the resolution process.

Membership Options for the 2019-2020 School Year

We are pleased to announce the opening of membership for the 2019 – 2020 year.  Click here to get started with your membership.  There are several options you have available to you:

BEST OPTION - Unified Membership - $410.00

Unified Members hold membership in IAASE, CASE (Council of Administrators of Special Education) and the Council for Exceptional Children.

• Professional members may vote and hold office
• Holds an Illinois Professional Educators License with administrator endorsement, and / or
• Has responsibility for supervising special education or pupil service personnel in public, private or state agency, or
• Is a college faculty whose major responsibility is the professional preparation of educators or administrators of special education / pupil services

Next Best Option - Professional Membership/ Business Associate - $180.00

• Professional members may vote and hold office
• Holds an Illinois Professional Educators License with administrator endorsement, and / or
• Has responsibility for supervising special education or pupil service personnel in public, private or state agency, or
• Is a college faculty whose major responsibility is the professional preparation of educators or administrators of special education / pupil services

Business Associates

• Business, (per individual) or
• Vendor, (per individual) or
• Corporation, (per individual) or
• Private individual marketing a product or service to Illinois education agencies
• Business Associate members may not vote or hold office

Description: Includes conference registration at Professional Membership rate. Membership provides opportunity to advertise in the IAASE newsletter and/or sponsor IAASE social or conference events at additional cost.

Final Option - For Retirees and Aspiring Administrators

Retiree Membership:

• May be employed by or contracted with an educational institution or providing products or services to school districts in a part-time capacity
• Was previously an IAASE Professional Member and retired from full-time work and
• Retired members may vote and complete a term if in an office prior to retirement. May not hold a new office

Aspiring Administrator Membership:

• Member is not in an administrative role
• Aspiring members may vote but not hold office
• Enrolled in a graduate program leading to Administrative or Supervisory endorsement Documentation Required

Description: Includes all member benefits including reduced conference registration fee, newsletters and legislative updates.

Awards & Nominations Seeks Applicants for Ott Scholarships

The Awards and Nominations Committee will be awarding at least one and possibly several scholarship grants of $500 to assist individuals in the pursuit of graduate study leading to improved competency in the administration of special education programs. To be eligible for the Ott Scholarship, individuals must be:

• A member of IAASE and be a student enrolled in an advanced special education or administration program;
• Demonstrating leadership in the Organization and to the field of special education

For additional information about how to apply or be nominated for this scholarship, please click here.

Nominate a Colleague for a Region Award

Nominations are now being accepted for our Regional Awards. Any IAASE member within the region can nominate a colleague who meets the criteria. A letter of nomination must be sent to the region representatives or their designee. The letter of nomination should indicate how the nominee meets the established award criteria.

Regional awardees will be recognized at a regional event and will also be recognized at the IAASE winter conference. They will also have their nominations forwarded to the IAASE awards committee chairperson for consideration for the IAASE Vuillemot, Berto, and/or Trailblazer awards. There are two awards available in each region:

Regional Leadership Award

• Member of IAASE for at least 5 years
• Exhibits strong leadership in the administration of special education programs
• Demonstrates loyalty to colleagues and the professional organization
• Displays commitment and strong professional standards

Regional Trailblazer Award

• Member of IAASE
• Exhibits exemplary service to teachers, students, and the administrative team of his/her organization
• Leads and/or implements innovative practices and approaches including professional development, curriculum, service delivery, program evaluation, methodology, technology, etc.

To nominate yourself or one of your colleagues for these awards, please contact your region representative.

CASE & NCLD Partner to Release Eligibility for Special Education Under a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Classification

Our national organization, CASE, has been working with several other organizations and the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), and we’re excited to announce that their efforts have officially been released as of July 31, 2019!

Together, 11 national organizations (including CEC, the Council of Administrators of Special Education, and the Division for Learning Disabilities) developed Eligibility for Special Education Under a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Classification, which features 8 joint principles to guide the evaluation process for identifying students who have SLD and are eligible for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) .

Visit NCLD’s website to learn more about this exciting work and help improve policies and practices—whether for your own child or for those you serve.

A Few Great Conference Opportunities

There is certainly not a shortage of great professional development coming up in the 2019 - 2020 school year!

CASE/NASDSE Joint Conference

October 27-29, 2019 - Louisville, KY

Join your special education administrative colleagues from the state and national level for the annual CASE conference in Louisville, KY.  We will partner with our National Director Colleagues (NASDSE) for a fantastic event.

Keynote Speakers include Marilyn Friend and Johnny Collett.

Hotel blocks and registration are filling quickly!  Register now at this site (link opens in a new window). 

CEC Annual Convention 

February 5-9, 2020 - Portland, OR  

The CEC Convention is the largest meeting of special education professionals in the world!  You will not want to miss this great event in Portland, OR!  Register by September 30, 2019 to receive a discount on registration! 

Keynote speakers include Sady Paulson and Randy Sprick!

Get registered now at this link.