Wisconsin Personnel Development System (WPDS)--E-Newsletter 1/15/09

Parent Leadership Hub Weekly E-Newsletter for January 15, 2009

The attached "Parent Leadership Hub" Weekly Email Update is sent to you from WSPEI and WI FACETS. The Parent Leadership Hub supports parents/family members, educators and other community partners to build capacity regarding meaningful family involvement.
The Hub serves three primary purposes:
(1) To support parents of children with disabilities between birth and 26 years of age to participate as partners in the professional development activities of each of the other Statewide Initiatives as they design, deliver and support professional development experiences; and
(2) To facilitate opportunities for parents/family members to build leadership skills; and
(3) To provide Content Focused technical assistance concerning family involvement.

Seeking Call for “Parents in Partnership” Proposals 2009-2010
With a new year upon us, it is time to begin planning for "Parents in Partnership" trainings for the 2009-2010 year. The 2009-2010 “Call for Parents in Partnership” proposal can be downloaded at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/hmnew.html or http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/par_traing.html .

Parents in Partnership (PIP) is a four or five part leadership opportunity for parents, foster parents, or other care givers who have children with special needs, 6-14 years old or youth with special needs 12-21 years old. Parents who participate have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, support networks, and positive parent-professional partnerships. PIP is sponsored by the Wisconsin Statewide Parent-Educator Initiative (WSPEI) of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction through federal special education discretionary funds. These proposals can be submitted from communities or parent groups that would like to host a Parents in Partnership training. A limited number of PIP trainings will be provided. Groups making a request must be able to identify 12 or more parents who have not attended a PIP and are willing to commit 4 to 5 weekends during the school year to the training. A weekend includes Friday 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The parents will have children or youth who have special needs who are in one of the age groups described above. Training for parents of 12-21 year olds will focus on transitioning from school to adult goals and services.

Please Note: Parents who have attended a regular PIP for children 6-14 years of age can attend a transition PIP for youth ages 12-21. Parents who have already attended a transition PIP cannot attend YiPPE (Youth in Partnership with Parents for Empowerment).

Proposals must be submitted by March 17, 2009 to:
WSPEI
Martha DeYoung
P.O. Box 564
Portage, WI 53901
608/742-8814 ext. 25
deyoungm@cesa5.k12.wi.us
The Communities of Practice on Transition
The Communities of Practice on Transition for parents will have its first
meeting from 10:00-12:00 on February 3, 2009 at the Wisconsin Reference and Loan Library, 2109 South Stoughton Road, Madison 53716 (bring a sack Lunch) They are looking for educators, parents in rural areas, youth, and county agencies. Call Sherry Gundlach at CESA #6 if you have any questions at 1-800-884-8746.
Vacation Options for the Disabled Presentations & Fair
HearthStone presents Vacation Options for the Disabled Presentations and Fair. Thursday, February 5th – 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Rocca Room at Sheboygan’s Mead Public Library. Each presenter will talk some about their opportunities and then will have a table with additional information and questions. For more information, contact HearthStone of Wisconsin at 920-451-3179.
Assistive Technology on DPI Website
The Assistive Technology (AT) page at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/asst_tch.html recently was redesigned. The new page includes regulations about AT in school, terminology used in AT, Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) AT Tools and Forms, the link to the Statewide AT Lending Library, and Assistive Technology Resources on the World Wide Web.
Mobility International USA Videos
Mobility International USA (MIUSA) has a collection of five videos about their international exchange projects on their Web site. All titles are available in DVD format for purchase or can be viewed as YouTube video clips on MIUSA's or YouTube's Web site. Please see http://www.miusa.org/publications/videos
SpecialQuest Multimedia Training Library
SpecialQuest, funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has released an online library of multimedia training materials. There are three categories of resources: (1) Including Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; (2) Building Relationships with Families; and (3) Collaboration and Training. Each of these modules includes materials and videos in English and Spanish. Go to http://76.249.171.46/specialquest/trainingmaterials/index.lasso
Technology for Improving Websites
Google provides a free analytics tool to help Web site owners gain information about the users of their site. Google Analytics provides information on how visitors find, and navigate through, a Web site. For information see http://www.google.com/analytics/index.html
Books From TA ALLIANCE
A number of books and booklets of interest to parents of children with disabilities are available from the ALLIANCE of Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs). Please see http://www.taalliance.org/publications/books.asp
Resources on the New ADA Amendment Act
The new ADAA becomes effective on January 1, 2009. While the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has not yet completed the regulations for the new legislation, the Job Accommodation Network has developed a publication and a resource page featuring information that is currently available about the Act. The new publication is called JAN's Accommodation and Compliance Series: The ADA Amendments Act of 2008. ) It will be periodically updated as additional information is made public and can be found at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/LINKS/adalinks.htm

ADA AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2008: POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The Association on Higher Education and Disability also has resources on their website about ADAA and its implications for providing accommodations for students with disabilities. These resources can be found at http://ahead.org/resources/government-relations
WI FACETS 2009 Continuous Learning Opportunities Training Schedule
Go to http://www.wifacets.org/events.htm to view the calendar of training events.
WI FACETS (Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training, and Support) continues to provide educational opportunities for families who have children with special needs and to others who provide support and services. Registration is required for all workshops. Contact Sandra McFarland: 877-374-0511 or smcfarland@wifacets.org . Requests for any special accommodations must be made at least 2 weeks before the event. WI FACETS-sponsored workshops are free. Fees for attending workshops sponsored by other groups are noted. Some stipends may be available to parents to help support their attendance at WI FACETS-sponsored workshops (as, to help with child care, transportation).

DISCLAIMER
Inclusion of information in this e-mail does not constitute an endorsement by the Wisconsin Statewide Parent-Educator Initiative, Wisconsin FACETS, the Department of Public Instruction, the U.S. Department of Education, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.