Wisconsin Personnel Development System (WPDS)

Parent Leadership Hub Weekly E-Newsletter for June 18,2009

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.

Parent/Personnel Development Opportunities

1. 20th Children Come First Conference
   November 16 & 17, 2009 at the Kalahari Resorts & Convention Center, 1305 Kalahari Drive, Wisconsin Dells, WI
   Theme this year: Ready, Set, Relationship! Featuring 2 Keynote Speakers/Workshop Presenters: Barry Duncan, Psy,D., therapist, trainer, researcher and Co-Director of the Institute for the Study of Therapeutic Change. His latest self-help book, What’s Right With You, will be the basis for his talk and break out session.
   
   Lucille Eber, Ed.D., State Director of the Illinois Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Network. Dr. Eber coordinates technical assistance and evaluation related to school-wide PBIS in over 900 IL schools. Plenary Speakers and Presenters: Mother & Son Duo – Sherri & Brad Luthe
   More information will be available After July 15, 2009 at: www.wifamilyties.org
   
   

Family Involvement Resources

1. Video Contest to Promote People with Disabilities and Employment
   The Can YOU Do? Video Contest is an opportunity for young – and young-at-heart - filmmakers to promote positive change by illustrating that at work, its what people CAN do that matters. Any type of video can be submitted serious, surprising, or even funny. To be creative!
   
   To enter to win, please go to: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/videocontest/
   See the promo video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_5cBKfyRHk
   
   The contest is sponsored by the Campaign for Disability Employment, a collaborative effort to promote the talent and skills that people with disabilities bring to Americas workforce and economy. The Campaign for Disability Employment, a newly formed collaborative of leading disability organizations, is sponsoring the What Can YOU Do?
   Online video contest to promote the talent and skills that people with disabilities bring to Americas workforce and economy.  The contest is an opportunity for young - and young-at-heart - filmmakers to promote positive change by illustrating that at work, its what people CAN do that matters. The Campaign is looking for creative, fun, compelling video public service announcements, of all genres, that will create positive images of people with disabilities at work and help viewers re-think their assumptions about people with disabilities and employment.  To learn more and to enter, visit www.jan.wvu.edu/videocontest.
2. Graduation Requirements and Diploma Options for Students with Disabilities
   This InfoBrief explores the importance of making informed decisions about diploma options, understanding the consequences of graduating with different types of diplomas as well as the need for youth, families, and Individual Education Program (IEP) teams to consider these issues early http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/info_briefs/infobrief_issue22.pdf
3. Positive Behavior Interventions
   DPI is beginning the implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports in Wisconsin. You can learn more about this RtI approach to student behavior and discipline at www.dpi.state.wi.us/rti/pbis.html. A 4-page overview of PBIS for Wisconsin is also available at www.dpi.state.wi.us/rti/pdf/pbisoverview.pdf
4. Three New Q&A IDEA Documents
   Below are links to three new Q&A documents recently posted on the IDEA.ed.gov Web site.
   
   Questions and Answers on Discipline Procedures: http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdynam
   ic%2CQaCorner%2C7%2C
   
   Questions and Answers on Disproportionality: http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdynamic%
   2CQaCorner%2C9%2C
   
   Questions and Answers on Secondary Transition: http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdyna
   mic%2CQaCorner%2C10%2C
   
   

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.