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What Role Does a Principal Have in Special Education Programs? – AcceliBEAT Weekly Round Up

October 19, 2018

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In this week’s round up we look at the role principals play in managing special education programs from a variety of perspectives. In policy news, the Education Department announced the selection of Laurie VanderPloeg, a special education administrator from Michigan, to lead the federal office of special education programs. Her priority when she takes office will be on special education teacher shortages and helping states recruit and retain more professionals. In other news, for the first time, a professional athlete with disabilities has signed a contract with Nike, Miami-Dade Country Public Schools works to meet the needs of their 35,000 students with disabilities by providing a variety of special programs, and a new federal report finds that children with developmental disabilities are far more likely to miss school. All this and more in this week’s AcceliBEAT!


Michigan Administrator Tapped to Oversee Federal Special Education Programs

Laurie VanderPloeg, a special education administrator from the Grand Rapids, Mich., area, has been chosen to lead the federal office of special education programs, the Department of Education announced Thursday.



Emotional Video Shows Nike Surprising a University of Oregon Runner Who Has Cerebral Palsy with a Professional Contract

Justin Gallegos has signed a three-year running contract with Nike to become the brand’s first professional athlete with cerebral palsy.



The Important Role Principals Play in Special Education

Principals who effectively manage special education in their schools have to be one part lawyer, one part counselor—and a little bit fearless.



NIH Boosts Down Syndrome Research Funding

The National Institutes of Health said this month that it has awarded $22.2 million to studying Down syndrome and related issues.



School’s Cafe Teaches Job Skills to Students With Disabilities

There are 35,000 students with disabilities in Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the school district tries to meet their needs with a myriad of programs, such as one school teaching job skills.



School Absences More Frequent for Kids with Disabilities

Children with developmental disabilities are far more likely to be missing a lot of school, according to a new federal report, with those who have certain conditions at especially high risk.



apple with report card4 Ways That Students and Families Are Getting Lost in an Avalanche of Confusing Information from Their Schools

There’s no shortage of evidence that America’s public schools aren’t working as well as they should for all families. Why is this happening?





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