Events and News

SFUSD Special Education Updates

4/05/20 - Letter to families regarding distance learning plans and special education assessments

3/23/20 - Letter to special education families about mandatory school closure.

Special Education Community Event Calendar

May Activities - Access to Adventure with Support for Families

Moving in May! Access to Adventure with Support for Families

Support for Families is moving our annual Access to Adventure event online, where recreational, arts, or cultural organizations will be leading an activity and talking about their programs over Zoom. Access to Adventure will give your children a chance to experience adventures you may not have thought possible, while keeping your entire family Moving in May! Join the Access to Adventure Facebook Page to share a story or picture that shows how your family is staying active!

May 28 @ 6:30pm - Community Advisory Committee General Meeting

May 28 - Community Advisory Committee General Meeting

MEETING TOPIC - SFUSD Special Education Annual Budget, Annual Service Plan and Local Plan
Thursday 

Thursday, May 28 from 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM 
* This meeting will be held by Zoom. To get the Zoom invite join the CAC email list by emailing cacspedsf@gmail.com. Put "Add to mailing list" in the Subject.

May 21 @ 4pm - Join Dr. Greene for a Fireside Chat

These are the times that try everyone's souls. If you're a parent, you're trying to manage your kids 24/7, you're trying to supervise remote learning, all while trying to get work done (remotely or otherwise) for your day job. If you're an educator, you're trying to help your students learn under less-than-ideal circumstances. That's a lot of trying. We'd like to try too, with a special fireside chat with Dr. Greene to answer your questions about how to manage it all and share your creative solutions. The chat will be on Thursday, May 21st, at 7 pm ET, and it's free too. Sign up here, and submit your questions and comments here.

May 9 @ 10:30 am & May 13 @ 6pm - Webinar: Emotional Safety, Boundary-Setting, and Advocacy Skills for Parents of Kids with Disabilities

May 9 & May 13 - Webinar: Emotional Safety, Boundary-Setting, and Advocacy Skills for Parents of Kids with Disabilities

Saturday May 9 - 10:30-11:30am (English and Cantonese)
Wednesday, May 13 - 6:00-7:00pm (English and Spanish)
Many parents of children with challenging needs are struggling with no breaks and loss of important support while parenting, figuring out how to provide for their families, and working. Their kids are struggling with the trauma of the sudden loss of important people, routines, and different kinds of therapy that are important to their well being. This workshop will provide strategies and skills to help parents of families in this hard situation to protect their own emotional well being, reduce conflict, redirect unsafe behavior, communicate about boundaries, and get help.

May 4 @ 7pm: Online Conversation with Kristin Wright, Parent & California State Director of Special Education 

May 4: Online Conversation with Kristin Wright, Parent & California State Director of Special Education 

Webinar on 5/4/20 - 7:00PM
Join the California Parent Training and Information Centers as Kristin Wright answers frequently asked questions from families raising children with special needs about the COVID-19 impact on services, working with IEP teams, and student progress while sheltering-in-place.

Special Education in the News

Secretary DeVos Forgoes Waiving Disability Law Amid School Closures

Education Secretary DeVos decided against passing “ any additional waiver authority,” writing, “While the Department has provided extensive flexibility to help schools transition, there is no reason for Congress to waive any provision designed to keep stu
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A Guide to COVID-19 and Early Childhood Development

From Harvard University: The global response to Covid 19 has changed daily life in many ways for many people. Yet child development has not paused, and supporting children, families, and care providers of all kinds is as important as ever.
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Temple Grandin Has Some Great Tips to Help Kids With Autism Cope During the Coronavirus Quarantine

To commemorate National Autism Awareness Month in April, international autism expert Temple Grandin spoke to Parade.com about how parents and caregivers can help their families thrive during this unprecedented time of isolation.
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EdSource: Disability rights groups, school administrators spar over possible changes to special education laws

As schools scramble to teach students with disabilities during the school closures, a coalition of more than 70 disability rights organization is urging the federal government to uphold special education laws despite the challenges of online education.
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Edutopia: New Strategies in Special Education for Working from Home

In special education, teachers say that schedules, sensory supports, and close collaboration with families can help smooth the transition to remote learning during coronavirus.
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College Student Makes Masks for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

A college senior from Versailles put her stir-craziness to good use with a project that will help the deaf and hard of hearing community.
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SF Chronicle: Bay Area students with special needs more at risk during the coronavirus closures

For the state’s 725,000 students with special needs, the closure of classrooms for a five-month stretch will not mean the absence of just academics, but also of critical therapy and specialized services that they can’t get from home.
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Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) Time Off for IEP Meetings

On August 8, 2019, Department of Labor (DOL) released an opinion letter on when parents can take Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) time off for IEP meetings.
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