Dear Teachers,

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

This week's newsletter

Is made just for you!

Inside this edition, you’ll find updates, resources, and opportunities designed to support you and the incredible students you serve.

With gratitude and appreciation,

💌 Your Special Education DPF Team

📢 Pilot Selection Update

Participants have now been notified of their selection status for the Everyday Speech & RethinkEd pilots.

Emails have now been sent to all individuals who expressed interest in the Everyday Speech & RethinkEd pilots, whether or not they were selected.

What to Expect

Please review the key dates and participation expectations below:

Vendor-Supported Introduction & Orientation (Synchronous)

• 📆 February 17

• ⏱️ 30 minutes or less

• Purpose: Overview of Everyday Speech, RethinkEd support, and pilot participation

• ⏰ Exact time coming soon

Onboarding & Professional Development (completed after brief orientation)

• Completed asynchronously

• Estimated time commitment: 90 minutes or less

• Must be completed by February 24

• Asynchronous PD on February 17 is not required, but completion of PD is expected

⚠️ Important Participation Note

If you are unable to commit to completing onboarding and professional development by February 24, please consider opting out of the pilot.

Consistent participation and feedback are critical for informed decision-making, and there are willing participants who were not selected.

Additional pilot-specific guidance and details will be shared soon.

💬 Questions?

Please reach out to tyler.jachim@mpls.k12.mn.us with any questions or concerns you may have: tyler.jachim@mpls.k12.mn.us
More information will be shared soon.

📣 Coming Soon: $100 Kits are on their way🎉

🌱 Social-Emotional & Wellness Support for Staff and Students

Trauma Toolkit – RethinkEd

Recognizing the emotional demands educators and students may be experiencing, RethinkEd is offering free access to a Trauma Toolkit designed to support emotional safety, connection, and resilience. This is a component of the program that we will be piloting in February.

The toolkit includes:

• Staff resources on coping with trauma, grief, and compassion fatigue

• Short, developmentally appropriate student lessons (3–7 minutes)

• Guidance for community circles and reflective discussions

• A suggested 6-week implementation sequence that can be adapted based on site needs

• Materials available for all grade levels, accessed through Clever

📘 Access the Trauma Toolkit:  RethinkEd's Trauma Toolkit
RethinkEd Trauma ToolkitThese resources are optional and may be used in ways that best align with your students, staff, and school context.

💻Online Learning extended until April 6th

MPS is planning to continue online learning through April 6th for families that need it. 

Families that are participating in temporary online learning have the opportunity to return to in person on Wednesday, February 18th.

Families will need to let us know by Tuesday, February 10th if they'd like to continue with online learning to allow enough time for processing. Click here for a script to use with your families if you are the main contact.

Due process documentation for families that would like to remain online until April, 6th.

For families that would like their student to remain on line, case managers should call parent(s)/guardians to discuss this change and document it in the following two ways.

1. Send out a new Prior Written Notice (PWN) similar to one you used for the first online learning period, updating the dates of remaining online until March 26th and returning for in person learning on April 6th.

2. Document this phone call and change in Edplan due process contacts. 

🚨Third Party Billing Reminder🚨

Accurate attendance is essential for not only securing funding but also for safety. If a student is marked absent while they were in attendance and they received health related services on that day, we aren’t able to receive any reimbursement for those services. Please make sure that if a student is initially marked absent due to arriving late that their attendance record is updated to reflect the time that they are in school. Similarly, if a student leaves early, please make sure that they are not marked absent for the entire day. 

👉To learn more about Third Party Billing see click here.

Revocation of Consent for Special Education Services

Please send all revocation of consent for special education requests to Amanda McCastle during Director Katie Cruz's LOA, beginning 2/2/26.

Responding to Requests to Observe or Support Students in the Classroom

From time to time, caregivers will request that they or a third-party service provider be permitted to observe or support a student with an IEP in the school setting. These requests are most appropriately fielded by the child’s IEP team, who can make an individualized determination based on the needs of the student. Accordingly, requests of this nature should be directed to the student’s case manager who can convene relevant members of the student’s IEP team to discuss and consider the request. A blanket prohibition on classroom observations and support would be contrary to the state and federal law, which require schools to consider parental input and individualize programming for students with qualifying disabilities. If school teams have further questions, please contact your building administrator.

Special Education Assistant (SEA) Cadre

As we continue to add members to our SEA Cadre team, please fill out the form linked below to request SEA Cadre support.. SEA Cadre serve four functions: 

1. Attendance - Provide Special Educational Assistants (SEAs) with a substitute while they are out on a paid leave of absence, vacation, or sick.

2. Burst of Service - Provide short-term intervention to implement an Evidence Based Practice to support a student in stabilizing in the environment.

3. Temporary Additional Adult Assistants - When needs for SEA support in a school increase due to student placements or other changes, SEA Cadre can provide short-term support for an individual student or for a program, based on an identified need, while the school team completes the Additional Adult Assistants (AAA) request process. 

4. Vacancies - If there is availability, SEA Cadre can provide support to cover an SEA vacancy.

Please make your request online using the SEA Cadre Request Form 1-2 weeks in advance. SEA Cadre are generally assigned on Fridays for the following week based on needs across the district. Buildings should use internal staff to meet needs first. SEA Cadre support is not guaranteed. For questions, please contact Andrew.Meierding@mpls.k12.mn.us and Roy.Mcpipe@mpls.k12.mn.us 

💸Special Education Funding Opportunity

We are pleased to announce an opportunity for special education teachers to submit proposals or requests for grant funding to support student learning.

This funding is intended to support innovative instructional strategies, instructional materials, technology, or programs that directly enhance outcomes for students who receive special education services. Educators are encouraged to propose ideas that address specific student needs, promote access to the curriculum, and support individualized learning goals.

Eligible applicants include all special education staff. Proposals should clearly describe the intended use of funds, the students who will benefit, and how the request will support student learning. If you have an idea you’d like to explore but need support refining it, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We look forward to reviewing your ideas and supporting your work with students.

All submissions will be reviewed by a committee and awarded based on fund availability.

Click here to apply