The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and the RESC Alliance invite parents of students with disabilities to participate in regional forums to obtain feedback and input on special education systems, processes, and services. 

These regional forums will provide parents with the opportunity to share their experiences with the Special Education Bureau Chief in a structured environment to discuss the most pressing needs of the special education community in Connecticut.

The parent forums will consist of group conversations facilitated by special educators from Connecticut’s Regional Education Service Centers (RESCs). The forums were planned with the intent of being responsive to the needs of the participants, however facilitators may ask for feedback on specific special education issues in order to inform the State Advisory Committee on Special Education (SAC) and the CSDE’s Bureau of Special Education. The forums will also serve as an opportunity for parents to shape future training activities. While the forums will not necessarily address circumstances specific to individual students and families, Parent Consultants from The CT Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC), and other experts will be on-hand to offer guidance and suggestions.

There will be a morning (9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
and an evening (6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.) session for each forum.

Oct. 3 — LEARN
LOCATION
LEARN
44 Hatchetts Hill Rd.
Old Lyme, CT 06371

Oct. 4 — ACES
LOCATION
ACES Staff Development
205 Skiff St.
Hamden, CT 06517

Oct. 15 — EASTCONN
LOCATION
EASTCONN
376 Hartford Turnpike
Hampton, CT 06247

Oct. 16—EDADVANCE
EdAdvance
355 Goshen Road
Litchfield, CT 06759

Nov. 7 — CREC
LOCATION
Hosted by CREC at the Chrysalis Center
255 Homestead Avenue
Hartford, CT 06112

Nov. 8 — C.E.S.
LOCATION
C.E.S.
25 Oakview Drive
Trumbull, CT 06611

REGISTER HERE.

School staff are increasingly challenged to effectively meet the needs of youths with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Tight budgets, high-stakes testing, and Zero Tolerance policies haven't made the task any easier.  By the time these youths end up in juvenile detention and treatment settings, they are often alienated, disenfranchised, and marginalized and have lost faith in those trying to help them. 

This conference is about how to start moving things in the right direction, and features cutting-edge interventions and dynamic speakers, including Dr. Ross Greene, psychologist and New York Timesbestselling author of The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings and Founding Director of Lives in the Balance.  The conference also features a screening of excerpts from the forthcoming documentary film, produced by Lives in the Balance, The Kids We Lose.

It's two full days you won't want to miss, filled with invaluable information and practical, innovative ideas and intervention strategies. And you can earn up to 12 CE's!  To register, go here. 

Note from Diane:  I attended this conference last year, and it was amazing.  So often we focus on the "behavior" of the student and not enough on what is underlying the behavior.  This conference provides information about how to assess and support students in a more in-depth and effective way.