Professional Development on Inclusion eNews, December 2008
A regular email newsletter and update from the National Professional Development Center on Inclusion
December 2008
Happy New Year and See You Online in 2009
We wanted to take time out to provide a special thank you to all of you. Hundreds of you have taken the time out of your busy lives to help begin building an integrated approach to providing professional development to support inclusion across many states. We look forward to working with you more in the coming year and watching our community grow and flourish. Happy New Year and see you online in 2009.
Tremendous Feedback on the Inclusion Position Statement
The comment period for the joint position statement on early childhood inclusion closed on December 15, 2008. We received well over 700 responses and are currently in the process of reading and considering each suggestion. Thank you. We hope you will return to the Early Childhood Community site in January for information on what we learned and details about the evolving definition and position statement.
Speaking of Inclusion
Visit the NPDCI’s blog “Speaking of Inclusion..." Each week we invite your comments on inclusion insights, stories and resources.
This week's blog post:
Have Your Say on Obama's Early Childhood Platform
by Pam Winton
Obama's pledge of $10 billion to support early education has stirred excitement among the early childhood community. One of the exciting aspects of his early childhood platform is that it is based on research findings that demonstrate positive results from investments in early intervention (e.g., The Abecedarian Project). The willingness to link policy decisions to research findings is a welcome change and one that we expect will continue. With that in mind, we hope that the administration will consult research to ensure that early childhood programs are of high quality and appropriate for all children, including those with disabilities. The new administration has invited comments about their platform. If you have ideas or want to advocate for a position, here is a chance to have your say.
Read More \ Comment on this posting
Recent Blog Postings:
- Obama Administration Support for Early Childhood Education
What evidence do you hope the president-elect will consider in designing policies for early childhood education? - Supporting Parents as Partners
The involvement of parents and family members of young children with disabilities is integral to early childhood field and inclusion. - Facilitating a Community of Practice
Do you keep hearing the term “community of practice” and wonder what it really means?
Quick Poll
The inauguration is just a few weeks away, so we are returning to a prior poll:
"Do you think the attention given to children with disabilities by the presidential campaigns will translate into policy improvements post-election?" Yes, No or Uncertain?
"Word of Mouse"
Your word is better than ours. Forward this issue to a colleague and let them know about the work our community is doing.
This newsletter is a monthly mailing from the National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI).
