DEC National Conference 2011

My journey started on Tuesday November 15 - I headed from Cleveland to Washington DC for my first of many meetings.

Sarah Mulligan (DEC executive director) and I had a meeting with our colleagues from NHSA and NAEYC - followed by a great dinner with DEC's President Elect - Bonnie Keilty.


Wednesday was then an opportunity to learn more about the new Part C regulations. Don't forget about the side-by-side document created by CEC, DEC, and ITCA. I also encourage each of you to reach our to your Part C coordinators to see how you might help with implementation of the new regulations.

Wednesday night was the 1st of 2 DEC executive board meetings. We had the great pleasure of meeting with Bruce Ramirez (CEC executive director) and learn more about CEC initiatives and benefits for DEC members.

DEC Board with Bruce Ramirez

DEC's President (Kristie Pretti-Frontczak), Past President (Amy Santos), and President Elect (Bonnie Keilty) during the 2011 November board meeting.

Thursday began with so much excitement as over 60 DEC memberS descended on Capitol Hill. We were taken by bus and then met in the visitor's center where many met with their Senators and House of Representatives. We also learned from DEC's governmental relations consultant Sharon Walsh, CAN coordinator, Sarika Gupta, CEC'S Associate Executive Director, Public Policy and Advocacy, Deb Ziegler, and Lindsay Jones, CEC’s Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy. It was an amazing experience. Be watching for opportunities to organize virtually and enact locally!

Driving to Capitol Hill

Diana Valle-Riestra, DEC Board Member at Large - FL International University

Ohio DEC members, Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, Janet Banks, and Sophie Hubbell with Margie Glick - Senator Sherrod Brown's legislative aide.



The Day on the Hill was "topped" off with an inspiring keynote from Kurt Kondrich who was joined by his wonderful family.

Seated L-R: Kurt Kondrich, father, advocate, and this year's keynote speaker; Dr. Steve Bagnato, past DEC president Dr. Amy Santos, President Elect Dr. Bonnie Keilty, and DEC President Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak.

The remainder of the conference was equally inspiring. There were 100s of opportunities for networking, for learning, and for advocating. Please enjoy this 7 minute video with messages of inspiration and vision as we head to Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 28-31, 2012.

Another reason I'm thankful for DEC

If nothing else - during my tenure as president - I want to share all the amazing things DEC does for its members and the field as a whole. I may have mentioned in earlier posts or to those I meet around the country that an interesting question is....

If DEC were to cease to exist tomorrow, why would we bring it back?

To be honest, I'm not sure a year ago or even 6 months ago I would have had the passionate response I have today. I'm amazed and thankful each and every day regarding the work being done by a whole host of staff and volunteers on behalf of young children and their families.


As further evidence - To help special educators and early interventionists in their monumental task of implementing the updated regulations, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), its Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA) have released a side-by-side comparison of the 2011 final Part C regulations, published on Sept. 28, to Part C regulations from 1999.

Once again - DEC and its partners are guiding implementation and interpretation of policy efforts at the national, state, and local level...just wait until you review this 267 page document!

Want to join our adovocacy efforts? Join us for a Day on the Hill. The day includes tips from Sharon Walsh (DEC's Governmental Relations Consultant) and CEC Policy and Advocacy staff, briefings from Capitol Hill staff, and an opportunity to visit with Senators and Representatives from your state. When you register, you will receive information about setting up appointments. A required webinar in early November will help you be prepared for this amazing policy experience. No experience is necessary. If you are a skilled advocate, DEC Capitol Hill Day is the perfect time to support our early childhood agenda and make sure our voice is heard. If you have never visited Capitol Hill but have a passion for working with young children and their families, this is your chance to make a difference.

As always....more to follow, and of course you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

What a day in Washington DC

I'm always thinking about blogging and actually have a few good things to blog about; however, finding the time is always hard. But - as I sit in a Startbucks in Washington DC (feeling like Carrie from Sex in the City as I construct my blog entry :)....

....I've finally found a minute to reflect on my past few months as president of DEC.

That said, I only have a few clicks left on my laptop battery and just can't type fast or well enough on my ipad or iphone so I'll keep my reflections brief.

My biggest reflection or ah ha...is that we have an amazing organization. I never realized all that goes on (daily) on behalf of young children with disabilities, their families, and those who serve them.


The staff and board members, not to mention all of the volunteers who participate on the LACs each year, members who keep our SIGs up and going [check out our EI SIG], our amazing subdivisions, and all those who share their knowledge through various PD efforts, etc.....work non stop each and every day (and many times at night) to further our collective mission.

I hope each of you will take a minute to appreciate your membership with DEC and encourage others to be part of these very exciting times~

My other reflection is that now is such an great time to be President of DEC. Today I get to be involved in two amazing opportunities. First, I was honored to visit OSEP with Sharon Walsh (DEC's governmental consultant) and Sarah Mulligan (DEC's Executive Director).


We visited with Ruth Ryder, Gregg Corr, and Larry Wexler...where we had an opportunity to share the important work of DEC and find ways to continue the strong partnership we have with OSEP.

Later today I'll be co-presenting with members of NAEYC at the National Head Start Leadership meeting here in DC. I'll have the opportunity to promote the joint position paper on inclusion and hopefully share a few strategies to increase access, participation, and progress of all young children.
Great fun and meaningful work...who could ask for more?

to be continued....
KPF
DEC President 2011-2012

So my term as DEC president officially began on July 1st (so thankful to Amy's leadership and the support of the current executive board as I begin this journey)....and one of my responsibilities is to continue the blog Amy started this past year.

I've been reluctant to post - not knowing quite the flavor or tenor my posts should take. Ihave, however, found (in my short time as president) that critical thinking as well as time for reflection and consideration is a necessity!



....yet finding the time for such activities is proving to be difficult. Thus, I've decided to treat the blog (to some extent) as I do my teaching blog - as a place where I ponder out loud, never expecting a response, but hoping that in my efforts to put words to my thoughts, that my actions might be on target.

So, if you are following the blog - thanks and I hope you won't mind my ramblings...though, I intend to follow Amy's lead and also use the blog to keep our members up to date regarding various board and DEC member activities.

My thoughts this weekend center on two questions (no responses or answers necessary but both are welcome)...


First, "What are we here for?" In other words, what is DEC here for? Sure...we can read our mission statement, we can review our policies and handbooks, we can even talk to members and gain some insight. But if DEC were to stop existing tomorrow, what would be our motivation and rationale for bringing it back? As I try to answer this first question, a second comes to mind. If the DEC executive board is to represent the members, how are we determining or verifying member values and member needs? In other words, I can form my own opinions regarding the importance of DEC as an organization, I can turn to past presidents and members with stronger organizational history than me to validate the important role DEC has played - but.....

• How am I as the current president representing the members?
  
• Do I need more or different data?
  
• Do we need to utilize different modes of communication?
  
• Do we need a different agenda or greater visibility?
  
• Do we need to strengthen our subdivisions or maybe our membership benefits?

Well, as with most of my posts, one questions leads to a thousand others; however, sometimes, by asking the stream of questions - I find an answer. One answer that keeps coming back to me is that I/we need data. We talk all the time about practitioners needing to be data driven and we try our best to provide data to decision makers at the state and national level - so we too as an organization need to be data driven. We need to make the time to gather, document, summarize, analyze, and interpret - particularly based upon the needs of our members and the field at large. No small task...yet we know the benefits of such critical actions.

So as I'm reading this summer's best seller (ha - just a little light reading the DEC executive board has taken on)...
I'm going to try and find answers and even some data to clarify why we (DEC) are here, why our existence is important, and what data are needed to best interpret the needs and preferences of members and the field. One thing that has struck me thus far as I've read about policy governance is actually in line with the 2011 Conference - and is about "transforming diverse voices into a single voice".

It strikes me that more than ever, we need an organization of diverse members (like DEC) to speak on behalf of young children and their families - and more importantly to take the diverse ideas of our members and speak to policy makers and other decision makers with a single (and loud) voice regarding the importance of our collective work.

It also strikes me that now more than ever we need to work closely with other organizations (e.g., Zero to Three, NAEYC, NAHS, etc. etc.) to again - transform diverse voices into a single voice in an effort to make the greatest amount of change and impact.

Well...likely enough thinking for a Saturday afternoon (actually enough avoidance of my long to do list) - so more to follow as I embark upon this year long journey. For sure, I'll continue to think about how I/we can use data to make sound decisions and continue to move our organization and field forward.

I hope each of you will encourage your students, colleagues, office mates, and friends to join our blog or follow us on facebook and perhaps as you begin to answer the two questions on my mind - you'll decide to renew your membership or invite others to join - recognizing from your own perspective, the important role DEC plays!

DEC Partners with Other Groups to Host the 8th National Training Institute on Effective Practices Supporting Young Children's Social and Emotional Development

Over the last 8 years, DEC has worked in partnership with the Center on Social Emotional Foundations in Early Learning (CSEFEL), the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI), and various national organizations, including NAEYC, NACCRRA, NABE, NHSA, NASMHPD, PACER Center, ITCA, IDEA 619 Consortium, and NASDSE, to host the National Training Institute on Effective Practices Supporting Young Children's Social and Emotional Development.

The Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach continues to be a wonderful location for NTI

As in years past, the 2011 conference was packed with high quality sessions and activities that (borrowing the words of Dr. Barbara Smith), produced the highest level of discourse ever for this conference. 

 

NTI attendees received a padfolio filled with 

excellent information and resources

The program this year included State Day Activities which hosted all of the various states both CSEFEL and TACSEI work with to increase their capacity to support professional and policy development that promote social and emotional development and address challenging behaviors.

This is one of those conferences where attendees work hard, make the most of their time networking and learning new skills presented at each of the 3-hour long workshops.

On Thursday (the first full day of sessions), monsoon-like weather came through for much of the day. There was even a tornado (or two) that touched down a few miles from our conference site!

Check out the next three photos below. I took these photos of the back side of the Sheraton that flooded after the rainstorm!

The tent covers were submerged in rain water and pumps had to be brought in to remove the water.

 This is the view of the hotel from the beach --- 

to get to the beach we had to trek through ankle deep water!

The opening night reception was suppose to be held in these tent areas but the weather was definitely not cooperative that day!

Even after the glorious Florida sun came out on Friday and Saturday, the sessions continued to be at full capacity. One of my favorite things about this conference is it's "intimate" atmosphere  -- this year there were about 580 attendees and presenters. There were at least 6 sessions to choose from for each 3-hour block session.

 Dr. Patricia McDaid traveled from Alaska to share her work on culturally relevant practices using the Pyramid Model with the Alaskan communities

 A sample of a fun activity at one of the sessions. 

This is all about children after all!

 As an attendee, this note on the door was not a "welcome" site for some of the sessions. 

Good thing there were many more sessions that attendees could choose from!

A comment from an attendee after she attended just her first session, "The session I attended was phenomenal! If it was the only session I could attend, I feel the conference had been worth it!" 

The energy throughout the conference was amazing.

One thing that truly makes this a successful conference is the partnerships among the Centers and the national organizations. It is unlike other conferences in that each of the partners have come together to bond on a common commitment to promote children's social and emotional development.

Thank you CSEFEL, TACSEI, DEC, NAEYC, NACCRRA, NABE, NHSA, NASMHPD, PACER Center, ITCA, IDEA 619 Consortium, and NASDSE for showing how collaborations can truly work and produce great outcomes!!

Kudos to Drs. Lise Fox and Mary Louise Hemmeter for leading the charge and to the dedicated DEC Staff -- Sarah, Cynthia, and Natalie for all their hard work!!

See you next year in Clearwater Beach! 

Mark your calendars today -- March 28-31, 2012!!

World connections...

Tragedies such as the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan reminds us that we are part of a larger world. I know that we have many DEC members and colleagues in the EI, ECSE, and ECE fields who have personal and professional connections to the international communities most recently affected by war and tragedies including recent ones in New Zealand, Japan, Libya, Egypt, and many more.

While the majority of our membership are based in the US, the reach of our work goes beyond our country's borders.

As an international organization, we recognize the impact these tragic situations have on our members but most importantly on young children and families living in these communities. In your own small way, I encourage you to lend a hand and show your support for our colleagues, friends, and families most affected by these tragedies.

Special Interest Groups

DEC members can now align themselves through Special Interest Groups that are emerging and forming within DEC based on members' interests on specific topics and focus. 

SIGs are part of the restructured DEC Governance 

to provide a "home" within a home for all DEC members.

Currently, there are five SIGs that have been presented to and approved by the DEC Board:

1. Research (DEC Board Liaisons: Greg Cheatham and Megan Purcell) 
2. Professional Development (DEC Board Liaison: Kristie Pretti-Frontczac)
3. Subdivision (DEC Board Liaisons: Lisa Backer and Kristie Pretti-Frontczac)
4. Children's Action Network (DEC CAN Coordinator: Sari Gupta)
5. Early Intervention (DEC Board Liaison: Bonnie Keilty)

NOW is a  great time to be part of these groups as you can help shape and provide direction for them. 

Each SIG is provided with logistical support by the DEC Executive Office. For example, DEC staff members can help SIGs set up a listserv, dedicate a page of the DEC Website, or arrange a meeting space at the DEC annual conference.



 A member of the DEC Board also serves as a liaison for each of the SIGs to allow for direct communication between SIGs and the DEC Board. The liaison's main job is to bring back to the DEC Board issues, concerns, and recommendations from each of the SIGs. The DEC Board liaisons are not expected to lead the SIGs. It is hoped that SIG leaders would emerge from members. I included above the names of the liaisons for each of the existing SIGs. Feel free to contact them to find out more about each of the SIGs

Other than the liaisons from the DEC Board and the Executive Office, no other organizational structure is required for the SIGs. Thus each SIG can develop and form based on their members' needs. For example, a SIG can elect a chair to facilitate activities as they deem necessary, or maybe not.

I hear that a Student SIG is being planned -- this is really exciting! If you are interested in forming a SIG, it's really easy. You just need to contact one of the DEC Board members or the DEC Executive Staff to complete a Request for Board Action (RBA), which will then be submitted to the DEC Board for discussion and approval.

Find your home within our DEC home today...

Form a SIG

Join a SIG!