Upcoming Trainings

First Nations students in some Wisconsin school districts are identified at higher than expected rates as requiring Special Education services and supports. Understanding more about the Nations your students may come from or be affiliated with can help educators develop better partnerships with parents to provide students with the best possible free and appropriate public education. Discussion about potential sources of bias and stereotypes will be included.

Learning Objectives:

• Find out where to learn about Wisconsin’s First Nations
• Become more knowledgeable about reasons why First Nations students may be mis-identified as requiring an IEP
• Have the opportunity for participants to reflect on what they want to learn and do next

Presenters: Eva Kubinski is a school administration consultant on the Special Education Team at WI DPI. One of her areas of responsibility is supporting American Indian students with IEPs and David O’Connor is the American Indian Studies Program Consultant at the WI DPI. Mr. O’Connor is originally from and is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe) in northern Wisconsin.

Es importante que los padres y el personal de la escuela resuelvan los problemas relacionados con el IEP rápidamente cuando surjan. La mediación es una forma útil de abordar un punto muerto o una disputa. Este taller incluye información sobre los servicios de mediación gratuitos disponibles del Sistema de Mediación de Educación Especial de WI (“WSEMS” para abreviar); leyes federales y estatales relacionadas con la mediación; cuándo y cómo solicitar la mediación; quiénes son los mediadores; participación en la mediación; y más.

Presentadora: Sra. Nelsinia Ramos, de WI FACETS.

When someone thinks a child may have a disability and a need for special education and related services, a referral can be made to see the child is eligible for services.  This module of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Mini Modules Series includes: procedures related to who can make a referral, when and how to refer a child, what happens after a referral is received by the school, IEP team members, the IEP team’s jobs, and the special education timeline.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to describe how to make a referral for special education.
• Participants will be able to specify who should be on an IEP Team and the IEP team’s jobs.
• Participants will be able to identify where a referral fits in the special education timeline.

PRESENTER: Bonnie Vander Meulen is WI FACETS’ Training Coordinator. Also, she is a licensed professional counselor with more than 40 years of counseling experience. She has worked extensively with students and families on all levels of the educational spectrum. She has previously served as the technical advisor for a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant through Pathways to Independence entitled Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Professional Positions. Previously, Bonnie completed her responsibilities as the primary facilitator for a Dept. of Education grant at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater’s Center for Students with Disabilities. The mother of a young adult with multiple disabilities, Bonnie advocates for children with special needs.

This workshop will cover the extent of bullying and its effects on young people. We will look at our current statewide data and see what students are saying about the topic. Lastly, along with learning about Wisconsin’s state statute addressing bullying and school district responsibilities regarding this law, we will cover a myriad of resources available to support your district’s efforts in combatting this issue.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the definition & prevalence of school-based bullying
• Learn about WI law & school district responsibilities addressing bullying
• Gain knowledge of a myriad of resources to combat bullying

PRESENTER: Brian Dean worked as a school social worker for thirty years before joining the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in 2015. He currently works on safety issues for the department, including AODA Prevention, Bullying Prevention, Suicide Prevention, general school safety, and Traffic Safety.