November 2023 President's Message from Dr. Angie Jasper
Hello, and welcome to The Scoop! The month of November brings me joy for multiple reasons. One, I get to spend time with my family and eat some yummy food during my school’s fall break. My mom, Matilda, and brother, Marcus, will also join since we live closer to them. We recently spent some time visiting Martin Luther King, Jr’s childhood home. Another reason that I am fond of November is the anniversary of IDEA on the 29th. PL 94-142 was signed into law in 1975, that was 48 years ago. In 1990, the law was amended and its name changed to what we know as IDEA or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The field has made significant progress since the law was signed. This has resulted in tangible improvements for children and youth with disabilities and their families; however, we have more work to do. This is why the work of CEC is so important to me.
As the largest professional organization dedicated to improving the success of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents, CEC is committed to being the source for information, resources, and professional development for education professionals. We advocate for education professionals. We set professional standards and advance practice and scholarly research. We promote diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility. We work to build networks, partnerships, and communities for our members. We are here for you, our members! And our members run the gamut. College students, parents and family members of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents, teachers, higher education faculty, paraprofessionals, administrators - we all make one big CEC family. We’re over 20,000 members strong in over 50 countries, so our reach is broad. We’re all tied together by our shared commitment to improving the success of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. It’s part of our legacy, a legacy of 101 years and counting.
So when you are engaging with colleagues or folks who don’t know about CEC, feel free to introduce them to us. You can use my paragraph above as your elevator speech. 😀 Also be sure to encourage them to attend the CEC 2024 Special Education Convention and Expo in San Antonio. Registration is open and you can find more information here. We have both in-person and virtual conference options as well as convention workshops to meet your needs. I hope to see you in San Antonio.
In Unity,
Dr. Angie Jasper
2023 CEC President
