TED January Leadership Message

Happy New Year, TED Family

For many, the new year symbolizes a fresh start—a chance to reset, refocus, and pursue new goals. For others, it represents the continuation of priorities established long before. Whatever the new year signifies for you, my hope is that it brings opportunities for growth, collaboration, and success.

It is an honor to begin the new year as your President. First, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our outgoing President, Dr. Kyena Cornelious, for her outstanding and selfless service to our field and to TED. Under her mentorship, I gained valuable insights into the presidential line and leadership responsibilities within TED. Her contributions have been instrumental, and I am grateful that she will continue to provide guidance as Past President. TED is fortunate to benefit from her continued leadership.

I also want to acknowledge and thank our entire board for their dedication and efforts in advancing the progress of our organization. Congratulations to the recently elected members of our board, whose leadership will shape our path forward:

• President-Elect: Andy Markelz

• Secretary/Representative Assembly (RA): Jennifer Sears

• Member-at-Large for Publications and Communications: Brittany Hott

• Member-at-Large for Knowledge & Skills and Professional Development: Allison Oliver

• Kaleidoscope Representative: Danille Waterfield

President’s Goals

My top priority is serving you, the members of TED. I am committed to fostering a collaborative, transparent, and innovative environment that enhances your experience, increases engagement, and propels our organization toward excellence at the international, national, and local levels.

Our field faces significant challenges, but I approach them with optimism and confidence in the power of our collective expertise. I aim to inspire leaders of our organization to think strategically and aspirationally about TED’s priorities so that we can develop bold solutions to advance our mission.

Some of my goals for this year include:

• Advancing the Strategic Plan: Collaborating with the board to drive progress in areas such as national leadership, DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and access), membership engagement, and removing barriers to achieving our agenda.

• Enhancing Member-Centered Initiatives: Building on the outcomes of the November TED Board working session, which identified priorities such as improving communication, member engagement, retention, recruitment, advocacy, teacher preparation, and understanding member benefits.

• Streamlining Efforts: During the upcoming presidential line meeting in Kansas, we will focus on organizing Member-Center Initiatives to create a cohesive and actionable plan.

If you’d like to learn more about any of these initiatives or have ideas to contribute, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any member of the board.

Committee Updates

Policy Committee:

The FIRST Virtual Washington Update of 2025 is fast approaching! Join Dr. Kaitlyn Brennan on January 23rd at 3 pm EST to hear more about changes coming in DC and what we can do. Please make sure to visit the Policy & Advocacy section of the TED website to register in advance and to receive the Zoom link. While there, make sure to check out the efforts of the TED Policy Committee, including the Advocacy Briefs and Collaboration Podcast- both great tools for incorporating policy and advocacy into your courses!

The TED Policy Committee invites members to apply for a sponsorship to attend the Special Education Legislative Summit in Washington DC, July 13-16, 2025. Hosted by CEC and CASE, the event brings special educators and administrators from across the country together to advocate for change with Members of Congress. ALL MEMBERS OF CEC ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND! The multi-day event includes time spent learning more about policymaking, advocacy, and the CEC policy positions. Attendees engage with other CEC members from their home state, providing opportunities for networking and considering the local impact of federal policies (and vice versa!). The highlight of SELS is the opportunity to spend a day advocating for with your Congressional Representatives (or more likely their staff members), either in person on Capital Hill or via Zoom.

Applications due March 1st. Selected members receive $1000 towards the costs of registration, travel, and hotel costs. Individuals selected will be notified by April 1. Apply HERE

Washington Update

The January Washington Update is now available, filled with valuable information and updates. If you haven’t reviewed it yet, I encourage you to do so. A special thank you to Dr. Kaitlyn Brennan for her exceptional work in preparing the update and for her steadfast leadership within TED. We are fortunate to have her expertise and collaboration.

Virtual Suggestion Box

As with previous leadership messages, the virtual suggestion box remains open. Please use this Virtual Suggestion Box link to share your ideas and feedback to help make TED an even stronger organization.

Warm regards,

LaRon Scott

President, TED