December 2014 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

• Update from the U.S. Department of Education

• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability: Bullying and Disability Harassment in the Workplace: What Youth Should Know

• Legislative Announcements, Calls to Participate and New Projects

• Resources – – Buzz from the Hub

• Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET

• Upcoming Conferences and Events

• Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

• Acknowledgements

• Download a PDF or XPS Version of This Issue

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Update from the U.S. Department of Education

Fact Sheet: Elementary And Secondary Education Act Flexibility

The last three years have seen a historic shift in the relationship between the federal government and states, with more than 40 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico receiving flexibility from the prescriptive, top-down requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This flexibility has allowed states and districts to develop creative solutions tailored to their individual cultures, with major benefits for all students, regardless of background. This is a shift away from simple compliance and toward creativity with high expectations.

The law has been due for reauthorization since 2007, but in the absence of reauthorization, the Obama Administration began to grant waivers from the law in 2012 for states that promised to adopt college- and career-ready standards and assessments; create accountability systems that target the lowest-performing schools and schools with the biggest achievement gaps; and develop and implement teacher and principal evaluation and support systems that take into account student growth—among multiple measures—and are used to help teachers and principals improve their practices.

These waivers expire at the end of the current school year, and the U.S. Department of Education is offering renewals to states that want to extend this flexibility and continue the progress they’ve seen in the last three years. The guidance for renewal requests can be found here. The Obama Administration remains committed to working with Congress toward a strong, bipartisan reauthorization of ESEA.

Progress under flexibility

ESEA flexibility has led to greater focus on ensuring that schools have the same expectation of college- and career-readiness for every student. This year, more than 40 states are moving forward with high academic standards and next generation assessments that can better help teachers and parents understand what students are learning.

ESEA flexibility lets states set proficiency targets that are ambitious but achievable and that expect faster rates of progress for the students who are furthest behind. States also are focusing resources on comprehensive, rigorous interventions in the lowest-performing schools, while ensuring that all low-achieving students have the supports they need to catch up to their peers.

ESEA flexibility has had the effect of energizing teacher and principal effectiveness work across the country and put the focus on creating feedback systems that show the impact teachers and principals are having on student learning and shine a light on best practices to support teachers’ development.

Renewal requests

Building on 2011 ESEA flexibility guidance—under which most states included three years of implementation—states seeking renewal this spring must explain how they will continue to implement the flexibility through at least the 2017-18 school year. Specifically, states must include the following in their renewal requests:

• Details on how the state consulted with key groups on the implementation of ESEA flexibility and the changes the state is proposing to make to its currently approved flexibility request, including local districts, teachers and their representatives, administrators, students, parents, community-based organizations, civil rights organizations, organizations representing students with disabilities, organizations representing English learners, business organizations, institutions of higher education, and Indian tribes;
• A description of how the state will continue to ensure that all students graduate from high school ready for college and a career, including how the state will continue to support all students, including English learners, students with disabilities, low-achieving students, and economically disadvantaged students, and teachers of those students;
• A demonstration that a school may not receive the highest rating in the state’s accountability system if there are significant achievement or graduation rate gaps in the school that are not closing;
• A description of interventions in the state’s lowest-performing schools and schools with the largest-achieving gaps, including how the state will identify priority and focus schools that have not met targets and how the state will increase the rigor of interventions and supports in those schools;
• A clear and rigorous process for providing interventions and supports to other Title I schools and supports for low-achieving students in those schools that consistently miss benchmarks;
• A description of a statewide strategy to support and monitor district implementation of a system ensuring all students—no matter their zip code—are being served well and that districts are held accountable for their success; and
• Updates from states reflecting the passage of time since the waivers were originally approved, including information about how the state will continuously improve implementation of its systems.

 

To help states that are transitioning to new assessments this year, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced in August that the Department would offer extra time before schools must incorporate data from those tests into teacher and leader evaluations. Not all states will ask for this new flexibility, but those that are moving to new tests this year and want more time can request it during the renewal process. States that want a delay must agree to calculate student growth data and provide it to teachers and principals.

States requesting any additional types of flexibility in implementing their teacher and principal evaluation and support systems must also:

Show the progress made so far to ensure that each school district is on track to implement high-quality teacher and principal evaluation and support systems designed to improve instruction;

Provide the rationale for the state’s proposed change(s); and

Describe the steps the state will take to ensure continuous improvement of evaluation and support systems that result in instructional improvement and increased student learning.

Why Education Is a Global Matter

This year marks the 15^th anniversary of International Education Week (IEW), a time to recognize, reflect, and celebrate the important role education plays worldwide.

Educators, families and students are working hard to implement a comprehensive vision for cradle-to-career improvements here in the U.S. so every child can receive a world-class education, and to ensure that our nation remains globally competitive. But U.S. education leaders are also committed to an international education agenda that’s deeper and more collaborative than ever.

That is why, during IEW 2012, Department of Education released its first fully-integrated international strategy,Succeeding Globally Through International Education and Engagement,linking our domestic and international priorities. Increasing the global competencies of all U.S. students, learning from other countries to improve our education policies and practices, and engaging in active education diplomacy will help to strengthen U.S. education and advance our nation’s international priorities.

Just last month, Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani teenager shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for advocating for girls’ education, became the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace prize. As she said, “We realized the importance of pens and books, when we saw the guns.” What a courageous and amazing young person. All of us – educators, parents, policymakers, and world leaders – desire a bright and happy future for our children and our nations. Education must help to ensure that future: a better educated world is a more prosperous world, a healthier world, and a safer world. When we became a Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) Champion Country earlier this year, we committed to be leaders in this effort.

 

I’ve seen the difference education makes in my experience growing up in Chicago and later as head of the Chicago Public Schools; during my time in Australia when I worked with wards of the court; and in the communities and schools I’ve visited as Secretary. Two visits from the past year are particularly vivid for me: Columbus Elementary, situated just a few miles from the Mexico border, where students wake up before sunrise to cross the border for school each day and my trip to Haiti where I saw in the eyes of so many children the desire and commitment to get a basic education despite the odds against them.

I also place a high priority on benchmarking ourselves against other education systems and learning from them to see how we can improve. OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the international assessment of reading, math and science, has been an important yardstick for me because it is taken by 15-year-old high school students around the globe. The most recent PISA results show a picture of educational stagnation for the U.S., a wake-up call against complacency and low expectations. PISA also helps to show that there’s a false choice between equity and excellence: education systems as diverse as Canada and Korea can, and do, achieve both.

We know that a key component of educational success is starting early yet the U.S. is 25^th in the world in our enrollment of four-year-olds in preschool. This gap highlights the urgency of our efforts to increase enrollment in high quality preschool. Young children in New Zealand, for example, can receive 20 hours of free early learning opportunities each week.  Data show that 95 percent of New Zealand’s children have had some early childhood education when they start school. The U.S. rate of 65 percent pales in comparison.

 

We hosted – with international and domestic partners – the first-ever International Summit on the Teaching Profession in 2011, bringing together ministers and union leaders with high-performing and rapidly improving education systems from around the world to discuss how to enhance and elevate the teaching profession worldwide. The summit proved such a success that it is now hosted annually by countries around the world.  What we heard at the summits have had an important impact on U.S. teacher policy, including RESPECT and Teach to Lead.

I hope, this week and every week, you’ll find ways to encourage and support the shared vision of International Education Week – that every child, in every country, grows up globally competent and appreciates cultural diversity.

 

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Celebrates 340 Schools as 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan honored 340 schools today with the 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools award at a luncheon at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.  The award recognizes public and private schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. These schools demonstrate that all students can achieve at high levels. The schools – 290 public and 50 private – are among nearly 7,900 schools that have received the coveted award over the past 32 years.

“These great schools are fulfilling the promise of American education – that all students, no matter their zip code, can flourish when schools provide safe, creative, and challenging learning environments,” Secretary Duncan said. “National Blue Ribbon Schools are models of consistent excellence and a resource for other schools and districts. We celebrate them for their tireless effort and boundless creativity in reaching and teaching every student.”

Additionally, eight principals from the 2014 cohort of National Blue Ribbon Schools were recognized with the Terrel H. Bell Award for their outstanding work and the vital role they play in guiding their students and schools to excellence, frequently under challenging circumstances. Named for the second Secretary of Education, the award honors school leaders who are committed to fostering successful teaching and learning at their schools, and who are committed to education as a powerful and liberating force in people’s lives. They are principals who do whatever it takes to help their students meet high standards.

“Great principals shape a school’s culture,” Secretary Duncan said. “It is principals who can nurture, retain and empower great teachers and serve as the catalyst for significant school improvement.  These principals recognized with the Bell Award have created environments in which students and teachers are excited about coming to school each day. They inspire their teachers and have a positive impact on instructional practices that lead to improved learning outcomes. The Bell Award is a small recognition for the essential work they do every day.”

The Bell Awards were presented to the following principals by the U.S. Department of Education, together with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the Association for Middle Level Education and the National Association of Secondary School Principals:

• Alicia Aceves, Andrews School, Whittier, California
• Candis Hagaman, Caldwell Early College High School, Hudson, North Carolina
• Kathy Hunt, Edmond Doyle Elementary School, McAlester, Oklahoma
• Melissa Helene Jacobs-Thibaut, Houston Academy for International Studies, Houston, Texas
• Robert Kern, Nazareth Area Middle School, Nazareth, Pennsylvania
• Robert Lyall, St. Patrick Catholic School, Kingman, Kansas
• Mario Marcos, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, Compton, California
• Britani Creel Moses, LaVace Stewart Elementary School, Kemah, Texas

 

The Bell Award is part of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Principals are nominated by their school communities during the final stages of the National Blue Ribbon Schools application process.
A full list of the 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools is available athttp://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.

Strengthening the AAPI Community Through New Bullying Prevention Efforts

More than one-quarter of students between the ages of 12 and 18 reported being bullied at school during the 2010-11 school year — nearly 7 million students. Some Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students face bullying and harassment based on their immigration status, such as Micronesian students whose families have recently immigrated to the continent and Hawaii. Others are bullied for the way they look, such as turbaned Sikh youth, or for their English language skills.

Students who are bullied don’t feel safe, and students who don’t feel safe can’t learn. Students involved in bullying are more likely to have challenges in school, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to have physical and mental health issues. Being bullied endangers students’ academic achievement and ultimately their college and career readiness. And in some areas, bullying of AAPI students is rampant. For example, one 2014 study found that over two-thirds of turbaned Sikh youth in Fresno, California reported experiencing bullying and harassment. And another recent study found that half of the 163 Asian American New York City public school students reported experiencing some kind of bias-based harassment in a 2012 survey, compared with only 27 percent in 2009.

When children are singled out because of a shared characteristic — such as race, sexual orientation, or religion — or a perceived shared characteristic, the issue not only affects that individual but the entire community. Policymakers believe that AAPI students who are bullied face unique challenges, including religious, cultural, and language barriers. In addition, there has been a spike of racial hostility following the September 11 attacks against children perceived to be Muslim. The classroom should be the safest place for youth, but for some AAPI students, it can be a very dangerous environment.

Unfortunately, this issue of AAPI harassment is nothing new. In 1982, Vincent Chinbecame a household name in AAPI homes when he was attacked and killed because he was mistakenly perceived to be Japanese. To facilitate a conversation on this issue, in 2011, under the leadership of Amardeep Singh, former member of the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) hosted a Bullying Prevention Summit in New York City.

However, more work needs to be done. Earlier this month, on the fifth anniversary of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the White Houseannounced several efforts to address hate crimes, including a new Interagency Initiative on Hate Crimes. As a part of these efforts, WHIAAPI, in partnership with theU.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is launching the AAPI Bullying Prevention Task Force to proactively address bullying in the AAPI community. In the wake of increasing concerns about the high rates of bullying among Sikh youth and incidents such as the attacks on as many as 30 Asian American students at South Philadelphia High School in December 2009, the AAPI Task Force will help ensure that the AAPI community is aware of federal resources and remedies available to them.

The AAPI Task Force brings together federal experts in civil rights, language access, education, community relations, public health, mental health, and data to find creative solutions to help the AAPI community. These experts will coordinate the efforts of their federal agencies to work closely together with stakeholders to better understand the impediments to seeking relief and support, analyze data regarding the prevalence of bullying in the AAPI community, improve outreach, develop training and toolkits for schools, students, and parents, and explore and recommend policies to address the AAPI community’s growing concerns about bullying of AAPI youth.

Building upon previous efforts and working closely with federal representatives and community leaders, I look forward to seeing the AAPI Bullying Prevention Task Force make much needed progress on this very important issue in the AAPI community and furthering our commitment to improving the quality of life of AAPIs.

Join the conversation on AAPI bullying prevention on Twitter using hashtag #AAPIstrong.

Kiran Ahuja is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

 

Obama Administration Approves NCLB Flexibility Extension Request for New Mexico

The Obama Administration announced today that New Mexico has received a one-year extension for flexibility from certain provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

“America’s schools and classrooms are undergoing some of the largest changes in decades—changes that will help prepare our students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that tomorrow’s economy will require,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “This extension will allow the states to continue the critical work of implementing the bold reforms they developed to improve achievement for all students.”

ESEA has been due for Congressional reauthorization since 2007. In the absence of reauthorization, President Obama announced in September 2011 that the administration would grant waivers from parts of the law to qualified states, in exchange for state-developed plans designed to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity and improve the quality of instruction. The one-year extension of ESEA flexibility allows the states to continue moving forward on the ambitious work they began with their initial flexibility requests.

New Mexico has implemented education reforms that go above and beyond the requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Examples of that work include:

• The New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) is conducting data reviews to support low-performing schools, including schools with grades of D or F, as well as schools identified as priority or focus schools. NMPED will work with districts to compile data about the lowest performing students, the highest performing students, and all subgroups, and will use these data in conversations with district and school leadership teams to develop action steps to support the lowest performing students.
• NMPED has developed a differentiated system of technical assistance, which ensures that the state education agency provides support to schools in accordance with needs. For low-performing schools, this system includes a New Mexico Instructional Audit (NMIA), data reviews, customized support based upon the data reviews, as well as regular monitoring and support through the Web Educational Plan for Student Success (WebEPSS) system. However, even NMPED’s highest performing schools are required to develop action steps to address achievement gaps.

In order to receive an extension, states must demonstrate that they have resolved any state-specific issues and next steps as a result of the Department’s monitoring, as well as any other outstanding issues related to ESEA flexibility. States could also request additional amendments to support their continuous improvement efforts. The extension is through the 2014-2015 school year. The Department is reviewing requests from states for one-year extensions to ESEA flexibility on a rolling basis.

Forty-one states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico currently have ESEA flexibility, 34 of which expired this summer. Of those, 33 submitted an extension request. Thirty-one states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin and the District of Columbia have been granted extensions since July 3.

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National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability

Bullying and Disability Harassment in the Workplace:

What Youth Should Know

This InfoBrief is designed to help youth, including youth with disabilities, recognize signs of bullying in the workplace, and to recognize how bullying differs from disability harassment. The brief offers examples of bullying situations at work and offers strategies to help address the issue. Much is understood about the negative consequences of bullying at school, but youth should also be made aware that bullying can extend beyond school. It is often encountered at work as well.

Bullying affects many youth, and has gained national attention due to highly publicized instances of school violence and teen suicides. In fact, most youth have experienced bullying firsthand, either by being bullied themselves, or by witnessing a peer being bullied. Recent statistics suggest that the impact of bullying is widespread:

• 1 out of 4 teens are bullied;
• Youth with disabilities are ten times more likely to be bullied than a typical student;
• As many as 160,000 students stay home from school every day for fear of being bullied;
• 1 out of 5 youth admit to being a bully or doing some type of bullying;
• 9 out of 10 gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender youth experience harassment at school or online;
• 97% of middle school age youth are bullied while online;
• 53% of youth admit having said something hurtful to another person while online; and,
• 47% of older youth (18-24) are cyber-bullied.

 

What is Bullying?

The word bully brings images of tough teenagers clad in leather jackets, threatening to settle the score behind the stadium bleachers, or stuffing helpless kids into school lockers. Even today, many television shows and movies aimed at youth feature a bully as a cartoonish main character. But real bullying is far from innocent. Bullies come in all genders, shapes, sizes and even can be well dressed.

Bullying is carried out by males and females, and can cause harm that lasts a lifetime. But what is bullying?  If you get into a disagreement with a friend that results in a shouting match, is that bullying?  No. Those types of situations usually involve persons of equal social power, and the conflicts can be resolved with apologies. In fact, disagreements among friends, families, or co-workers are a normal part of social functioning and can help develop needed interpersonal skills.

 

Although definitions of bullying vary, most agree that bullying involves the following characteristics:

Bullying is intentional. The target does not knowingly provoke the bully and may have made it clear that the behavior is not welcome.

Bullying behavior is often repetitive. Although it can take place in a single incident, bullying is generally carried out repeatedly over time.

Bullying involves hurtful acts, words, or other behavior. Bullying is an oppressive or negative act intended to hurt somebody else.

Bullying involves a real or perceived imbalance of power. A youth without power cannot bully. Power in this instance can be defined as physical strength, social status, or intimidating behavior.

It may be common to hear the person being bullied referred to as the “target” rather than “victim.”  There is a reason for this. The word victim implies that a person is powerless to change their circumstances, or then even they are somehow to blame for what is happening. Bullying advocates prefer the term target because it suggests that a person who is bullied, and those around that person, have the power to change the situation.

Still, targets of bullying tend to share certain traits. In general, targets of bullying tend to be different in some way. This may mean that they belong to a non-majority culture, have unique physical characteristics, practice a different religion than others, or have a disability. There differences do not automatically lead to bullying, but do tend to be noticed by youth who are seeking targets. While anyone can be bullied, targets of bullying tend to have one or more of these common traits:

• They might give a vulnerable response to being bullied;
• They have few or no friends;
• They might not assert themselves in a bullying situation; and,
• They can have diminished self-esteem and need to build self-confidence.

Often bullying is portrayed as an act of intimidation of physical violence, but there are several types of bullying.

Physical Bullying: Involves actions like hitting, kicking, pushing, throwing objects or damaging property. It can also involve pretending or threatening to inflict harm, making the target terribly uneasy.

Verbal Bullying: The most common form of bullying, it can include mean spirited teasing, gossiping about another, name calling, embarrassing jokes, and actual threats.

Emotional/Social Bullying: This form is harder to define, but generally involves the assertion of social power to cause pain or exclude the target from the social crowd. Often done in a group, social/emotional bullying can be done through gossip, insults, making fun of the target in public, or intentional exclusion from social events.

Cyber Bullying: Bullying actions that are carried out through electronic means, such as instant messaging, texting, e-mails, or social media postings.

Workplace Bullying

David is 16 years old with a severe learning disability who has been working at a local grocery store for four months. In the beginning he really enjoyed his job; but recently things at work have been getting tough. David was assigned a new supervisor a few weeks ago. That supervisor has been teasing David, and making it difficult for him to get his assigned duties done on time. A friend who works with David has told him that the supervisor is talking negatively about him to other co-workers. David has noticed that the supervisor goes out of his way to assign David the least desirable jobs in the store. David has developed anxiety about going into work and often feels physically ill after his shift. His previous supervisor gave him excellent marks on his initial performance review, but the current supervisor seems more invested in finding things David is doing wrong. David feels he is good at his job and wants to remain loyal to the store that hired him, but feels the current supervisor is treating him unfairly.

Just as youth can experience bullying in school, they can also find bullying in their place of employment. Youth who bully grow up and can become bosses or co-workers who bully. According to Tom Witt of New York Healthy Workplace Advocates, 37% of workers have experienced bullying in the workplace. This adds up to approximately 54 million people nationwide. One might assume that workplace bullying takes place mainly in jobs where the pay is low and the work is difficult. The fact is that workplace bullying is found in all professions.

Workplace bullying does tend to show some differences from traditional bullying that might take place between youth. In workplace bullying the targets often, but not always, are people who are good at their jobs, and who pose a professional threat to the bully. For example, a person may be new to a job and doing an excellent job. A workplace bully may resent the attention that person is getting and begin a campaign to smear the new worker’s reputation. This is not to say that targets may not be chosen due to more traditional traits, such as having a disability or belonging to a different religious group. Though physical violence and intimidation can be found in the workplace, bullying at work tends to be more psychological or social in nature, making it difficult to prove.

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries define workplace bullying as “repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group) directed towards an employee (or group of employees), which are intended to intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or undermine; or which create a risk to the health and safety of the employee(s). The following are some examples of workplace bulling:

• Abusive, insulting, or offensive language;
• Intentional exclusion from critical work meetings;
• Intentional exclusion from work social circles or functions;
• Unrealistic work demands, such as size of workload, unreasonable deadlines, or inconsistent work hours;
• Public criticism or being yelled at when co-workers are present;
• Physical violence or intimidation;
• Displaying of materials in the workplace that are offensive;
• Unfair denial of personal leave or training opportunities; and,
• Regular threats of being reprimanded or fired from job.

 

It is important for youth to recognize that being an employee means that you will have to work with all types of people, and being given work direction is part of a job. Being asked to do a task that you don’t like does not constitute bullying. Nor does having to work side by side with a person you may not get along with. A helpful way for youth to recognize that something is not right is that bullying often feels disrespectful, is out of place with what co-workers seem to be going through, and appears to be targeted specifically towards an individual. Workplace bullying can be hard to recognize, so youth should be encouraged to talk about their situation with somebody they trust, such as a parent, a friendly co-worker, or another trusted adult.

The impact of workplace bullying can be felt by the target, co-workers, and the business itself. People who have been bullied at work report physical symptoms such as problems with sleeping, headaches, and stomach issues. Mental health concerns such as reduced self-esteem, increased family tension and stress, are also common, along with the expected financial problems, chronic absences and job loss. Organizations should recognize bullying as a major contributor to productivity loss, low-morale among employees and high staff turnover.

Workplace Bullying: What Can You Do?

Dealing with a workplace bully can be uncomfortable, and requires solid self-advocacy skills and self-confidence. Remember, that the bullying behavior is not likely to stop unless intervention is sought. The first step toward addressing bullying behavior is not to react to it. Don’t give the bully the reaction he/she is looking for. Instead, consider following these helpful tips:

1. Don’t blame yourself. Bullying is about controlling another person, and is not about an individual’s worth as a person or how one performs on the job. The blame lies on the bully; it’s that simple.
2. Notify your supervisor right away after the bullying incident. If the supervisor is the bully, then go to his or her supervisor, or higher up the administrative chain until you find somebody willing to address the issue.
3. The impact of bullying is lessened when there are bystanders willing to step into the situation. Seek an ally at work, such as a co-worker that is trusted or another supervisor you respect. Tell them what is happening as ask their opinion about your options to address the issue.
4. Check to see if your employer has a policy against bullying behavior.
5. Document all bullying incidents, including dates, times, places, what was said or done, and who witnessed.
6. Keep copies of all documents that help you counter claims the bully may make. These may include time sheets, performance reports, work samples, and e-mails that support your work performance.
7. Consider contacting your company’s Employee Assistance Program, union representative, or, if necessary, an attorney who specializes in labor law or your state’s Department of Human Rights.
8. Do your job to the best of your ability. Don’t let the bullying affect your job performance, therefore giving the bully justification for his/her claims.

 

1. Most people want to do a good job for their employer and maintain a certain amount of loyalty. And people work because they need the money, and finding jobs can be difficult. That being said, if the bullying gets too bad, or if addressing the issue hasn’t seemed to work, targets should consider leaving the job.Some situations you can’t salvage. Some work places, however, are too toxic. There is no shame in cutting your losses and finding a better place to work. You may find you are much happier and healthier for making that decision.

Disability Harassment

Tasha has a severe physical impairment. She graduated near the top of her high school class and earned a college degree in finance. She was excited to get her first job in a bank, but soon began running into some uncomfortable situations with her co-workers. Tasha, who uses a power wheelchair, was horrified when certain co-workers began harassing her calling such names as “ironsides” and “the gimp in the mortgage department”. One day she arrived at work to find a piece of paper taped over the sign on an accessible parking spot that read “Parking for Tasha Only”. Tasha checked the bank’s employee handbook and found very specific rules against any harassing behavior. She brought the incidents to the attention of her supervisor who swiftly reprimanded those responsible. Tasha’s work has been praised and she quickly worked her way to a promotion.

Bullying is not acceptable and harms many people; but there are inconsistencies nationwide as to whether it is against the law. However, actual harassment based on disability, or any other protected trait (age, gender, etc.) is, and you are afforded protections against it. The American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) and individual state human rights laws all offer protection against disability harassment and discrimination. And, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is charged with enforcing federal nondiscrimination laws. Youth should be aware that being denied what other workers are given because a disability is present is illegal. Teasing, social exclusion, or violence of a person because that person has a disability may not reach the level of discrimination but certainly is harrassment.

Jerome Holzbauer, PhD, defines disability harassment in the workplace as, “Work-related harassment on the basis of disability consisting of verbal, gesturing, or aggressive conduct that conveys denigration, hostility, or aversion toward a person because of that person’s disability. Such conduct results in (a) creating an offensive, intimidating, or hostile work situation; (b) unreasonably interfering with work performance; or (c) adversely affecting employment opportunities of a person with a disability.”

Some examples of disability harassment might include:

• An employee with cerebral palsy being made fun of due to the way they speak;
• An employee with an intellectual disability having lunches stolen from them;
• Co-workers calling a person with a disability “retard” or “cripple;”
• Co-workers tampering with a person’s wheelchair or intentionally putting up barriers, making movement around the work space difficult; and,
• Intentionally bumping into a person with a visual impairment.

 

It should be noted that “disability harassment” is a form of discrimination based on disability.

Discrimination examples include being denied a job, not making the same wages or being denied a promotion based solely on the fact that you have a disability. If you feel you have been discriminated against on the job due to a disability, you can contact your local Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office (www.eeoc.gov) or your state’s Department of Human Rights

In Conclusion

Bullying is being recognized as a significant problem in schools, but youth should also be aware that it is also an issue in the world of work. Workplace bullies target those who they see as a threat, which means you can work hard and do a good job and still be a target. There are several strategies to address workplace bullying which were outlined in this brief. Youth should also be aware that when bullying turns into harassment and discrimination based on disability, it is clearly illegal. Youth are encouraged to talk their families, trusted co-worker or a friend if they run into situations at work that they think might be bullying or harassment. The impact of workplace bullying can be very harmful, and knowing the steps to take to address the issue will help youth find a positive and fulfilling job experience.

Resources

www.StopBullying.gov

StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on how kids, teens, young adults, parents, and educators and others in the community can prevent or stop bullying.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age disability or genetic information.

www.eeoc.gov

ADA Home Page

Provides information on the Americans with Disabilities Act

www.ada.gov

US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

The Office of Disability Employment Policy provides leadership by developing and influencing disability employment related policies and practices affecting an increase in the employment of people with disabilities.

http://www.dol.gov/odep/

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

NCWD/Youth is your source for information about employment and youth with disabilities.

www.ncwd-youth.info

PACER Teens Against Bullying

www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org

STOMP Out Bullying

A national anti-bullying and cyberbullying program for kids and teens.

www.stompoutbullying.org

OvercomeBullying.org

OvercomeBullying.org provides information and resources to help you overcome workplace bullying, school bullying, and mobbing. Speak out now!

http://www.overcomebullying.org/

Citations

Holzbauer, Jerome John Jr. (2001) Disability Harassment in the Workplace. (UMI No. 3033247) Sent by Author May 11, 2011.

Kelly, M. and Hertzog, J. (2006) Beyond Sticks and Stones: How to Help Your Child with a Disability Deal with Bullying. PACER Center, Inc.

STOMP Out Bullying. (2011) The Issue of Bullying. Http://www.stompoutbullying.org/aboutbullying_theissue.php. Retrieved June 15, 2011

Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. (2011) Workplace Bullying and Disruptive Behavior: What Everyone Needs to Know. http://www.lni.wa.gov/safety/research/files/bullying.pdf. Retrieved May 20, 2011

Witt, Tom. “NYTimes.com- My Boss was a Bully.” Interview. March 26, 2008. YouTube. Retrieved May 20, 2011.

Legislative Announcements, Calls to Participate

and New Projects

U.S. Department of Education Announces 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools 337 Schools Honored–287 public and 50 private
http://tinyurl.com/mcawtsl
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has announced the recognition of 337 schools – 287 public and 50 private– as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2014 for their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. These schools demonstrate that all students can achieve to high levels. The Department of Education will honor the schools at a recognition ceremony on November 10-11, 2014, in Washington, D.C. The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. The Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools.

Disability Visibility Project
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/06/16/storycorps-disability/19443/
“DisabilityScoop” reported June 16, 2014, in an article, “StoryCorps Looks To Record Disability Experience,” that a new project, the Disability Visibility Project, has been launched as a community partnership with StoryCorps, a national nonprofit that allows everyday people to record casual, one-on-one conversations in an effort to preserve history. As the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act approaches next year, this project will encourage people within the disability community to share their stories. StoryCorps’ recording booth in San Francisco is making sessions available between July 10 and Dec. 13 specifically for members of the disability community to record their stories. Additional times are expected to be added leading up to the ADA’s 25th anniversary in July 2015.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/07/10/congress-sheltered-eligibility/19500/
“DisabilityScoop” reported July 10, 2014, in an article, “Congress Passes Bill Limiting Sheltered Workshop Eligibility,” that a bill that would significantly limit young people with disabilities from entering sheltered workshop programs is headed to President Barack Obama’s desk. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.” Included in the bill are changes to the path from school to work for those with disabilities. The measure would prohibit individuals age 24 and younger from working jobs that pay less than the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour unless they first try vocational rehabilitation services, among other requirements. It would also require state vocational rehabilitation agencies to work with schools to provide “pre-employment transition services” to all students with disabilities and require such agencies to allocate a minimum of 15% of their federal funding to help individuals with disabilities in transition under the measure.

U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance Letter on Charter Schools’ Legal Obligations to Individuals With Disabilities
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/05/15/feds-warn-charters-special/19368/
The U.S. Department of Education issued a guidance letter in May 2014 outlining charter schools’ legal obligations to individuals with disabilities, regardless of whether the schools receive federal funding. Included in the letter are reminders that students with disabilities cannot be discriminated against in admissions and disciplinary actions; and that parents with disabilities must be accommodated, e.g., with sign-language interpreters or Braille materials, when communicating with the school.

Disability.gov PSAs Challenge Assumptions about People with Disabilities
https://www.disability.gov/newsroom/psa-download-center/
Disability.gov recently released public service announcements (PSAs) in support of the message that people are not defined by their disabilities. Each of the eight PSAs features one of Disability.gov’s “No Boundaries” participants. Each PSAs participant chose several words to describe him or herself to paint a broader picture of who they are. The PSAs are downloadable from the Disability.gov site.

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Resources – – Buzz from the Hub

Welcome to November’s Buzz from the Hub, the newsletter of the Center for Parent Information and Resources—the CPIR. We are proud to serve as the central source of information and connection for the Parent Center network.  To read all of the articles below, visit:

http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/buzz-nov2014/

New Resources in the Hub

What’s new in the resource library? Here are 3 newbies.

You are your child’s first lifelong advocate.
Highly involved parents and other family members are fundamental to a child’s successful journey. This 2-page fact sheet speaks directly to parents about what it means to advocate for their child, describes the “successful lifelong advocate,” and suggests strategies that parents can use and considerations to keep in mind. From New Mexico’s PTI, Parents Reaching Out, this fact sheet is meant to be shared with families.

Guidance on effective communication for students with disabilities.
This guidance addresses the rights of public elementary and secondary students with hearing, vision, or speech disabilities to effective communication. Issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice, the guidance is intended to help schools understand and comply with federal legal requirements on meeting the communication needs of students with disabilities. Also available in Spanish.

Culture counts: Engaging Black and Latino parents of young children in family support programs.
This report provides an overview of family support programs and aims to identify the features and strategies that may be most effective for reaching and engaging black and Latino families, with the ultimate goal of supporting young children’s development.

Q & A about inclusion of English learners with disabilities in English language proficiency assessments.
This guidance document from the feds is intended to help states and LEAs understand how Part B of the IDEA and Titles I and III of the ESEA address the inclusion of English learners with disabilities in annual state assessments of English language proficiency (ELP) required under ESEA.

Spotlight on… Early Learning Resources

As you know, improving early learning outcomes is one of the 14 priority areasof the Parent Center network. If you attended the CPIR November 6th webinar, you left with your hands full of useful resources on the subject. Here are 3 of our favorites. Find more at Taking the Shortcut to Part C Resources, a webpage handout that accompanied the webinar.

Enhancing recognition of high-quality, functional IFSP outcomes: A training activity for infant and toddler service providers.
This training activity from the ECTA Center can be used to support participants’ understanding of the criteria needed to develop and write high-quality, participation-based IFSP outcomes.

Understanding numbers and counting skills in preschoolers.
From the Get Ready to Read! initiative of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, this resource will help families understand what math awareness and skills their preschooler should have — and how they can support its development.

Don’t forget about the Hub’s webpage of early learning resources.
CPIR developed this webpage just for Parent Centers back in August of this year, to connect you with the heavy-hitters in early learning.

Resources You Can Share with Families

This section of the newsletter identifies useful resources that you might share with families or mention in your own news bulletins.

Talking with family about your child’s learning disability.
This article speaks directly to parents and outlines how to explain their child’s learning disability to family members in a helpful and sensitive way. Also available in Spanish.

Common Core 101.
This article comes with the subtitle, “The who, what, when, where, and how of the new national education standards—and what they mean for your child.” Alongside the article, in the sidebars, parents can also find many other informative and easy-to-read articles on the Common Core. Pull a thread… unravel the mystery.

Managing food allergies in the school setting: Guidance for parents.
The Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) created this guidance document to help parents help their child join the millions of children with food allergy who attend school safely every day. The guidance addresses the parents’ roles in becoming proactive participants in a partnership to help manage food allergies in the school setting. (Note: FARE also offers many other guidance documents specifically for schools, teachers, school nurses, and school leaders, any of which parents might share with their child’s school personnel.)

Resources Just for Parent Centers

This section of the CPIR’s newsletter focuses on the many priority areas that Parent Centers have, with a special emphasis on the 14 topics that OSEP has identified as important for Parent Centers and the CPIR to address. Each month we’ll feature resources that can help you tackle the challenges in one or more of these priority areas.

Universal design for learning—Improved access for all.
This resource of Great Schools covers the principles of UDL and gives lots of examples of how teachers can infuse UDL into their classrooms for the benefit of all their students.

Medicare Funding Alert.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a statement in early November instructing its contractors to rescind the 2001 “coverage reminder” mandating that all “speech generating devices” (SGD) be permanently dedicated for speech-only. Since 2001, the technology of devices that generate speech and the ways in which the devices are used by patients to meet their medical needs has changed significantly. Access to email and the Internet are now integral aspects of communication for people using SGDs. CMS will be revising its policies to recognize these advances in communication technologies. The public comment is now open—and will be until December 6, 2014.

Miss the webinar on Improving Early Learning Outcomes?
It’s not too late to listen in (it’s archived!) and get your hands on the very helpful handouts that presenters shared with the Parent Center network.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Middle School Special Education/Math Intervention Teacher

*Middle School Special Education/Math Intervention Teacher – Pro-Vision Educational Services, Inc. seeks full-time Middle School Special Education/Math Intervention Teacher for its established all male grades 5-12 charter school in Houston, TX. The Special Education/Math Intervention Teacher will provide students with appropriate educational programs and activities that will enable them to fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional, physical, and social growth. Plan, organize, and assign activities that are specific to each student’s abilities. Maintain accurate and complete student records. Prepare student reports and activities. Be familiar with Response to Intervention (RTI) process and Tier’d Instruction. Collaborate with the math teacher and assigned classroom teacher(s) for instructional planning and delivery. Provide instruction to small groups of students. Assist in the scheduling and assignment of students to the program. Participate in training as required during school schedule and additional training outside designated schedule. Discuss with parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators individual educational plans and students’ progress. Coordinate and manage extracurricular duties as assigned. Sponsor outside activities approved by the Pro-Vision Academy Principal. Required: B.S degree or M.S. degree in Any Major and Certification by the Texas Education Department in Special Education. 5 years progressive special education experience if B.S. or 3 years progressive special education experience if M.S. Knowledge of the following software/programs: Accelerated Math Renaissance Learning Program; Think Through Math; Fastt Math; and Istation. Reading/Intervention strategies. Research Based Instructional Strategies. Send Resumes to: Pro-Vision Educational Services, Inc. Attn: Carrie Tate, 4590 Wilmington Street, Houston, TX 77051.

Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET

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Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2014
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the U.S. Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards for fiscal year 2014 and provides actual or estimated deadlines for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts organized according to the Department’s principal program offices and include programs and competitions previously announced as well as those to be announced at a later date.

FY 2014 Discretionary Grant Application Packages
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html
This site, from the Department of Education, provides information on grant competitions that are currently open.

Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Seeks Proposals to Strengthen Secondary Education
http://www.avdf.org/FoundationsPrograms/SecondaryEducation.aspx
The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations offers $100,000-$200,000 grants to support a wide range of innovative professional development programs that strengthen teachers in grades 9-12 and their teaching. For example, projects might be designed to improve professional development for in-service and pre-service teachers, strengthen teaching skills, support practical research in teacher and high school education, or encourage innovative use of technology and new techniques for presentation of classroom materials in high schools. Projects should aim to develop solutions with potential for wide application or replication by others. Requests to support well-established programs should be for initiatives with the potential to improve the program significantly. Special consideration will be given to projects in their early stages that address the concerns and problems of secondary education on a national level. In considering proposals to support high school teaching, sustained partnerships between the faculties of colleges (e.g., arts and sciences and education) and school districts, or collaborative efforts involving reform organizations, colleges/universities, and high schools are encouraged. Eligible institutions include but are not limited to public and private colleges and universities, graduate schools of education, and freestanding educational institutes. Ongoing deadlines.

Discover: Pathway to Financial Success Grant
http://www.pathwaytofinancialsuccess.org/get-a-grant
Discover is investing up to $10 million in financial education, and any high school can apply for a grant toward a financial education curriculum. Applying schools must have implemented or be looking to implement a financial education curriculum; have a measurement tool planned or in place to assess participation in and comprehension of the financial education curriculum; and agree to share overall results of the measurement tool’s pre- and post-curriculum testing with Discover upon the program’s completion to assess what worked and what didn’t. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: high schools in the United States. Deadline: none.

Dollar General: Beyond Words Library Disaster Relief
http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/166/apply
Dollar General, in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA), the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the National Education Association (NEA), is sponsoring a school library disaster relief fund for public school libraries in the states served by Dollar General. The fund will provide grants to public schools whose school library program has been affected by a disaster. Grants are to replace or supplement books, media and/or library equipment in the school library setting. Maximum award: up to $15,000 to replace or supplement books, media and/or library equipment. Eligibility: public school libraries Pre K-12 located within 20 miles of a Dollar General store, distribution center or corporate office that have lost their building or incurred substantial damage or hardship due to a natural disaster (tornado, earthquake, hurricane, flood, avalanche, mudslide), fire or an act recognized by the federal government as terrorism; or have absorbed a significant number (more than 10% enrollment) of displaced/evacuee students. Deadline: none.

Fender Music Foundation: Grants
http://www.fendermusicfoundation.org/grants/?sec=info
Fender Music Foundation grants of instruments and equipment are awarded to music academies, schools, local music programs and national music programs across America, particularly in-school music classes, in which the students make music; after-school music programs that are not run by the school; and music therapy programs, in which the participants make the music. Maximum award: up to 8 instruments. Eligibility: established, ongoing and sustainable music programs in the United States, which provide music instruction for people of any age who would not otherwise have the opportunity to make music. Deadline: rolling.

AASA: National Superintendent of the Year
http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=3404
The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Superintendent of the Year Program pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead the nation’s public schools. Maximum award: recognition; a $10,000 scholarship to a student in the high school from which the National Superintendent of the Year graduated. Eligibility: Any superintendent, chancellor, or top leader of a school system in the United States, Canada, or international school who plans to continue in the profession. Deadline: varies by state.

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Acknowledgements

Portions of this month’s NASET Special Educator e-Journal were excerpted from:

• Committee on Education and the Workforce
• FirstGov.gov-The Official U.S. Government Web Portal
• National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, an electronic newsletter of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), available online at http://www.ncset.org/enews. NCSET is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
• National Institute of Health
• National Organization on Disability
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• U.S. Department of Education
• U.S. Department of Education-The Achiever
• U.S. Department of Education-The Education Innovator
• U.S. Department of Labor
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• U.S. Office of Special Education
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this edition of the NASETSpecial Educator e-Journal.

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