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Summer Newsletter
We at AJE hope everyone is staying safe and healthy this summer, pl
ease know that
we are still open and working
to serve DC families however we can.
This newsletter has lots of great resources and information for families, including:
- The Parent Leadership Academy - AJE is providing a free virtual 8-week leadership development and advocacy skills training focused on Special Education, School Discipline, and School Governance with a particular focus on the needs of students with disabilities and special health care needs. We encourage you to apply NOW! More information about the Academy is below, and we also have a Q&A for interested parents and caregivers on July 13th!
- OSSE updates - DCTAG (applications are now due September 7th, 2020) and other policy guidance on distance/continuous learning.
- Resources for families - DC paid family leave, mental health, where to find emergency food and school meals, and housing help. We also share how to apply for public benefits from home, some free opportunities to access local parks and a chance to practice mindfulness with other families.
- Upcoming AJE events - our virtual schedule is packed! We have 4 Lunch and Learns on the schedule, weekly mindfulness and several parent ambassador Fireside chats coming up. Our online calendar has all of our events, as well as community events of interest.
- Immunization information - Did you know that that DC Health has reported a 70% decrease in childhood immunization? As a result, OSSE and DC Health are recommending that schools exclude students who are not up to date on their immunizations to avoid an outbreak of diseases that are prevented by childhood immunizations.
We hope you find this newsletter helpful, please share it with anyone you think might might be interested!
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Parent Leadership Academy Applications are OPEN
AJE is providing a free virtual 8-week leadership development and advocacy skills training focused on Special Education, School Discipline, and School Governance with a particular focus on the needs of students with disabilities and special health care needs.
The Parent Leadership Academy is limited to just 30 DC parents/caregivers -
we encourage you to apply immediately to ensure you are able to participate!
Founded in 1996, Advocates for Justice and Education, Inc. (AJE) uses a parent empowerment model to address educational inequities in the District of Columbia, including school exclusion, unequal access to programs and services, and uneven implementation of local and federal education laws.
AJE's mission is to empower families, youth, and the community to be effective advocates to ensure that children and youth - particularly those with disabilities - receive access to appropriate education and health services. Parent training is at the core of our mission and model.
The 2020 Parent Leadership Academy will be 8 virtual sessions between late-July and mid-September of 2020. Exact times and dates will be determined based on the availability of participants.
After completing the Parent Leadership Academy, participants will -
- Understand the Special Education Process in DC, with a focus on the transitions from early intervention and to post-secondary life.
- Understand how to read and understand student IEPs and 504 plans.
- Understand what effective advocacy looks like at the individual level and on the systems level; this section will also cover the governance and oversight of public education.
- Be able to explain the resources available to families in DC around education.
- Understand the impact of school exclusion on students and understand the local laws on school discipline.
- Become familiar with Restorative Justice principles and implementation.
- Learn about using social media in advocacy, and how to craft and share your story with policymakers.
Special attention will be given to how COVID-19, Social Distancing, and Distance Learning impact these topics. Upon successful completion of the Parent Leadership Academy, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and be eligible to join an online community of like-minded DC parents/caregivers. Parent Leaders will also have increased opportunities to share their experiences, support AJE's broader mission and strengthen parent capacity for advocacy in their community.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis - we encourage you to
apply NOW!
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Resources available on AJE's website: Mental Health, Housing, Food, Workers Rights, Summer Tutoring
Do you have a concern about your experiences with a Department of Behavior Health provider? The
DBH Ombudsman might be able to help you or answer your questions.
We link to an important webinar
here from the Pay Coalition and the Office of the Attorney General on the new minimum wage, paid family leave, and Workers' Rights. Families can also find out more about DC paid family leave
here.
Finally, we also have some tutoring and additional summer resources for families
here.
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DCTAG applications now due September 7th
OSSE is extending the deadline
for applicants to complete the
DCTAG application and submit all supporting documentation to September 7th.
The DCTAG application opened Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020
for the 2020-21 academic year, which includes the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters.
Applicants must submit certain supporting documentation to prove domicile in the District of Columbia. A prior year Certified D-40 Tax Return from the DC Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) is a commonly used document to demonstrate domicile.
In response to coronavirus (COVID-19), Mayor Bowser and OTR extended the District of Columbia's tax filing deadline from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020. OSSE's extension of the DCTAG application deadline to September 7th will allow families taking advantage of the extended tax filing deadline to use the Certified D-40 Tax Return to demonstrate domicile
for DCTAG.
For more information, please visit the
DCTAG website. The DC Tuition Assistance Program (DCTAG) was created by Congress in 1999 by the District of Columbia College Access Act; PL 106-98 and amended by DC College Access Improvement Act 2002 and DC College Access Improvement Act 2007 for the purpose of expanding higher education choices for college-bound residents of the District of Columbia. For more information and to apply, please visit
https://osse.dc.gov/dctag.
New OSSE Guidance on Continuous/Distance Learning and Serving Students with Disabilities
In addition to the guidance issued about DCTAG, OSSE issued several other pieces of important information on June 30th about "
Planning for Continuous Education"
Part of the Continuous Education Resources for LEA document is a Special Education Guidebook, which has not been released yet. Once released OSSE says that it will offer
comprehensive guidance on LEA responsibilities under Part B of IDEA relating to the provision of FAPE in instances where LEAs are required to close their doors or limit access to buildings because of a local or national emergency, and transition to remote or hybrid learning models.
OSSE also issued this guidance on Serving Students with Disabilities
And this guidance on Serving English Learners
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Upcoming AJE and community events -
3 Lunch and Learns, Fireside Chats and more.
We also have 3 Lunch and Learns in August that explore the relationship between Race and Special Education, as well as the connection between Trauma and Special Education. These three Lunch and Learns are being lead by the faculty and students of the Juvenile & Special Education Law Clinic at the
U.D.C. David A. Clarke School of Law.
We
hope that this series gives participants a chance to both explore the data around racial disproportionalities in Special Education in DC, consider the reasons for those differences, and the steps that parents, advocates and other professionals can take to create more equitable experiences and outcomes for students and families.
In addition to this three Lunch and Learns, with support from SchoolTalk, AJE will be hosting a series of community conversations about Race and Special Education this fall. This series will generate a list of recommendations by DC families to make Special Education more equitable.
Look for more information soon!
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Immunizations are still important during the COVID-19 response!
As a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency, District physicians have recorded an extremely low rate of pediatric immunization administrations this year. According to DC Health, the rate of pediatric immunization administrations has dropped by 70 percent in the District as families have avoided or not had access to well-child care doctor visits during the emergency period.
Due to this, many children in the District are not
fully immunized
, creating a high risk for an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable infectious disease such as measles among our students. DC Health has advised that such an outbreak of another infectious disease could be as much, or even more, of a public health risk for school communities than COVID-19 itself, and would add another complex obstacle for school operations this year.
Due to the dangerously low pediatric immunization compliance and in an effort to protect the health and safety of all students, DC Health and OSSE have advised that all schools are to adopt the Immunization Policy for In-Person Attendance beginning in the 2020-21 school year.
This includes notifying and potentially removing students without up-to-date immunizations from in-person instruction after a 20-school day period due to the public health risks of in-person congregation without up-to-date immunizations.
A list of vaccine providers is
here.
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Getting outside and connecting with nature!
Did you know that the National Park Service, and Maryland State Parks offer free admission to people with disabilities, including DC residents?
The Universal Disability Pass
permits the holder and one other person free entrance to day-use facilities at Maryland State Parks and Forests, where there are service fees associated with entrance.
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DC State Board of Education
Did you know that you can testify at the DC State Board of Education's (SBOE) monthly
Public Meetings? Details are below, and you can learn more about the SBOE's work here.
All students, parents, educators, and community members are invited to provide testimony at public meetings. Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to comment at a public meeting are asked to notify Board staff in advance by phone at (202) 741-0888 or by email at
sboe@dc.gov no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
An electronic copy of testimony must be received no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting. Individuals are asked to provide their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and organizational affiliation, if any.
Working Sessions
While working sessions are open to the public, individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate. However, individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony for consideration by the Board. Written testimony must be submitted by email at
sboe@dc.gov at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
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Coronavirus/COVID-19 testing
DC is now offering free walk-up Coronavirus/COVID-19 testing at 8 firehouses. For more information about testing for Coronavirus, including additional locations, see
https://coronavirus.dc.gov/testing.
DC residents experiencing any COVID-19 symptom (fever, cough, sore th roat, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, congestion, body aches, chills, runny nose) or with known exposure to COVID-19 should get a COVID-19 test.
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Get help without leaving home:
DC Department of Human Services Has Launched a Free DC Access Mobile App to Apply for TANF, SNAP & Medicaid
DC Department of Human Services has launched a Free DC Access Mobile App to apply for TANF, SNAP & Medicaid.
Initial a
pplications for food, cash, and medical benefits, and verification documents, may be submitted through the mobile app.
Using DC Access
- Visit the Google Play or Apple app store to download DC Access.
- Open DC Access on your mobile device and create an account.
- Complete your application for public benefits.
- Take a picture of your verification documents and upload the documents.
- Submit your application. DHS will review and will determine your eligibility. You may receive a call from a DHS representative as a follow up to ensure we have the information needed to process your application.
If you need help t
he Call Center is available at (202) 727-5255 and can provide help using the mobile app or changing something reported on your application.
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Remember - AJE still is open and taking calls!
During this time, while our physical office is closed, our staff remain available to assist and support families and professionals. Our team is working remotely and we are available to talk with families by phone, Zoom and other technologies.
For assistance, please call 202-678-8060, and press 1 to reach our intake line where you will be connected
t
o the AJE Advocate of the Day. You can also leave a detailed message there. We are returning calls as soon as possible.
You may also email us at information@aje-dc.org.
We have several new on-demand trainings for families, including
Special Education and Distance Learning and
Understanding What School's Obligations are During Distance Learning, and our
Special Education Thursday webinars are still a great resource for families!
Our Blog is another resource for families, where we have posts about
We also have resources there to help you support your student with a disability, like
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About AJE:
Advocates for Justice and Education is the federally designated
Parent Training and Information Center and the Health Information Center for DC.
AJE seeks to empower families, youth, and the community to be effective advocates to ensure that children and youth, particularly those who have special needs, receive access to appropriate education and health services.
Our passion is empowering families by equipping parents and students with disabilities with the tools they need to be their own advocates.
Have questions? We are here to educate, advocate and empower. Contact us today!
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Advocates for Justice and Education, Inc.| (P) 202.678.8060 | (F) 202.678.8062 |
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