February 19, 2025 | Issue 168 (View newsletter as webpage) Para leer este boletín en Español, haga clic aquí

Important News

17 States Sue to End Protections for Students with Disabilities

A high-stakes lawsuit, Texas v. Becerra, is currently making its way through the courts, threatening crucial protections for people with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Seventeen states have challenged the federal government’s updated rules, putting at risk decades of legal safeguards that ensure accessibility in education, healthcare, and other public services.

Rather than target specific provisions of Section 504, the lawsuit seeks to dismantle Section 504 in its entirety.

To read more about the suit, which SPAN opposes in no uncertain terms, click here.

To watch an impactful video of one parent's take on the lawsuit, click here.

Congratulations to SPAN's Deepa Srinivasavaradan

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children has announced in their latest update the SPAN's own Director of Early Childhood Initiatives, Deepa Srinivasavaradan, has been appointed to the organization's Young Exceptional Children Journal (YEC) leadership team. The leadership team is described as "an innovative collective design that uplifts the diversity of experiences of those whose lives and work are reflected in the YEC Journal."

Congratulations Deepa!

Black History Month 2025:

We Proclaim It.

On the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) website, ASALH national president, Dr. Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead, authors a piece about "gear-shifting moments" in American history and the ongoing fight against racial oppression.

She mentions that when such moments as when Rosa Parks chose to stay seated on that bus in Montgomery, Alabama; or in 1850 when Harriet Araminta Tubman, a year after her self-emancipation, chose to go back to Baltimore to help lead her niece and her niece's to children to freedom; or in 1955 when Mamie Till told them to leave her son's casket open so that the world could see what those white men has done to her son - a gear in the machinery of the universe shifted.

To read Dr. Whitehead's fascinating article and all of her "gear-shifting" examples, click here.

Resources

New Guidance Expands on Implementation of Inclusive Educational Practices

On January 16, 2025, a new guidance document was released entitled, Building and Sustaining Inclusive Educational Practices Aligned with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), to help state educational agencies, local educational agencies, and school staff to foster inclusive and effective learning environments.

To read and download the guidance, click here.

NJ State Bar Foundation Offers Publications for Students in Grades

5 and Up

The NJ State Bar Foundation has many excellent learning opportunities as well as great publications. There are two publications that are aimed at students in grades 5 and up, including the Legal Eagle newspaper (published 3 times a year) and the Respect newsletter (also published 3 times a year). You can order the most recent issues of these informative publications, or subscribe (free!)

To access them both, click here.

Upcoming Events

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them.

Highlighted Event This Week

SPAN Resource Parent (SRP) In-Person Training

Winter 2025

Southern, NJ

Camden County Partnership for Children (CMO)

221 Laurel Road, Suite 300

Voorhees Township, NJ

Weekly Beginning 2/27

9:30 AM to 2:30 PM

During SRP training, participants learn about education and civil rights laws and regulations, as well as the special education process and strategies for working with the school team to ensure appropriate educational programs and related services for children and youth. Attendees parents, individuals, young adults, and professionals, are provided with extensive training and ongoing support to help them understand the dynamics of the systems that serve children with disabilities and special healthcare needs.

The SRP course is provided via six weekly five-hour sessions. Individuals who complete the entire training series receive a compilation of useful local, state, and national resources and will then be prepared to share information with families about issues or concerns they may have about their child’s education and development.

To learn more and register, click here.

See all of SPAN's upcoming events with details and registration links here

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Breaking Free from Panic

Read our latest youth blog post, “Breaking Free from Panic,” for practical tips on managing anxiety and panic attacks.

To access the post, click here.

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