The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) empowers special education teachers, advocates, and professionals with practical training, trusted resources, and meaningful connections - supporting those who make a difference in the lives of students with diverse learning needs.
Happy Friday! We hope you are savoring summer! Here's the news you may have missed this week
The Education Department this week detailed its plans to outsource special education oversight to Health and Human Services and relocate staff, prompting a private call with disability advocates that failed to reassure the community. Ten new bills advanced through the House that would permanently move Education Department functions to other agencies by law, and former federal officials came out against the interagency agreement. A Senate battle to shield special education from HHS continues, and a new lawsuit from 15 states challenges the cancellation of mental health grants. Join NASET on August 6th for a special education briefing as the school year begins.
On the accessibility and rights front, a new executive order makes it harder for people with disabilities to sue federal agencies, the Department of Justice's slip opinion targeting the ADA integration mandate drew continued scrutiny, and analyses examined what the next chapter for Section 504 could look like.
On the district front, Texas education officials ordered Houston ISD to review its special education overhaul after finding violations of federal law and student rights, and parents are urging the district to pause the restructuring. In New York City, the new administration announced a $67.5 million investment expanding special education programs into pre-K, though a citywide paraprofessional shortage continues to leave students with disabilities stranded at home. In California, AB 126 was signed into law, delivering a $2.4 billion increase in special education funding, the largest of its kind in state history.
On the classroom and research front, new coverage examined how mainstreaming is working for students with disabilities, the push for a Paraprofessional Bill of Rights across 18 states, tech equity in early education, and how autistic brains process faces differently.
Add your thoughts to the break room and grab worksheets, webinars, trivia below!
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Hello from the NASET Break Room - our quick pulse check on the state of special education based on trending posts and questions we saw online this week.
Last Week:
Has the number of students with disabilities in general education classrooms at your school increased in the last 2 years?
Yes, significantly - and support hasn't kept up 😤 (75%)
Has your district ever struggled to fill paraprofessional positions?
Constantly - we're always short-staffed 😩 (76%)
Do you feel adequately prepared to serve students who are homebound or medically unable to attend school?
No - I have no real guidance on this 😬 (29%)
Somewhat - I figure it out as I go 🤔 (27%)
I haven't encountered this yet 📋 (32%)
Do you think early intervention in special education makes a meaningful difference in long-term outcomes?
Absolutely - it's the most important window 🎯
Yes, but only when done with quality support 💪
Somewhat - it depends on the disability 🤔
The research is mixed and I'm not convinced 🤷♀️
Have students on your caseload ever missed services because of transportation failures?
Yes, regularly 😤
Yes, occasionally 😬
Rarely, but it's happened 👀
No, transportation is handled reliably ✅
Have you ever flagged a compliance concern internally that your administration ignored?
Yes, more than once 😤
Yes, once - and it was uncomfortable 😬
No, my admin takes concerns seriously ✅
I wouldn't feel safe raising it 😶
🌟 Advance your special education career with a NASET Board Certification.
Choose from 5 certifications covering advocacy, IEP development, inclusion, classroom management, and leadership. CEU and graduate credit eligible, with 3-month payment plans available. Members save 15%.
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🧠 TUESDAY July 21st at 7pm EST: The Brain Behind the Behavior: What Neuroscience Tells Us About Trauma, Behavior Disorders, and What Special Educators Can Do About It Join PhD Candidate, Tara Tedrow, MA, Assistant Professor of Instruction (University of Northern Iowa) as she breaks down her research which lies at the intersection of neuroscience, trauma, and behavior disorders and shares insights on how to best support your students.
👩💻 Register Today | Free for NASET Members
📋 Participate in Special Education Research & Journalism
Seeking K-12 special educators with experience working with twice exceptional (2e) students 👉Review details and compensation here →
Seeking elementary special education teachers with experience implementing specially designed instruction (SDI) 👉Review details here →
Seeking school-based staff who work with students who receive special education services under the autism category of IDEA 👉Review details and compensation here →
📚From the NASET Vault
➡️ Q&A Corner: Questions and Answers on Adrenal Glands Disorders
🎓 Earn graduate credit with NASET for under $150! Through our partnership with Augustana University, we offer 2 graduate credit eligible courses for under $150.
✅ Complete coursework in our related services or IEP implementation course!
⬇️ NASET Support Squad Downloads of the Week Understanding Medical Conditions and Their Impact on Learning and Supporting Students Receiving Hospital/Homebound Services Scroll down to instantly download ⬇️
THE LEAD: SPECIAL EDUCATION OUTSOURCING
INCLUSION & THE GAO REPORT
DISTRICT-LEVEL CHANGES
POLICY & ACCESSIBILITY
AUTISM RESEARCH & CULTURAL COVERAGE
Looking for a new role? Join the NASET Talent Network!
🚀 Ready for your Master’s Degree?
Augustana University's M.Ed. in Special Education (K-12) is built for teachers who are already in the classroom. Flexible enough for a full teaching load, rigorous enough to move your career forward.
📚 Not sure the SPED track is your fit? Augustana offers other M.Ed. options worth exploring.
🗓️ Curious? Augustana is hosting a virtual info session on Thursday, August 13th from 4:30-5:00pm CST. Thirty minutes, straight from the people who run the program.
Shout Out to Last Week’s Winners Who Correctly Answered, “Phonological Processing Deficit” View the winners list here!
This Week's Question:
Which data collection method records whether a behavior occurred at the exact moment the observer checks, rather than across an interval?
Correctly answer 3 or more trivia questions each month to be eligible for a gift card! We had 19 winners in June!
What’s one resource you’ll be looking for this summer? Reply to this email and let us know!
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“The duty of youth is to challenge corruption.”