Mark your calendars for the 2010 Every Child Counts Symposium to be held in Monterey Jan. 13-15. The theme this year is “Thriving in a Changing World.”
Change is indeed on the minds of educators these days. It’s quite obviously a changing world in education, as recent massive budget cuts have left districts reeling. Taking that into account, an entire strand of sessions is focused on cost-saving ideas for special educators. This strand is themed “Generating Dollars from Cents.”
Although the focus is on change, the ECC symposium is not completely changed. The very popular Legal Issues Panel is back, offering attendees an opportunity to submit written questions the panel will address.
A new feature of the symposium called “The Attorneys Are In!” will allow attendees to meet with attorneys one-on-one to discuss legal issues pertaining to their districts. Attorneys from the Gutierrez Law Group; the Dalton Law Group; Lozano Smith; Miller Brown and Dannis; Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud and Romo; Best Best and Krieger; and Fagen Freidman and Fulfrost have all graciously agreed to meet with attendees who sign up for consultations on a first-come, first-served basis.
Symposium planning committee chair Maureen O’Leary Burness, assistant superintendent with Folsom-Cordova USD and past president of ACSA’s Student Services and Special Education Council, said the legal offerings are a definite event highlight.
“I am always particularly excited about all the legal presentations,” she said. “I love the information, the current and relevant detail and the support that whole strand offers by being so nuanced and clear for those of us in the field who have to deliver such complex services.”
Just these offerings alone could more than justify the cost of registration, as a legal consultation could cost more than event registration. And that’s not even to mention potential cost savings for districts that could be discovered in the “Generating Dollars from Cents” strand, plus all of the valuable information in other sessions.
“The symposium is annually the biggest help in California education to support compliant and quality program delivery, and is a real bargain for all its prevention focus and legal advice,” Burness said. “I can’t imagine not attending this annually!”
The ECC Symposium provides two and a half days jam-packed with sessions on just about every aspect of student services and special education. Plus, three top-notch keynote speakers – Julie Weatherly, special education and 504 issues consultant; Richard Lavoie, special education administrator; and comedian and musician Taylor Mason – make this a “don’t miss” event for anyone working in this area of education.
Click here for ACSA's professional development calendar, or contact Sue Periera for specifics on the ECC Symposium at (800) 608-ACSA or speriera@acsa.org.