NEWSLETTER

March/April 2025

Have a Grant Idea?

Jim Persinger

Have you noticed an opportunity to score funding to support a special project, materials, or training, but didn't because the application process was too involved?  There are a number of foundations, agencies and corporations that offer funding for teachers and other educators, but the competition is usually fierce and the application can be lengthy and confusing, so most don't bother. 

Part of my former life as a professor involved grant writing and management, and I'm knowledgeable about what grant entities are looking for in a successful application.  So if you think you see an opportunity you want to pursue, email me the details!  I'm happy do as much of the heavy lifting as you'd like to turn your idea into an application that will stand out from the competition.

Baldwin Junior High Students and Staff took the Pledge to Spread the Word to end the R Word and Promote Inclusion

Professional Development Plan:

You Spoke, We Listened

Jim Persinger

Over the past several months, virtually all in ECKCE participated in surveys and focus groups to help better understand your professional development needs. We promised we would report back— here's what you told us.

Your input directly shapes the three-year professional PD plan under construction, which will launch in August 2025. This plan is rooted in your real-world challenges and priorities, addresses both certified and classified staff, and also supports collaboration with general education where shared needs arise.

The first year of the plan targets core skill-building that many of you emphasized as urgent, then builds on those skills over the next several years. Here’s what you can expect over the next several years.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Practical and Tiered

You told us you need concrete tools for helping students regulate emotions, stay engaged, and build resilience. PD will include:

• Tier 1 classroom-wide strategies and routines.

• Specific, targeted interventions for students with IEP goals tied to SEL.

• Shared SEL language and systems across roles.

Behavior Intervention and Function-Based Support

You voiced frustration with shutdowns, task refusal, and unclear behavior plans. We’re responding with:

• Training in informal and formal functional behavior assessments.

• Proactive classroom interventions that address the "whys" of behavior.

• Using direct (e.g., observations) and indirect (e.g., discussion with the student) assessments to select interventions.

• A carefully curated selection of tools and resources, and training in how to best utilize them.

Trauma, Emotional Dysregulation, and Mental Health

You asked for trauma-informed training that will focus on:

• Understanding how crises and chronic stress impact students.

• Teacher- and para-level strategies for emotional regulation support.

• Embedding brain-based practices into behavior and SEL plans.

Clarifying Roles and Building Consistency

Many of you asked, “Who’s supposed to do what?” when it comes to Tier 1 SEL, BIPs, and support across staff. We’ll offer:

• Role-specific training for ECKCE staff, with practical systems/tools for problem-solving and team decision-making.

• Collaborative PD with general education.

Paraprofessional Training: Practical, Ongoing, and Role-Aligned

Our paras asked for clear, hands-on guidance, and their supervisors chimed in as well with specific priorities.  You’ll see:

• Onboarding and para-specific training focused on behavior, prompting, and data collection.

• Systems/tools for communicating with case managers and general education partners.

Legal and Compliance Supports (Asynchronous)

We’ll be rolling out on-demand training as needed for compliance, such as for writing IEP goals and understanding implementation responsibilities—designed to be efficient and accessible.

Keepin' it Real

Everything in this plan connects back to what you told us.  You want support grounded in real classroom experiences, clarity in your roles and systems that work across buildings, and want to be part of a shared, consistent approach to supporting our students.

We’re committed to making future PD worth your time. If we do this correctly, you'll end PD sessions with a solid answer to the question of "what are the specific things I could do differently starting tomorrow?" More details about specific PD dates, formats, and session options will be shared when we all meet in August.

Thank you for your insight, your honesty, and your investment in the process.