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Inside this issue
Important Upcoming Events/Meetings
January 1 Happy New Year! January 11 Early Childhood Special Education Cohort @ Colvill January 12 EL PLC @ RWHS January 12 School Psychologist Cohort @ RBEC January 17 Superintendent Council January 18 Math 180 PD/Data Dig January 22 Social Worker Cohort January 26 ADSIS/Coaches PLC (Mid Year Progress Report Writing) January 26 Assistive Technology (AT) Cohort January 26 READ 180/System 44 Data Dig January 29 SPED Leadership Team |
The Progress, January 2018: Volume 3, Issue 5
The Progress archive
Click here to view past issues from the current school year. Comments? Suggestions for new articles?
Contact Jillynne Raymond, Editor, The Progress, jraymond@gced.k12.mn.us 
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Teacher Licensure in Minnesota
Teacher licensure has been a hot topic in Minnesota and in the country as a whole. For those of us working in public education, we all certainly know...teachers must have a valid teaching license, plain and simple. Beginning this month, there is a new organization overseeing and implementing teacher licensing for Minnesota.
The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) is responsible for (1) developing the teacher’s code of ethics; (2) adopting rules to license public school teachers; (3) adopting rules for and approving teacher preparation programs; (4) issue or deny license applications (5) suspending, revoking, or denying a license based on qualifying grounds; and (6) verification of district and charter school licensure compliance. (MDE)
See the infographic from Education Minnesota below for the specific requirements for each tier. For more information, see MDE - Licensing.
The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) is responsible for (1) developing the teacher’s code of ethics; (2) adopting rules to license public school teachers; (3) adopting rules for and approving teacher preparation programs; (4) issue or deny license applications (5) suspending, revoking, or denying a license based on qualifying grounds; and (6) verification of district and charter school licensure compliance. (MDE)
See the infographic from Education Minnesota below for the specific requirements for each tier. For more information, see MDE - Licensing.
Reprinted with thanks to Education Minnesota.
American Sign Language Classes
Over the past several years, there are more students throughout our member districts who are using sign language as a means of communication. IEP teams, including general education teachers, working with students who are using sign language have requested support in learning sign language and finding reputable resources. To help meet needs GCED is offering its first American Sign Language Class to member districts taught by Michele Kremer, GCED American Sign Language Interpreter. Our first course will be held at Bluff View Elementary School in Lake City. It will meet from 3:30 to 4:30 pm on Thursdays from January 25 through February 22.
Providing some basic sign language instruction and providing reputable resources will develop staff confidence in addressing individual student communication needs. This class is designed to be a basic, introductory sign language class for GCED member district staff who are interested in learning basic sign language and becoming aware of reputable resources.
Registration for this course is open to all member districts' staff members and can be accessed on GCED's website's homepage. Future classes will be offered in other member districts beginning March 2018.
Providing some basic sign language instruction and providing reputable resources will develop staff confidence in addressing individual student communication needs. This class is designed to be a basic, introductory sign language class for GCED member district staff who are interested in learning basic sign language and becoming aware of reputable resources.
Registration for this course is open to all member districts' staff members and can be accessed on GCED's website's homepage. Future classes will be offered in other member districts beginning March 2018.
GCED offers Mental Health Courses to the Public
GCED supports its member districts' mental health training needs with trainers in each district for Mental Health First Aid and for BehaviorTools™. These courses will now be offered to the general public. Anyone may register for these courses via the Red Wing Community Education Office. Course offerings include Mental Health First Aid and BehaviorTools™.
Mental Health First Aid is Offered Twice:
Tuesday 1/16/18 & Thursday 1/18/18
5:30 to 8:30 pm
River Bluff Education Center
Tuesday 4/10/18 & Thursday 4/12/18
5:30 to 8:30 pm
River Bluff Education Center
One in five Americans suffer from mental illness, which touches schools, the workplace, places of worship and the community in general. Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health concern or to someone who is experiencing a crisis. This engaging course will help you make a difference for someone in need.
BehaviorTools™
Thursdays 3/15/18, 3/22/18, 3/29/18
5:30 to 8:00 pm
River Bluff Education Center
The BehaviorTools™ curriculum was developed with state of the art behavioral research and principles. The informative and interactive course helps participants learn the effects of coercion and punishment. They will also learn the alternative and effective strategies of BehaviorTools™, which are taught and used in Goodhue County Education District’s member districts. The BehaviorTools™ methods work well with adults, teenagers and children of all levels of functional skills and verbal abilities, including those without any spoken communication. This course is intended for adults; 16-17 year olds may attend with a parent or guardian. CEUs will be available.
Tuesday 1/16/18 & Thursday 1/18/18
5:30 to 8:30 pm
River Bluff Education Center
Tuesday 4/10/18 & Thursday 4/12/18
5:30 to 8:30 pm
River Bluff Education Center
One in five Americans suffer from mental illness, which touches schools, the workplace, places of worship and the community in general. Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health concern or to someone who is experiencing a crisis. This engaging course will help you make a difference for someone in need.
BehaviorTools™
Thursdays 3/15/18, 3/22/18, 3/29/18
5:30 to 8:00 pm
River Bluff Education Center
The BehaviorTools™ curriculum was developed with state of the art behavioral research and principles. The informative and interactive course helps participants learn the effects of coercion and punishment. They will also learn the alternative and effective strategies of BehaviorTools™, which are taught and used in Goodhue County Education District’s member districts. The BehaviorTools™ methods work well with adults, teenagers and children of all levels of functional skills and verbal abilities, including those without any spoken communication. This course is intended for adults; 16-17 year olds may attend with a parent or guardian. CEUs will be available.
Trauma Responsive Schools, Principal Training
Trauma Informed Training in our Member Districts
August 2017 Kenyon Wanamingo School District January 2018 Red Wing High School February 2018 Sunnyside Elementary School, RW August 2018 Lake City School District |
GCED principals meet four times a year for collaboration, consensus building, and professional development opportunities. Our December session was professional development on Trauma Responsive Schools, facilitated by Danielle Theis. A team from the Goodhue County District Attorney's Office joined in the PD.
Key messages included:
Principals identified similar typical behaviors (many on a continuum) that they all deal with such as refusal, swearing, threatening, throwing things, aggression, wandering, bullying/cyberbullying. The group also identified types of trauma that children can experience by age 5 such as neglect, abandonment, physical/sexual abuse, parents without parenting skills, lack of basic needs/safety, domestic violence, war, poverty or gangs/criminal activity. Danielle led the group to examine common, though sometimes hidden, messages from the student's lens. Because of the trauma, the student has learned that: I am...Different, On my own, Not important, Not worthy, Always hungry, Always tired, Afraid, In danger, Confused, Constantly alert, Not good enough, and Screwed without options I believe adults are...Unavailable, Untrustworthy, Self-centered, Teaching me bad habits, Scary/Dangerous/Brutal/Vicious, Powerful, Not able to keep me safe, Are not concerned about me My life will be....Chaotic/Unpredictable, Difficult/Challenging, Short, Inherently unsatisfying, Not any better, Unfulfilling |
Behaviors: The Basics
by Molly Dodge-Brage and Tira Petersen
During the summer of 2016 GCED was fortunate to have licensed staff within each member district trained as PCMA (Professional Crisis Management Association) Everyday BehaviorTools™ instructors. These individuals attended a week long training and have since been able to share the knowledge of Everyday BehaviorTools™ with their friends and colleagues.
Everyday BehaviorTools™ is an eight hour, in person training comprised mostly of video components. However, the training times can be adapted to meet the needs of training schedules. The videos share scenarios of different examples of potential student behavior and how to address and manage it using 7 different tools. PCMA’s Everyday BehaviorTools™ training focuses on providing teachers with positive behavior support strategies and interaction skills that all teachers and school staff can implement to prevent crisis. All tools are easy to apply in any classroom setting and require little to no resources.
The 7 tools identified by PCMA’s Everyday BehaviorTools™ are:
During the summer of 2016 GCED was fortunate to have licensed staff within each member district trained as PCMA (Professional Crisis Management Association) Everyday BehaviorTools™ instructors. These individuals attended a week long training and have since been able to share the knowledge of Everyday BehaviorTools™ with their friends and colleagues.
Everyday BehaviorTools™ is an eight hour, in person training comprised mostly of video components. However, the training times can be adapted to meet the needs of training schedules. The videos share scenarios of different examples of potential student behavior and how to address and manage it using 7 different tools. PCMA’s Everyday BehaviorTools™ training focuses on providing teachers with positive behavior support strategies and interaction skills that all teachers and school staff can implement to prevent crisis. All tools are easy to apply in any classroom setting and require little to no resources.
The 7 tools identified by PCMA’s Everyday BehaviorTools™ are:
- Strengthen Behavior
- Maximize Relationships
- Pivot Tool
- Non-Reactive Response Tool
- Interrupt and Redirect Behavior
- Setting Expectations
- Using a Written Contract
- how to identify and avoid coercive language and actions, resulting in higher trust between staff and student;
- what “junk” behavior is and how it can simply remain ignored to avoid unnecessary communication;
- how to use verbal and nonverbal language to praise the positive things, no matter how small;
- how to analyze behavior and the different factors that influence it;
- and so much more.
SAVE THE DATE: PBIS Sustainability Day
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All of our member districts have PBIS schools, which is awesome. As with all programming, though, it is important for us to look at our cycles of implementation. In the original PBIS training, sites were able to bring teams together to establish their site's PBIS framework. Now is an ideal opportunity to refresh your work.
Join the Southern Region's PBIS networking session on February 21, 2018! Whether you can send a full team or partial team, the day will focus on staff and student buy-in, engagement activities and PBIS programming. Cherie and the superintendents have spoken about this and support the opportunity for our PBIS teams to recharge. Click here for the registration link. |
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SAVE THE DATE: College and Career Fair
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ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW OPPORTUNITY OR A NEW DIRECTION WITH YOUR TEACHING CAREER?
Cherie Johnson is part of a cohort of professionals from Region 10 that have joined forces with MDE, Augsburg College, Saint Mary's University of MN, Winona State University, and the University of WI - LaCrosse to address the teacher shortage issue. Attendees of the New Year, New U College and Career Fair on March 3rd (info to the left) will be able to meet with people from MDE and universities to learn how to earn a special education teaching license and/or how to add a special education teaching license. Bring your transcripts with you and learn about the possibilities! |
CTIC Update
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by Mick Wendlund
There is a continued focus for educators, county social workers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and members of the Department of Health and Human Services in meeting the requirements of the Olmsted Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Passed in 2014, one aim of the legislation is to increase the amount of people with disabilities, especially severe and profound disabilities, engaged in competitive employment. This goal is a focus of CTIC. In pursuit of that goal, students should have access to the Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ets) as a part of their education starting as early as middle school. Some of these aspects are already embedded in school planning for all students, but special education teams should ensure that these opportunities are a part of a student's plan whether in the schools or through collaboration with the other stakeholders. |
Minnesota's Department of Human Services would like YOUR input on the Olmstead Plan; check out their website for the Public Input Process for the Olmstead Plan 2017 – 2018
Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan envisions people with disabilities living, learning, working, and enjoying life in the most integrated setting of their choice. As another year of the Plan’s implementation comes to a close, people with disabilities, their families, and the general public across Minnesota are invited to comment on the Plan and the suggested amendments from state agencies. Want to learn more about the Minnesota Olmstead Plan? Check out this video on YouTube. |
The Pre-ets areas are:
There is a great deal of collective learning across the state as districts work to develop all of the components and coordinate resources in communities. Our smaller communities strive to move forward without a great deal of vocational opportunities. For all, the need to learn together is compounded since there is no additional funding or additional staffing to meet these expectations. As we meet these expectations, the goal isn't to get rid of sheltered workshops all together. For some of our students, they have been and will continue to be an appropriate option for some of our students. Ideally, individuals and their advocates feel as though there are other options and that our focus continues to be one that has people with disabilities included in their communities, including the workforce.
- Job exploration counseling;
- Work-based learning experiences, which may include in-school or after school opportunities, or experience outside the traditional school setting (including internships), that is provided in an integrated environment in the community to the maximum extent possible (although grant funds can NOT be used to fund student wages);
- Workplace readiness training to develop social skills and independent living;
- Counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or post-secondary educational programs at institutions of higher education; and
- Instruction in self-advocacy (including instruction in person-centered planning), which may include peer mentoring (including peer mentoring from individuals with disabilities working in competitive integrated employment.
There is a great deal of collective learning across the state as districts work to develop all of the components and coordinate resources in communities. Our smaller communities strive to move forward without a great deal of vocational opportunities. For all, the need to learn together is compounded since there is no additional funding or additional staffing to meet these expectations. As we meet these expectations, the goal isn't to get rid of sheltered workshops all together. For some of our students, they have been and will continue to be an appropriate option for some of our students. Ideally, individuals and their advocates feel as though there are other options and that our focus continues to be one that has people with disabilities included in their communities, including the workforce.
REMEMBER...the winter assessment window is currently open through January 17, 2018.
Also remember the true value of data. When we collect data, it is simply data. The data's value comes with the adult collaboration examining the data. It comes with the rich discussion and problem solving around the data. For some, the perception is that data is a "gotcha" that someone will use to punish someone. That perspective can use a mind shift. Data is information that strengthens our decision making; data allows us to examine what is happening with our student learning in an effort to make decisions that will move us closer to our expected and intended outcomes.
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Maggie Helwig, RBEC Principal and GCED Assistant Director
of Special Education
Maggie's favorite quote: |
Maggie's Favorites
Part of her job...working with students and their families Thing to do with family...boating Book...anything by Jodi Piccoult; current favorites include THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah, THE MARSH KING'S DAUGHTER by Karen Dionne, and A GOOD TIME FOR THE TRUTH: RACE IN MINNESOTA, Edited by Sun Yung Shin Movie...The Sound of Music Athlete or Sports Team...Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers Subject in high school..."Spectrum" - a course that combined religion, social studies, English, and service learning Veg out activity...baking Junk food...any and all, thank you. Maggie's Superbowl Prediction: Jacksonville vs. Saints |
It “wasn’t really a traditional path" for Maggie Helwig to her current role as Principal of River Bluff Education Center and Assistant Director of Special Education for GCED. She had been serving as a special education coordinator for ISD 622 and was quite accustomed to setting IV schools in the metro when she heard of this opening thanks to a friend’s call. When she received the call for the interview, her own children were hollering in the background, and she remembers the person chuckling at the yelling. She knew that GCED valued family from that phone call on and “I needed that.”
Growing up Maggie watched her younger brother take an unconventional path. She watched him struggle and knew that she wanted to get into education; she wanted to help students and originally set her sights on teaching Kindergarten and 1st grade. That vision changed after her Introduction to Special Education course. She was “listening to the most dynamic professor ever and thinking, wow this is very interesting!” Maggie recognized that her K - 12 Catholic school education guarded her from a lot in public education. As she learned more, she knew that special education was for her. She earned her undergraduate degree from St. Cloud State, a master’s degree from Saint May’s University of Minnesota; and is currently enrolled at Bethel University in their Ed.D. K-12 Administration program.
Maggie got her start teaching as a special education teacher for a K - 12 charter school in Stillwater. Following that year, she taught for 2 years at Stillwater Area High School. She then moved to ISD 622 to teach and serve as their special education coordinator at the high school level. Maggie joined GCED the summer of 2015 to serve as the first principal at River Bluff Education Center (RBEC).
All of her students served at RBEC are at-risk; 100% of the students have been unsuccessful in their member district. This brings unique challenges for her and her staff as they strive to regulate behaviors in order to get to the academic learning; “I think there are always behaviors that surprise me, but nothing ruffles my feathers at this point in time.” Just as she watched her brother’s challenging behaviors, she sees behaviors as a place to start rather than to end. The behaviors tell a lot about the individual; as educators, it is all about “helping students navigate their challenging behaviors and make them classroom ready.” The behaviors drive Maggie’s personal and professional why.
If she weren’t working with behaviors in public education, then she would be working with behaviors as a wedding planner or an event planner. Her dream job has less to do with others’ behaviors; she would be a backup singer for John Mayer. And dreaming of retirement would be all about her own behaviors in a warm location near water.
Retirement is a long way off though. Until then she and her family practice with boating on the St. Croix whenever warm weather allows. Maggie’s husband Jed is the activities director for ISD 622. Together they raise their blended family: Jacob, Rya, Colbie, and Finn. They have a cabin in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin where they enjoy ice fishing, skating, and sledding in the winter. Season tickets to Gopher Football Games also fill the winter with fun. Jed and Maggie are equally passionate about the Green Bay Packers, so they host plenty of Packers parties. They also have a family home in Naples, Florida that they get to as often as possible.
Maggie’s extended family also has southern connections; her mother’s grandparents were from New Orleans. At one time Maggie’s great-grandfather (Claude Alexander Martin) was one of the only doctors that would treat or deliver babies to people of color. Knowing that, it is no surprise that he raised a strong daughter as she would serve as his chauffeur (beginning at age 12) to these appointments. Dr. Martin's daughter was a beautiful southern belle; the doctor and his wife told her that she would be a school teacher. She said no and instead she left the family home to work with the war effort in Illinois. While living in a rooming house, a friend was fixed up with a man that she didn’t like the looks of. Maggie’s grandmother said, “I’ll date him,” which she did for a few weeks until she married him. They later moved to Willamette, Illinois. There they continued the connection to fame where they raised their family in a home that is two houses down from the house featured in the movie Home Alone.
For her home away from home family, Maggie hopes that her staff can do the difficult work of building a trauma informed paradigm while also taking care of themselves; to balance it all. For her students, Maggie’s hopes are that they can develop strategies to regulate their behaviors so that they can return to their home district via a non-traditional path. All hopes that align well with all of our at-risk students.
Growing up Maggie watched her younger brother take an unconventional path. She watched him struggle and knew that she wanted to get into education; she wanted to help students and originally set her sights on teaching Kindergarten and 1st grade. That vision changed after her Introduction to Special Education course. She was “listening to the most dynamic professor ever and thinking, wow this is very interesting!” Maggie recognized that her K - 12 Catholic school education guarded her from a lot in public education. As she learned more, she knew that special education was for her. She earned her undergraduate degree from St. Cloud State, a master’s degree from Saint May’s University of Minnesota; and is currently enrolled at Bethel University in their Ed.D. K-12 Administration program.
Maggie got her start teaching as a special education teacher for a K - 12 charter school in Stillwater. Following that year, she taught for 2 years at Stillwater Area High School. She then moved to ISD 622 to teach and serve as their special education coordinator at the high school level. Maggie joined GCED the summer of 2015 to serve as the first principal at River Bluff Education Center (RBEC).
All of her students served at RBEC are at-risk; 100% of the students have been unsuccessful in their member district. This brings unique challenges for her and her staff as they strive to regulate behaviors in order to get to the academic learning; “I think there are always behaviors that surprise me, but nothing ruffles my feathers at this point in time.” Just as she watched her brother’s challenging behaviors, she sees behaviors as a place to start rather than to end. The behaviors tell a lot about the individual; as educators, it is all about “helping students navigate their challenging behaviors and make them classroom ready.” The behaviors drive Maggie’s personal and professional why.
If she weren’t working with behaviors in public education, then she would be working with behaviors as a wedding planner or an event planner. Her dream job has less to do with others’ behaviors; she would be a backup singer for John Mayer. And dreaming of retirement would be all about her own behaviors in a warm location near water.
Retirement is a long way off though. Until then she and her family practice with boating on the St. Croix whenever warm weather allows. Maggie’s husband Jed is the activities director for ISD 622. Together they raise their blended family: Jacob, Rya, Colbie, and Finn. They have a cabin in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin where they enjoy ice fishing, skating, and sledding in the winter. Season tickets to Gopher Football Games also fill the winter with fun. Jed and Maggie are equally passionate about the Green Bay Packers, so they host plenty of Packers parties. They also have a family home in Naples, Florida that they get to as often as possible.
Maggie’s extended family also has southern connections; her mother’s grandparents were from New Orleans. At one time Maggie’s great-grandfather (Claude Alexander Martin) was one of the only doctors that would treat or deliver babies to people of color. Knowing that, it is no surprise that he raised a strong daughter as she would serve as his chauffeur (beginning at age 12) to these appointments. Dr. Martin's daughter was a beautiful southern belle; the doctor and his wife told her that she would be a school teacher. She said no and instead she left the family home to work with the war effort in Illinois. While living in a rooming house, a friend was fixed up with a man that she didn’t like the looks of. Maggie’s grandmother said, “I’ll date him,” which she did for a few weeks until she married him. They later moved to Willamette, Illinois. There they continued the connection to fame where they raised their family in a home that is two houses down from the house featured in the movie Home Alone.
For her home away from home family, Maggie hopes that her staff can do the difficult work of building a trauma informed paradigm while also taking care of themselves; to balance it all. For her students, Maggie’s hopes are that they can develop strategies to regulate their behaviors so that they can return to their home district via a non-traditional path. All hopes that align well with all of our at-risk students.
Remember that you have access to free resources through Infinitec. Here is a listing of free webinars in January 2018.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) - Part 1 Introducing the Principles (Beginner) (Recorded) By Lynda Hartman, M.A., M.L.S.; Educator/Consultant on the Integrated Technology Support Team at Northern Suburban Special Education District (NSSED)
-January 9th - 3:30-4:30 By - Click Here to Register
Resources for All Learners: A Guided Tour of myinfinitec.org - Overview of Infinitec Services By Jenn Skalitzky, Assistive Technology Facilitator
-January 16th - 3:30-4:30 - Click Here to Register
Executive Function and Self Regulation (Intermediate/Advanced) (Recorded for 2 Weeks Only) By Sarah Ward, SLP, Cognitive Connections
-January 17th - 11:00am-12:00pm - Click Here to Register
Transition Tech Tools to Empower Your Students(Beginner/Intermediate) (Recorded) By Dr. Sean Smith, Professor, Kansas University, Department of Special Education
-January 22nd - 3:30-4:30 - Click Here to Register
Supporting All Students: Universal Design for Learning - Offering Multiple Means of Engagement (Beginner) (Recorded) By Lynda Hartman, M.A., M.L.S.; Educator/Consultant on the Integrated Technology Support Team at Northern Suburban Special Education District (NSSED)
-January 23rd - 3:30-4:30 - Click Here to Register
Google Chrome Apps & Extensions for Reading (Beginner) (Recorded) By Jenn Skalitzky, Assistive Technology Facilitator
-January 29th - 3:30-4:30 - Click Here to Register