Interview with 2023 Washington State Teacher of the Year, Dana Miles
In this interview with Washington School for the Deaf (WSD) educator Dana Miles, we learn about her career in education, what community and belonging mean to her, and Dana’s goals and priorities as the 2023 Washington State Teacher of the Year.
Dana has been a teacher for 11 years and has spent the last six years teaching Work Experience and Applied Bilingual Language Arts at the Washington School for the Deaf (WSD). In Dana’s applied Bilingual Language Arts classes, she teaches English and American Sign Language (ASL) interchangeably, preparing students for life after high school using real-world contexts.
Dana has served on the state-wide transition committee with the Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth to develop materials created and designed for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students across the state. Dana is also on the School Design Advisory Team (SDAT) at WSD for their upcoming new academic and gym building designs, that includes visions for on-site work experience settings to better prepare students for their futures. Dana has shared her own experiences growing up as a deaf person in a language rich environment that included both ASL and English and she will tell us more about how this has impacted the way she engages with her students. Dana is a steadfast advocate for the deaf community, and as a member of the deaf community herself has taken what she has learned from her own experiences and those experiences of generations before her to equip her students to be their own best advocates.
Autism Acceptance Month
April is National Autism Acceptance Month and includes observances to individuals identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the impacts on families and support services. It is also an opportunity to celebrate and share the perspectives of those living with ASD. We recognize the important role individuals on the autism spectrum play in our lives and our communities across the country and around the world. Please read the following blog post from Empowering the Families of Black Autistic Children through Culturally Responsive Community-Based Interventions that features an interview with Dr. Jamie Pearson on her research, the need to focus on the intersection of disability and race/ethnicity, and her advice to emerging scholars from under-represented groups.
Legislative Update
With all of this session’s committee cutoffs now in the rearview mirror and the final floor cutoff on Wednesday, April 12, we will start to see bills being sent to the Governor for signing. The legislature is currently working with one operating biennial budget draft SB 5187, and April 23 is still the scheduled end date of this year’s session.
Check out the Special Education Bill Tracker to see what bills we’re tracking or contact david.green@k12.wa.us.
Utah State Board of Education Visits WA State’s IPP Demonstration Sites
In mid-March the UW Haring Center Demonstration Sites and OSPI hosted the Utah Board of Education to learn more about the statewide Inclusionary Practices Professional Development Project (IPP). McMicken Elementary, Sehome High School and Ruby Bridges Elementary hosted demonstration site visits for leadership across the Utah State Board of Education (USBE), Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE) and California Supporting Inclusive Practices (SIP), along with staff from OSPI. The organizations joined in school visits and had opportunities to meet with school leadership and learn alongside one another sharing experiences and next steps in their state commitments to inclusionary practices. Visitors had the opportunity to see and hear firsthand about inclusionary practices in action and learn about the foundation and innovations that resulted in systemic change at these sites. A tremendous thank you to McMicken Heights Elementary, Sehome High School and Ruby Bridges Elementary for hosting the visits. After the visit, the Inclusionary Practices Professional Development Cadre debriefed with our visitors to learn about the impact of their visit and to share various perspectives on Washington’s statewide commitment to inclusionary practices.
 Students at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in the Northshore School District work together using a communication board in their classroom. (Photo by OSPI)
Special Education Advisory Council Openings
The Washington State Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) members focus on statewide issues impacting special education. The SEAC believes that all students with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate public education in a safe environment that is conducive to learning.
The SEAC is established through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)to advise the State Superintendent on matters pertaining to the provision of special education and related services and typically meets four times a year. The SEAC consists of members appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The SEAC is required by federal and state law. The requirement is ongoing and does not have an end date. See the SEAC By-Laws and SEAC WAC 392-172A-07060 for more information.
The SEAC is currently accepting applications for these roles on the Council:
- Parents of students with disabilities, and/or are an individual with a disability.
- State child welfare agency employee responsible for services to children in foster care.
- State juvenile and adult corrections agency employee.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the SEAC, please complete a SEAC member application and email it with a current resume to speced@k12.wa.us. Please add “SEAC application” in the subject line. Or you can mail a current resume and completed application to:
OSPI Special Education SEAC Executive Assistant PO Box 47200 Olympia, WA 98504-7200
Nonpublic Agency (NPA) Application Due Date Reminder
This is a reminder that all NPA annual renewal and three-year recertification applications are due to the Special Education Division on or before June 1, 2023, via email or mail to PO Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200. All NPAs must complete and submit an annual renewal form no later than June 1st of the succeeding calendar year following their initial approval. Please check your last approval letter from OSPI to confirm the next step for your NPA in the three-year cycle.
For a three-year recertification, the NPA must reapply to maintain approval status. This process is identical to the initial application and the reviewing school district must schedule an on-site visit and complete all components of the application before the June 1st deadline.
Please remember to provide copies of the annual renewal application or the three-year recertification application to the Washington state school districts who contract with your agency.
The fillable NPA applications are available on OSPI’s website. Please note that these applications have been updated—two of the application names have changed—see below:
NPA Points to Consider:
- When a school district contracts with an approved NPA or other public or private agency, the district retains full responsibility for the NPA’s or other public/private agency’s compliance with all applicable state and federal laws.
- Students receiving special education services through an NPA are held to the graduation standards set by the contracting school district.
- The contracting school district is required to ensure that each student receives all services specified on the student’s individualized education program (IEP) regardless of who provides the services.
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Click here for this month’s ECSE updates on the following topics:
- Early Childhood Special Education Office Hours
- Infant and Early Childhood Virtual Conference
- Time to Celebrate! The 2022 PreK LRE Data is in!
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Click here for this month’s Dispute Resolution updates on:
- The Supreme Court’s March 2023 decision in Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools.
- Requests for participants in a study of factors impacting the settlement of due process hearings.
What is important to know about secondary transition services and supports?
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