SNAPSHOTS OF IEL'S PEOPLE AND ACTIVITIES

Dr. Judith E. Heumann, former asst sec of Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services---and one of the members of the Commission on NCLB---addresses the participants.

Curtis Richards, IEL Senior Fellow, Center for Workforce Development, leads the Interns in a discussion.

The Washington Experience for Interns with Disabilities is a collaboration between the Washington Center for Interns and Seminars and IEL. The Washington Experience brings interns with disabilities together to network, hear from informed and experienced leaders in the community, and engage in discussions on leadership and disability public policy. Founded on the same four core principles embedded in the Americans with Disabilities Act (full participation, equality of opportunity, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency) the program has three main learning objectives for Washington Center Interns:  (1) Understand broad concepts of leadership development within the five areas of youth development and youth leadership; (2) Gain an understanding of leadership in the disability community; and, (3) Gain an understanding of individual leadership styles, strengths, and opportunities.

For more information contact Rebecca Hare at harer@iel.org or 202-822-8405 x127.

HS Alliance on the Road to China.  IEL/EPFP NY-site co-coordinator, Robert Munson, sent us a note and picture showing Susan Sclafani (foreground, left), managing director of Chartwell Education Group, LLP and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education) using the National High School Alliance’s Call to Action framework as a part of her work training educators in Beijing. She was working with The EduChina Group, an entity aligned with the biggest academic education organization in China—the Chinese Society of Education (CSE)—and focused on helping school management and improving teachers' professional qualification, by providing the finest education services towards building outstanding and unique schools.

IEL co-sponsored a week-long federal education policy institute for graduate students from Teachers College Columbia University.  Over 30 students, who had to apply to participate, made the trip to Washington for the opportunity to hear from people working in the ed policy arena---from the federal government to national education organizations, etc. Included in their packed week, students were treated to a rare conversation on Capital Hill with staff from both the House and Senate education committees:

(left-right)  James Bergeron, Deputy Director of Education and Human Resources Policy, Minority Staff, House Committee on Education and the Workforce;  J.D. LaRock (and Columbia alumni), Senior Advisor, Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, Office of Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA); and, Lindsay Hunsicker, Legislative Assistant, Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee,  Office of Senator John Ensign (R-NV).

Above, the class and program leaders (Professor Sharon Lynn Kagan, Columbia U., left-front row, and Mike Usdan, IEL Senior Fellow, left-2nd row, and Betty Hale, IEL president, second from right, 2nd row), pose for group photo, along with students and former governor Bob Wise, President of Alliance for Excellent Education (2nd from left, front row).  This is the 10th year that IEL has helped produce this program intended to introduce students to current and future issues and people on the front lines of pre-K-to-16 education policymaking; we help produce a similar institute for graduate students at George Washington University.  Professors and deans interested in exploring a similar program for their students should contact Mike Usdan, usdanm@iel.org, or Denise Slaughter, slaughterd@iel.org. 

EPFP director and associate (Doug Brattebo and Taryn Tyler) pose for picture with guest speaker, Superintendent of Schools, Rudy Crew (Miami, FL), during their program’s first plenary meeting for the 06/07 year. This year’s class is 204 people, across 11 sites, and they will join the ranks of the other 6000+ EPFP alumni after the next plenary meeting, to be held in Washington, DC in April 2007. To learn more about this nationally prominent leadership development program, please contact Taryn at tylert@iel.org.

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