Wils Van Bergen is a typical 16-year-old man with Down Syndrome who has been included in regular education classes since kindergarten with supports from exceptional education services. Despite a label of “trainable,” Wils hopes to attend college after graduation. This presentation will include a 7-minute documentary of Wils’ middle school experience with teacher, family and peer interviews. Click here.
Bambi Lockman will speak about some of the latest initiatives and activities within the Bureau during the first part of the session. She will then demonstrate the ESE Process web system in the second portion of her presentation. Given at the 9th Annual Family Cafe Conference. Click here.
At The 14th Annual Family Cafe, The Department of Education’s Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice presented information about the John M. McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities. This program
was established to provide Florida parents and students with educational options, and operates under the premise that the parents should make decisions regarding their child’s education. The program offers student-directed funding and parent-directed choices. The presentation included: participation statistics, eligibility requirements, process for filing the intent, parent/student responsibilities, qualification requirements, and public school responsibilities.
To view the presentation in its entirety, use the following links:
John McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities Part 1
John McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities Part 2
John McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities Part 3
John McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities Part 4
The 14th Annual Summit on Disabilities at The 14th Annual Family Cafe featured Janice Lehrer-Stein of the National Council on Disability (NCD) and Kareem Dale, the Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy within the Office of Public Engagement at the White House. They shared a national perspective on disability issues with our attendees, and offered their views on the course of national disability policy.
Their conversation on national issues was followed by a discussion of Florida disability policy, with participation by representatives of the various Florida State Agencies that serve individuals with disabilities and their families.
We are pleased to announce that the entirety of The 14th Annual Summit on Disabilities can now be viewed online. This 90 minute presentation can be viewed in six 15 minute segments. To watch it, please follow the links below.
The 14th Annual Summit on Disabilities Part 1
The 14th Annual Summit on Disabilities Part 2
The 14th Annual Summit on Disabilities Part 3
The 14th Annual Summit on Disabilities Part 4
APD Director Mike Hansen was on hand at The 14th Annual Family Cafe to share his perspective on the challenges facing Floridians with disabilities, and his Agency's role in helping them to meet those challenges. The Family Cafe recorded his session, and it is now available online in its entirety.
This hour-long conversation can be viewed in four segments, with each lasting approximately 15 minutes. To view them, please use the following links:
Stay tuned for additional video from The 14th Annual Family Cafe, which will be added to our site in the coming weeks.
