{"id":201190,"date":"2018-04-30T11:57:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T15:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=201190"},"modified":"2023-07-12T12:13:10","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T16:13:10","slug":"klebanoff-institute-neag-school-co-host-2018-special-education-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2018\/04\/klebanoff-institute-neag-school-co-host-2018-special-education-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"Klebanoff Institute, Neag School Co-Host 2018 Special Education Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Neag School of Education hosted more than 150 special education directors, special education advocates, service providers, attorneys, parents, teachers, and school administrators from across the state this past week for its\u00a0second annual Special Education in Connecticut Summit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The daylong event, hosted at the UConn School of Law campus in Hartford, Conn., centered on the theme of promoting equity for marginalized students with disabilities, with the intention of \u201cprovid[ing] an opportunity for discussion and learning among educators, families and community members, policymakers, and researchers,\u201d said Joseph Madaus, associate dean for academic affairs and a professor of special education at the Neag School.<\/p>\n

Renee Bradley, deputy division director at the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Office of Special Education Programs, delivered the keynote address, titled \u201cEqual Access to Opportunity \u2014\u00a0Do We Have What It Takes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to realize that education is no longer sacrosanct to many people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Howard Klebanoff \u201962 JD<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Eben
Eben McKnight, State Education Resource Center consultant, and Jennifer Freeman, Neag School assistant professor, were among the panelists taking part in an afternoon discussion about promoting positive behavior among students with disabilities during the 2018 Special Education Summit. (Photo Credit: Frank Zappulla\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to Bradley\u2019s address, an array of school administrators, child and parent advocates, faculty experts, and attorneys served as panelists during a series of discussions about promoting positive school environments, high-quality academic outcomes, and positive behavior among students with disabilities. WNPR\u2019s David Desroches moderated the morning panel, leading a lively discussion that involved panelists and members of the audience and touched on such topics as teacher bias, student discipline, school climate, private special education schools, parental rights, and more. Neag School professors\u00a0Michael Coyne<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Brandi Simonsen<\/a>\u00a0facilitated the afternoon breakout sessions.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Klebanoff Institute<\/a>\u00a0served as the summit\u2019s co-sponsor for the second consecutive year; the Institute was established at the University of Connecticut in 1997 in honor of Howard Klebanoff, a 1962 UConn School of Law graduate with more than four decades of experience as a special education law attorney in the state of Connecticut. Its mission\u00a0is to improve the quality of educational and other services to children and adults with disabilities and their families by conducting research, disseminating information, and conducting training activities aimed at overcoming legal, ethical, and systemic impediments to such services.<\/p>\n

\"Howard
\u201cWe have to realize that education is no longer sacrosanct to many people,\u201d said Howard Klebanoff \u201962 JD during his closing remarks at this year\u2019s Special Education Summit. The Klebanoff Institute co-sponsored the summit for the second consecutive year. (Photo Credit: Frank Zappulla\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe have to realize that education is no longer sacrosanct to many people. The cutbacks to funding are staggering, on both federal and state levels,\u201d said Klebanoff during his closing remarks. \u201cEducators in particular have to be aware of this and to find ways to collaborate \u2026 to find solutions to lack of staff, lack of money; to be flexible and be willing to change the curriculum sometimes; to come up with some innovative ways of providing services \u2014\u00a0because right now the money isn\u2019t going to be forthcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Klebanoff went on to speak about the need for open dialogue between parents, school districts, and educators in addressing the needs of special education students. \u201cIf we leave today with one commitment,\u201d he said, \u201cit\u2019s that we will try to encourage flexibility, openness, candidness, and transparency.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0inaugural summit<\/a>, held in May 2017, was inspired by the landmark\u00a0Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding v. Rell<\/em>\u00a0court ruling<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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