Charting the Cs logo with black and blue text Charting the Cs Conference 2025: To Literacy and Beyond Cooperation Communication Collaboration Teach Special Education MN Updates Tuesday, April 30, 2025, 10 AM – 11 AM Paul Dols, MDE, Special Education Workforce Specialist Katie Roby, MDE, Low Incidence Disabilities Specialist for Equity and Licensure www.teachspedmn.orgwww.teachspedmn.org Teach Special Education MN logo. Explore, Become, Grow, Thrive. Minnesota Department of Education Teach Special Education Minnesota mainpage of a young girl with Down Syndrome. To the right of the image, there is a QR code that will take you to the website. https://teachspedmn.org/ Teach Special Education Minnesota (TeachSpEdMN.org) •TeachSpEdMN.org is a project in collaboration with our Regional Low Incidence Facilitators, BrightWorks , and Minnesota Institutes of Higher Education •TeachSpEdMN.org will serve as a resource for prospective and current special education teachers to explore, become, grow, and thrive in the teaching profession •The vision of this project is to recruit, support and retain excellent special educators and to help shift the public narrative about teaching special education Explore •What is special education? •Why teach special education in Minnesota? •What are low incidence disabilities? •Current links to MDE disability category webpages, IDEA, PELSB Supply and Demand Report •Future links to MDE Disability Category Quick Cards Become •Information about becoming a special education teacher in Minnesota •Licensure information including links to PELSB resources •Link to Minnesota School Jobs •Links to our Special Education Preparation Programs in Minnesota •We are working to include video introduction connecting candidates to colleges and universities with a personal connection Become Overview A webpage titled "Overview" and "Roadmap" outlines resources for becoming a special educator in Minnesota. It includes three sections: Tiered Licensure – with an image of a teacher and child, and a green button labeled “Apply for a License.” Initial Licensure – showing a teacher reading with children and listing links like “PELSB Approved Teacher Preparation Programs” and “Licensing Requirements.” Minnesota School Jobs – featuring a child giving thumbs up and a button labeled “Access Minnesota School Jobs.” A webpage titled “Special Education Preparation Programs (SEPP)” showcases three Minnesota universities offering licensure pathways in special education: St. Thomas University – Features a logo, program details, links to a brochure, and two embedded videos about their special education programs. Bethel University – Displays a logo, program overview, list of undergraduate and graduate licensure paths, a video thumbnail, and an “Apply Now” button. Bemidji State University – Includes a logo, program link, an embedded YouTube video titled “Special Education Programs at Bemidji State University,” and an “Apply Now” button. Teach Special Education MN Teacher Recruiting Events • Two recruiting events annually, with the possibility of adding a third •Audience: oCurrent teachers adding licenses oParaprofessionals oHigh school seniors Virtual Event PlatformTeacher Recruiting Event Fall 2024 A virtual event platform lobby screen for the "TeachSpEdMN Teacher Recruiting Event Fall 2024." The main section displays interactive booth cards for various universities including Augsburg, Bemidji State, Bethany Lutheran, and Bethel University, offering group and private chat options. On the right side, a panel outlines the event's vision—supporting prospective educators in exploring and thriving in special education—and an "About Our Program" section explaining TeachSpEdMN’s mission and funding source. A left sidebar shows event details, user profile options, and navigation links. Grow •Mentoring programs (Minnesota Mentor Program, New Teacher Center, National Center on Intensive Intervention) •Professional development opportunities including Charting the C’s, MN CEC, HLPs, IRIS Center, etc. •Connections to regional supports Mentoring programs MNCEC Logo CEEDAR Center Logo MN Low Incidence Projects Iris Center TeachSpEdMN and the Minnesota Council for Exceptional Children Professional Development for New Special Education Teachers in MN Quarter 1: Foundations and Getting Started Week 1 - 2: Orientation and Introduction to Sp. Ed. in MN Week 3 - 4: IEP Fundamentals Week 5 - 6: Classroom Management and Behavior Support Week 7-8: Curriculum and Instructional Strategies MN Council for Exceptional Children logo Teach Special Education MN Logo Quarter 2: Instructional Practices and Collaboration Week 9 - 10: Evidence - Based Instructional Practices Week 11 - 12: Data Collection and Progress Monitoring Week 13 - 14: Collaboration and Co - Teaching Week 15-16: Communication and Team Meetings Quarter 3: Advanced Practices and Legal Compliance Week 17 - 18: Transition Planning Week 19 - 20: Legal Compliance and Ethical Practices Week 21 - 22: Supporting Diverse Learners Week 23 - 34: Self - Assessment and Professional Growth Quarter 4: Review, Reflect, and Plan for Next Year Week 25 - 26: Reviewing Student Progress and IEP Goals Week 27 - 28: Professional Collaboration and Community Building Week 29-30: Reflection and Planning for Next Year Thrive The purpose of the "Thrive" page of this site is to provide resources to enhance the leadership capacity of special education teachers in Minnesota by fostering professional growth and providing opportunities for teachers to thrive and advance in their careers. We are particularly interested in your feedback and suggestions for this portion of the site. We currently share: •Leadership opportunities •Professional memberships Tuition Supports New 2025! Offers information about financial assistance options for educators pursuing special education credentials. Federal supports, state supports, and (coming soon) regional supports Teacher Journey A webpage section titled "Overview" provides information on tuition support resources for teachers in Minnesota. It is divided into three columns: Federal Tuition Supports – Features a smiling child in a red wheelchair and includes links for Teacher Loan Forgiveness and the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant. State Tuition Supports – Shows a woman and child in a wheelchair in front of a school bus, with links for grants and pipelines such as "Grow Your Own Grant" and "Special Education Teacher Pipeline." Regional Tuition Supports – Depicts two women smiling at a table and includes a placeholder message: “Coming soon!” Are we missing something? How users can provide feedback on the site. Feedback Image shows a diverse group of hands holding up colorful letters spelling out the word 'feedback'. •How did you find the content presented? Any areas you found particularly helpful or areas needing improvement? •What are your thoughts on the usability and accessibility of our website? •Do you have any suggestions for additional resources or features that could enhance our website's support for special education teachers in Minnesota? •Are there any specific topics or tools you would like to see added or expanded upon on our website? •Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback! Thank you for your dedication to students with disabilities in Minnesota! Contact Information: Paul Dols, paul.dols@state.mn.us Katie Roby, catherine.roby@state.mn.us Teach Special Education MN logo. Explore, Become, Grow, Thrive. Minnesota Department of Education