Policy & Advocacy Committee
Our Purpose
Provide guidance and recommendations regarding public policy issues to DCDT Board and Membership.
Our Committee:
- Communicates public policy and government issues and recommendations to the DCDT membership.
- Establishes relationships with elected officials and/or government officials.
- Develops an effective grassroots advocacy network knowledgeable in the issues and methods of advancing policy and about CEC's policy positions and current events.
- Advocates for CEC's policy positions and communicate these positions to policymakers.
- Encourages DCDT members to become politically active and understand public policy to facilitate grassroots activities.
- Reads CEC's Weekly Policy.
- Develops relationships with elected officials.
- Rallies to the call to action using CEC's Legislative Action.
- Provides political action trainings at CEC's and DCDT's annual convention.
- Promotes grassroots action within DCDT and its conferences.
How I Can Get Involved?
Of course the DCDT Policy and Advocacy Committee encourages you to participate in our committee. However, there are many other ways to help support the goals of DCDT and the Policy and Advocacy Committee. Below are some of the ways to help advance policy affecting students with disabilities.
- Join DCDT's Policy and Advocacy Committee and become active in forming advancing public policy
- Email your members of Congress directly from CEC's Legislative Action Center – and tell your family, friends and colleagues to do the same! http://cqrcengage.com/cek/app/write-a-letter?0&engagementId=116513
- Sign up for CEC's Weekly Policy Updates by emailing pubpol@cec.sped.org
- Sign up for CEC's Smart Brief for the latest news send directly to your inbox three times per week by visiting http://www2.smartbrief.com/signupSystem/subscribe.action?pageSequence=1…
- Continue to monitor CEC's website for breaking news and information https://www.cec.sped.org/
Mission
Mission of the DCDT Policy and Advocacy Committee:
The Division on Career Development and Transition's Policy and Advocacy Committee works to build and sustain a strong network within DCDT to ensure our members are well informed of the policy issues concerning students with disabilities. Our committee is pivotal to making progress on Capitol Hill, in federal agencies and in state governments.
In our role as advocates for students with disabilities, the DCDT Policy and Advocacy Committee plays an integral role in advancing policy in federal agencies and federal/state governments. Our committee reviews and analyzes relevant issues for our DCDT Board and membership, provides recommendations to the DCDT board, supports CEC's policy agenda and grassroots initiatives, and finally, works to influence public policy, and converting public policy into best practice.
Chair - Lyman Dukes, Ph.D., Chairperson
Email: ldukes@usf.edu
Lyman Dukes, Ph.D. is a Professor of Special Education in the College of Education at the University of South Florida with more than 25 years of educational experience. He has served in higher education in a number of capacities both academically and administratively. He has co-edited two books, Preparing Students with Disabilities for College Success: A Practical Guide to Transition Planning (2010) and, most recently, Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Students with Disabilities (2018). He has published and presented extensively on topics related to secondary and postsecondary education for students with disabilities and awarded millions of dollars in transition-relevant grant funding. His current research interests include transition from school to college as well as school to adult life, universal design in postsecondary education, guidelines for research on postsecondary education and disability, standards for practice in higher education accessibility services, and the impact of COVID-19 on schools and colleges. As a long-time member of DCDT, Dr. Dukes looks forward to becoming a Board member, serving as Chair of the organization's Policy and Advocacy Committee and advocating legislatively and otherwise for all DCDT stakeholders.
Please join us the first Wednesday of the month at 1 pm (PST) 4 pm (EST).
Mar 3, 2021
Apr 7, 2021
May 5, 2021
Jun 2, 2021
Jul 7, 2021
Aug 4, 2021
Sep 1, 2021
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZwtde2orj4uG9YCZP72ETnJXdITnCs0X806/ic…
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88024005412?pwd=L2M2ZVB5ekVCWk53KzF6eTN4Qmtud…
Meeting ID: 880 2400 5412
Passcode: q8b8zr
If you are a practitioner and cannot make the meetings but want to stay involved please email Lyman Dukes (ldukes@usf.edu).
Federal Legislation
To keep abreast of current legislation, where it is in the process, opportunities for public comment, and other information, visit the following links.
- http://www.regulations.gov/#!home
- https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s130#
- US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee actions http://www.help.senate.gov/committee-actions/legislation
- Hearings http://www.help.senate.gov/hearings
- Track the HELP Committee https://www.govtrack.us/congress/committees/SSHR
- Newsroom RSS Feed http://edworkforce.house.gov/news/rss.aspx
- Hearings http://edworkforce.house.gov/calendar/list.aspx?EventTypeID=189
- Live Webcast of Hearings http://edworkforce.house.gov/webcast/
- Markups http://edworkforce.house.gov/calendar/list.aspx?EventTypeID=190
- US House Committee on Education and the Workforce Legislation http://edworkforce.house.gov/legislation/legislation.htm
How To Advocate
- CEC Toolkit Federal Appropriations Process: http://www.cec.sped.org/~/media/Files/Policy/CAN/CAN%20Resources/Advoca…
- Top Five Advocacy Tips: http://www.cec.sped.org/~/media/Files/Policy/CAN/CAN%20Resources/Advoca…
- Tips for Organizing a Successful Advocacy Phone Call: http://www.cec.sped.org/~/media/Files/Policy/CAN/CAN%20Resources/Advoca…
- Tips for Organizing a Successful Advocacy Visit: http://www.cec.sped.org/~/media/Files/Policy/CAN/CAN%20Resources/Advoca…
- The Legislative Process: http://www.cec.sped.org/~/media/Files/Policy/CAN/CAN%20Resources/Advoca… Congressional Directory: http://capwiz.com/cek/home/
- Children and Youth Action Network (CAN) http://www.cec.sped.org/Policy-and-Advocacy/Children-and-Youth-Action-N…
Publications
- CEC Public Policy Agenda for the 112th Congress: http://www.cec.sped.org/~/media/Files/Policy/Current%20Sped%20Issues%20…
- CEC Fiscal Year 2015 Federal Outlook for Exceptional Children: http://www.cec.sped.org/~/media/Files/Policy/Funding/Budget%20Book%2020…
- DCDT State Special Education Legislative Summit Toolkit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KvAE8thWU-3H-BmlxehGWUrrVuzLJpUY/view?…