Revisions ASE By-Laws
At the March 2006 ASE Conference a by-law revision ballot was presented to our voting membership in attendance. By an overwhelming margin (92% For, 8% Against), the revisions noted below have been made to our ASE By-Laws.

Thank you for your input relative to these revisions.

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Additions to Article III Section 1: Members

Defining language added to RETIRED MEMBERSHIP
Added:
Individuals, although retired from municipalities or agencies, who continue to assume special education administrative/supervisory duties via compensation from another agency/company, are not eligible for Retired Membership, but are eligible for Voting, Active or Associate Membership.

Following STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
Added:
HONORARY MEMBERSHIP:
The Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education extend a non-voting “Honorary Membership” to the State Department of Education’s Director of Special Education.

Change in Article III, Section 1:
RETIRED MEMBERS to RETIRED MEMBERSHIP and STUDENT MEMBERS to STUDENT MEMBERSHIP to keep membership language consistent.

National Inclusive Schools Week
ASE in proud to announce our endorsement of the National Inclusive Schools Week: Great Things Happen in Inclusive Schools- December 5-9, 2005.

We ask you to join us in celebrating National Inclusive Schools Week in your district. Please visit their website (www.inclusiveschools.org) for more information and resources.

ASE Proudly Announces the Co-sponsors for the 2005-2006 ASE Conference Series
ASE is honored to have the sponsorship support from CASE e, eSped, Kurzweil Educational Systems, the Massachusetts Hospital School, Murphy, Lamere & Murphy, P.C., New England Medical Billing, the Perkins School for the Blind and Public Consulting Group, Inc. Each of these organizations provides honorable, credible and effective expertise on behalf of special education.

A Very Special Thanks to: Jason Perkins (Case e), George Dhionis (eSped), Nancy Avery and Cindy Kerrigan (Kurzweil Educational Services), Mederick McLaughlin (Massachusetts Hospital School), Mary-Joanne Reedy, Atty (Murphy, Lamere & Murphy, P.C.), Charles and Nancy Dolgin (New England Medical Billing), Christopher Underwood (Perkins School for the Blind) and Jay Yampolsky (Public Consulting Group, Inc.), and to the Board of Directors and/or Partners of each organization for their support to ASE.

A Session with Commissioner Harry Spence, DSS
And other members of the DSS Staff

Cracker-barrel format discussion: Focusing on new and updated DSS activities Co-Sponsored by ASE and the DSS Child Welfare Institute.
September, 12th, 2005
1:00 -- 3:00 pm
Hogan Center, Holy Cross College
Worcester, MA
(Download Registration Form -->)

Revisions ASE By-Laws
At the March 2006 ASE Conference a by-law revision ballot was presented to our voting membership in attendance. By an overwhelming margin (92% For, 8% Against), the revisions noted below have been made to our ASE By-Laws.

Thank you for your input relative to these revisions.

ED NAZZARO, President
MA Administrators for Special Education

============================================

Additions to Article III Section 1: Members

Defining language added to RETIRED MEMBERSHIP
Added:
Individuals, although retired from municipalities or agencies, who continue to assume special education administrative/supervisory duties via compensation from another agency/company, are not eligible for Retired Membership, but are eligible for Voting, Active or Associate Membership.

Following STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
Added:
HONORARY MEMBERSHIP:
The Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education extend a non-voting “Honorary Membership” to the State Department of Education’s Director of Special Education.

Change in Article III, Section 1:
RETIRED MEMBERS to RETIRED MEMBERSHIP and STUDENT MEMBERS to STUDENT MEMBERSHIP to keep membership language consistent.

ASE Proudly Announces the Co-sponsors for the 2006-2007 ASE Conference Series
Each of these organizations provides honorable, credible and effective expertise on behalf of special education. (Read more -->)

2006-2007 Conference Dates Announced
ASE Conference Dates for the upcoming year: October 27th, 2006, March 9th, 2007, and June 8th, 2007.

2005-2006 ASE Membership
The Membership application form for the upcoming year is now available on-line.
(Download Membership Form -->)

2006-2007 ASE Membership
The Membership application form for the upcoming year is now available on-line.
(Download Membership Form -->)

Fall Conference Special Notice

July 20th, 2006

Dear ASE Members and Other Conference Participants:

We are very pleased to inform you that on October 27, 2006 we will be holding our ASE Statewide Conference entitled:

SAFE SCHOOLS
Increasing Understanding in Working With and On Behalf of Students with Disabilities:
Legal Requirements and Special Issues When Students with Disabilities are
Victims or Perpetrators of Bias- Motivated Harassment or Bullying

We are honored to have Richard W. Cole, Esquire, Massachusetts’ Assistant Attorney General and Senior Counsel for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, as our Keynote Speaker.

This will be a dynamic, timely and informative conference. The information provided in this conference is beneficial to special education professional teams working for and on behalf of students with disabilities.

To ensure capacity to attend the conference and to support special education professional teams, we encourage you to REGISTER EARLY and with ANOTHER MEMBER of your SPECIAL EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL TEAM. As a member benefit FOR THIS CONFERENCE ONLY, we are offering non-members who register with an ASE member the member rate of $150 for the Fall Conference. We request that both names appear on the registration form to be eligible for this one-time, discounted rate.

Attached please find our Fall Conference Registration Form and directions to the Hogan Center at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester. We look forward to seeing you on October 27th.

Best regards,

IEE Rate Summary

Archived IEE Rate information 2005(Download Rate Information)

Nominations Open for Special Education Administrator of the Year Award for the 2004-2005

The intent is to honor a special education administrator who has made a substantial contribution to the field of special education throughout his or her career.  (Read more -->) (Download Nomination Form -->)

ASE Proudly Announces the Co-sponsors for the 2004-2005 ASE Conference Series

Each of these organizations provides honorable, credible and effective expertise on behalf of special education.  (Read more -->)

A New IDEA In Leadership- CASE Conference

ASE wants to draw your attention to this upcoming national conference by our national affiliate, CASE. We strongly urge you to consider attending this November conference in Arizona as it promises to be informative and exciting.

Click here to download the brochure.

Adobe Acrobat Reader Required - Click here for free version

ASE Summer, 2004 Newsletter

Click here to download the ASE Summer, 2004 Newsletter.

Adobe Acrobat Reader Required - Click here for free version

DOE Entitlement Grants

Entitlement Grants are due (submitted) to DOE by June 25th, funds must be approved by DOE by September 1st, 2004- money can not be spent before the approval of the funds from DOE.  (Read more -->)

ASE letter to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in regards to IDEA/Reauthorization:

Click here to read a letter written to Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy by ASE Executive Director, Carla B. Jentz, and ASE President Elect, Edward McCaul in regards to IDEA/Reauthorization

Adobe Acrobat Reader Required - Click here for free download

Special Thank You and Acknowledgment to the following Sponsors
For the 2003-2004 ASE Conference Series:

Maaps
Murphy, Lamere and Murphy, PC
Public Consulting Group, Inc.
eSPED: for the Breakfast / Refreshment Segment / February 6th, 2004 Winter Conference

On behalf of the Executive Board of ASE, we appreciate their interest in the administrative leadership mission for special needs students within the Commonwealth.

Circuit Breakers Updated Form Alert

ASE has been informed by DOE regarding Circuit Breaker’s second claim form, being developed.  (Read more -->)

Opportunity for Input - DOE Data Management

The Department of Education has contracted with UMASS Center for Education Policy(CEP) to conduct a needs assessment regarding collection and use of education data in the Commonwealth. Andy Churchill from CEP will be with DOE data staff to gather input on education data needs, sources, barriers, quality issues and system improvement opportunities.

Anyone interested in providing input on education data system improvements is encouraged to contact Andy Churchill directly at achurchill@educ.umass.edu or tel. 413-545-0958 

(especially school districts /staff with significant involvement in data reporting or data based decision making)

Carla B. Jentz, Executive Director        Anthony J. DeMatteo Ph.D

FY 2004 TUITION FREEZE

Note to Members: Please see the following important information regarding FY04 Tuition Freeze from OSD. Tuition prices for 71B approved private special education programs for FY2004 have been frozen at the FY03 level.  (Read more -->)

COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES REGARDING FUNDING FOR RESIDENTIALLY PLACED STUDENTS

Letters have been sent to Chairman Rogers and Speaker Finneran, with copies to Representative Peter Larkin and Representative Marie St. Fleur.    (Read more -->)

ASE ADVOCATING FOR APPROPRIATE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING

Please see this copy of the January 22, 2003 letter sent to Dr. David Driscoll, Commissioner of Education, in regards to the "50/50" Program - Residentially Placed Special Education Students/Cost Share (DOE/LEA's).  (Read more -->)

ASE ADVOCATING FOR APPROPRIATE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING

Please see this copy of a position paper put forth to the Chairs of Joint Committee on Education, Arts & Humanities and Chairs of Committee on Ways and Means regarding FY04 Budget - Special Education Schools Residential Placements.  (Read more -->)

ALERT TO ASE MEMBERS
50/50 Program State Reimbursement Issue

By now, you should have received a request to respond to our survey about the 50/50 residential placement deficit issue for the fourth quarter, FY2003.  The deadline for information has been extended to January 31, 2003.  If you have responded, thank you for your input.  If you have not yet responded, your assistance is urgently requested.  We need as large a sampling as possible from across the state in order to evaluate the situation in its entirety.  If you have any questions, please contact our office at 617-561-0367.

To view the survey questions, click here.  Thank you.

PRESS RELEASE
50/50 Program State Reimbursement Issue

On behalf of the Executive Board and its members, this Press Release was sent to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the Berkshire Eagle, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the Union-News, the Cohasset Mariner and the Newton TAB.  (Read more -->)