The Lower Hudson Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center (RSE-TASC) is closing its doors on June 28, 2019 (but don’t panic! See below).  It has been our privilege and pleasure to serve the educators of the Lower Hudson by providing training and technical assistance on evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for students with disabilities, as well as on legal and regulatory requirements in Special Education.  In acknowledgement of the powerful results of this collaboration with all of you — administrators, teachers, related service providers, families, students, and staff from community, county and state organizations — we are dedicating page 2 of this newsletter to recognize just a few of the many, many positive impacts your work has had on students.  While the RSE-TASC will be no more, please keep reading to learn about the new Lower Hudson Regional Partnership Center that will take its place…

The Lower Hudson Regional Partnership Center (RPC) will open its doors at Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES on July 1, 2019!  You will see many familiar faces, as training specialists from the RSE-TASC will continue to provide training and technical assistance on transition, behavior and CSE/IEP systems of support.  In addition, the RPC will be adding three Literacy Training Specialists, a Cultural Responsiveness Specialist, and a Specially Designed Instruction Specialist! As described by the NYSED Office of Special Education:

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of Special Education (OSE) is creating a new network of support focused on enhancing services and supports for students with disabilities ages birth to 21. This new network will be called the OSE Educational Partnership. Within the OSE Educational Partnership, there are 12 Regional Partnership Centers (RPCs). The RPCs are designed to support school districts, preschools, agencies, parents and families. This work will focus on promoting meaningful change within the educational system, creating collaborative school/community relationships, and providing information and training on literacy, behavior, transition, specially designed instruction and equity. Additional information regarding this initiative is available on the OSE’s webpage.

We look forward to continuing this important work with all of you!

Patti Slobogin, Director
Lower Hudson RPC