April Leadership Message

Hello TED Family!

We are excited to share several highlights that reflect the continued strength and momentum of TED. Last month at the CEC annual conference in Salt Lake City, TED members had strong representation across sessions, panels, and networking events. The visibility and engagement of TED at the conference underscores our collective impact and value members are contributing to the field both at the preservice and in-service levels.

During the TED business meeting, it was announced that the Early Childhood SIG has established a new partnership with The Dialog: A Journal for Inclusive Early Childhood Professionals. Supported by the Publications Committee, this collaboration with an open-access journal highlights the outstanding work of the Early Childhood SIG in promoting the translation of research to practice. The partnership advances shared goals of meaningful inclusion for young children and their families across early childhood personnel preparation, practice, and policy.

It was also announced that a new preconference program, TED IMPACT (Innovative Mentorship in Policy Advocacy and Capacity-Building for TED Leaders), has been established. Led by TED’s policy advisor and supported by the Policy Committee, this hybrid professional development program will equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and mentorship needed to become effective leaders and policy advocates. Through a full-day in-person workshop (lunch provided) and three follow-up virtual sessions, participants will develop policy expertise, practical advocacy strategies, and actionable plans, strengthening leadership capacity and professional networks to influence policy and practice at local, state, and national levels. Visit here to read more about TED IMPACT and register for this excellent opportunity.

If you haven’t done so recently, we encourage you to visit the TED website. The Communications Committee is regularly featuring key TED updates and sharing information about upcoming events and webinars.

Andy Markelz

President, TED

Updates

Washington Update

The April Washington Update is now available to read on the TED Website or listen on the Washington Update Podcast ! Filled with valuable information and updates. If you haven’t reviewed it yet, I encourage you to do so.

Mark your Calendars! Dates for virtual Washington Updates:

May 28, 2026 @ 1:00 PM

Jun 25, 2026 @ 1:00 PM

Jul 23, 2026 @ 1:00 PM

Aug 27, 2026 @ 1:00 PM

Sep 24, 2026 @ 1:00 PM

Oct 22, 2026 @ 1:00 PM

You can register for all the virtual Washington updates here

Financial Committee

TED is continuing our successful Strategic Equity Initiative to assist faculty in obtaining funding to support their attendance at this year’s TED conference in Denver, CO. This initiative was designed to enhance equitable opportunities for faculty to attend TED as presenters.

Eligibility:

• Must be a member of TED

• Must have been accepted to present at TED’s 2026 Conference

• Must be a faculty member (e.g., tenure track, non-tenure/teaching, lecturers/instructional, adjunct, etc.)

Applications will be accepted for this funding opportunity through August 22, 2026.

Apply Here!

Communications Committee

Join us for a TED member webinar, Beyond Academia: Sharing Your Message, on April 28 from 4:00 PM-5:00 PM ET. This engaging online session is designed to help educators, researchers, and graduate students translate their work beyond academic audiences and into real-world impact. Participants will gain practical strategies for communicating with policymakers, crafting op-eds, and leveraging social media to amplify their ideas and advocacy efforts.

Whether you’re looking to expand your professional reach or make your research more accessible and actionable, this session offers valuable tools to help your voice be heard where it matters most.

Register at: https://tedcec.org/events/beyond-academia-sharing-your-message

Policy Committee

The TED Policy Committee continues to work hard to help members advocate! A big congratulations goes out to the TWENTY TED members selected for sponsorships to attend the Special Education Legislative Summit in July. Please make sure to visit our UPDATED website to see some of our changes, including the revised policy priorities, information about our podcast, and much more. Next up: be on the lookout for information about the TED Policy Fellows and the TED IMPACT Program .

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope has some virtual summer events coming up! First, we will be hosting a weekly summer writing group beginning in June for doctoral students from 11am to 1pm EST every Monday. Second, we will be doing monthly works-in-progress sessions featuring doctoral students and candidates! Please email kaleidoscope@tedcec.org if you are interested in these events.

What’s happening in our Special Interest Groups (SIGs)?

Early Career Special Interest Group

Join us on Tuesday, May 19, at 1 pm ET for a SIG meeting. We will focus on member engagement, collaboration, and resource development, including identifying volunteers for the Membership Committee and exploring research opportunities such as virtual workshops and a potential writing group. Join via Zoom. To stay up to date with us, join our Facebook Group.

Early Childhood Faculty Special Interest Group

We are excited to announce our sponsorship of The Dialog: A Journal for Inclusive Early Childhood Professionals. This open-access, peer-reviewed journal is dedicated to translating research into meaningful, inclusive practices that support young children, families, and educators. We look forward to the opportunities this partnership brings for advancing research, collaboration, and personnel development in early childhood.

NERDS SIG Spotlight: Rising Together — Neurodiversity & Disability in Teacher Education

What does shared ascent look like when we center disabled and neurodivergent voices? Join the Neurodivergent Researchers and Educators with Disabilities (NERDS) SIG for a dynamic spotlight session exploring the intersections of disability identity, affirming pedagogy, and inclusive teacher preparation. From disability studies in education to UDL, assistive technology, and shifting teacher beliefs, the NERDS SIG is a space to connect, challenge, and co-create the future of special education teacher education.

We invite you to submit a proposal for a conversation or poster at our spotlight session! We welcome submissions featuring disabled and/or neurodivergent identities, disability and neurodiversity-affirming practices, disabled and neurodivergent voices in teacher education, and more. Whether you're a researcher, teacher educator, or advocate — bring your work, share your ideas, and help shape the direction of our field.

Come climb with us.

Virtual Suggestion Box

As with previous leadership messages, the virtual suggestion box remains open. Please use this Virtual Suggestion Box link to share your ideas and feedback to help make TED an even stronger organization.