Policy and Advocacy Portal

Stay in the know with the TED Washington Update- a weekly update penned by our TED Policy Advisor, Dr. Kaitlyn Brennan, including the most recent happenings in Washington DC as it relates to education policy and how this impacts your work. Alerts call attention to critical issues requiring immediate action and increased member engagement to affect change.

To view current and past editions of the Washington Update please click here.

Sign-on letters and endorsements are a great way to ensure that your voice is heard in support of advocacy efforts. These letters will be sent to legislators to educate them about a topic at hand and to influence their decisions on matters that would help improve the lives of children. 

• TEACH Grant Letter
• IDEA Funding For FY2024 Letter
• FY2024 Friends of IES Appropriations Letter
• CTQ COVID-relief Recommendations Ed Committees
• Response to Professional Development Voucher Proposal
• CCD Letter Opposing IDEA/Rehab Act Waivers
• CCD-LRE-Position-Statement-final
• IDEA Personnel Preparation Senate Funding Request 6.28.19
• TQP Senate Funding Request 6.26.19
• Appropriations Letter 3.21.19
• Joint Letter on 2014 Discipline Guidance Rescission_1.24.19

Are you interested in learning more about the most up-to-the-minute happenings in Washington DC as it relates to education policy? Does it ever feel overwhelming to digest in the Washington Update? Join us for a virtual convening on the 4th Thursday of the month with TED Policy Advisor Dr. Kait Brennan and TED Policy Committee Chair Dr. Lucky Mason-Williams. Kait will spend the first 30 minutes providing an update on the most recent happenings in Washington DC as it relates to education policy and how this impacts your work. Dr. Mason-Williams and the TED Policy Committee will then spend the last 30 minutes facilitating a dialogue surrounding TED’s policy and legislative priorities. Convenings will be held via Zoom at 3:00 PM EST on the 4th Thursday of each month. This is a TED Member benefit , you should have received the link as a member, but if you did not please email ted@exceptionalchildren.org

Looking for additional information about advocacy or the policy-making process? Want to get involved or help your students to get involved? This series of short briefs aims to help answer these questions! Check back often for updates! 

Advocacy Brief 1- Using TED & CEC Resources HERE 

Advocacy Brief 2- Incorporating Advocacy in Higher Education HERE

Advocacy Brief 3- SELS HERE

Advocacy Brief 4- Federal Appropriations Process HERE

Want to hear more about policy and advocacy? Take a listen to our Collaboration Podcast! 

Episode 1- Listen to this audio file via Google Drive as Jamie Nelson interviews Kaitlyn Brennan, the TED Policy Advisor, and Lucky Mason-Williams, the current TED Policy Committee Chair, about what led them to get involved in policy and advocacy. There's also information about our newest TED Advocacy Brief and what's happening in DC! Created in April 2024. Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcast! Please like, comment and subscribe on whatever platform you listen on!

Episode 2-This episode provides five key skills for incorporating advocacy into higher education courses and features an interview with two experts in advocacy, Dr. David Hoppey and Melissa Schettler.- Listen Here on Apple Podcast and Listen Here on Spotify Please like, comment and subscribe on whatever platform you listen on!

Episode 3-Join our very own Caitlin Criss and Nancy Welsh-Young as they go behind the scenes at the Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS)! This special edition episode features interviews with Dr. Luann Purcell, Kuna Tavalin, and Dr. Luann Ley Davis on their experiences and recommendations for engaging in policy work.- Listen Here on Apple Podcast and Listen Here on Spotify Please like, comment and subscribe on whatever platform you listen on!

Episode 4-This episode examines the vocabulary terms diversity, equity, inclusion, and transition in Special Education Policy and Research. This special  episode features interviews with Dr. Mitchell Yell and Dr. Lysandra Cook - Listen Here on Apple Podcast and Listen Here on Spotify Please like, comment and subscribe on whatever platform you listen on!

Episode 5-The latest TED and CEC Collaboration Podcast is live! In this episode, host Jamie Nelson discusses what the function of the federal Department of Education is with guest Dr. Emily Frake. This episode is rather timely with the change in administration last week and as we await the confirmation hearing of Linda McMahon - Listen Here on Apple Podcast and Listen Here on Spotify Please like, comment and subscribe on whatever platform you listen on!

The TED Policy Committee meets virtually every month, to discuss happenings and events that impact Teacher Preparation. We use member input to continue to work towards achieving the goals of the TED policy agenda and mission. 

Committee Members assist with developing advocacy materials and disseminating information to TED members. Please email lmason-williams@binghamton.edu for more information!

The TED Policy Committee meets every third Wednesday at 1 pm EST. If you are interested in participating or learning more, please contact Lucky Mason-Williams, lmason-williams@binghamton.edu

Council for Exceptional Children

American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)

Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)

CEC’s Special Education Legislative Summit
SELS will be occurring July 29-August 1, 2024 in Alexandria, Va. TED sponsored up to 10 members ($1000 each) to participate in the 2024 Summit! 

Held in Washington, D.C., SELS is an opportunity for educators from across the country to make a difference by advocating for change with Members of Congress.

Unfortunately, the due date for applying for these opportunities has passed. Please check back in February 2025 for updates

The TED Policy Workgroup seeks motivated, policy-oriented doctoral students interested in learning more about advocacy, policy development, and implications for research in special education and teacher preparation. This highly individualized, student-led experience can be tailored to the doctoral student’s interests and talents, providing opportunities for collaborating with members of the TED Policy Workgroup, assisting with social media campaigns, creating content for Advocacy Briefs and Congressional staff members, working on policy analyses, and contributing to the preparation for the Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS) in July. Two TED Policy Fellows will be selected by the TED Policy Workgroup each year.

The due date for applying for these opportunities is June 1, 2025

More Information

This award is presented annually, at the TED Conference, to an individual who is involved in advocating for special education teacher preparation (e.g., government relations, letter writing, visits to Congressional Members), and is committed to continuing this work in the future.