My Facebook memories have been making me feel guilty as of late. Now that I'm elbow deep in Science of Reading and Orton Gillinghma, I watch some of the things I used to do with Jack and cringe. In today's episode I talk to you a little about our past in reading and then offer the solution of decodable readers. I hope this helps you make your summer work effective and simply better!!!

Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/MnsAP72LUow

At this year's COPAA conference I met attorney, Lisa Hernandez, at the coffee bar, and in about 3 sentences, she blew my mind on the topic of employment of people with disabilities. I took her card and invited her on the podcast immediately! If your kid is transition-aged (yes, that's ALL of you in my opinion), you're going to LOVE thinking about employment through this lens. Lisa continued to enlighten me throughout this episode, and I think I'll go back and listen to it again with you all to make sure I totally retain everything she's shared with us! It's just that good!

Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/M2KFRAHbFbL

Lisa A. Hernandez is Counsel at Smith Eibeler, LLC. Lisa practices plaintiff-side employment law, representing individuals in all aspects of employment law and litigation, including claims of unlawful termination and discrimination, sexual harassment and whistle-blower retaliation. Lisa also leads the firm’s education law practice, helping families and students with disabilities navigate special education disputes, school-based accommodations, and transition planning to prepare students for employment and independent living.

Today we wrap up the COPAA series with a really great conversation with David Jefferson, the President of the Board of Directors. David's journey to advocacy from the corporate world is super interesting and relatable, and you'll learn how he built a large advocacy business in a few short years. David's got a heart for advocacy - and the right tools to get results for his clients. If you've ever thought about advocacy, this episode is for you!!!!

Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/k7Y2sB9pQMo

David Jefferson (Arizona) - As a parent of special needs children, David understands and appreciates all of the difficulties parent’s face as they try and navigate the special education maze. David formed Parent Support Arizona to ensure parents have a local resource and the tools they need to ensure their children’s educational needs are met. Over the past few years, David has sought administrative remedies through the State Department of Education, Office of Administrative Hearings OCR and FERPA. David uses these experiences to provide civil rights advocacy, educational advocacy, parent training and represent parents in IDEA due process hearings in the State of Arizona. In addition he offers self-help tools and resources that allow parents to advocate for themselves and on an equal footing with schools as they advocate for their children’s rights.