Don’t miss this opportunity to sign up your new special education teachers for Teach Camp!

Teach Camp is a three-day, camp-themed professional learning experience packed with practical resources, strategies, and a strong campfire community of support so that new special education teachers not only survive but thrive as they begin their teaching journey. Teach Camp is available to special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in one of Arizona’s public schools in the fall of 2026.  

Navigating the Journey: Camp Essentials 

• 3-day summer “camp” to be held July 7–9, 2026, at Rio Salado College Conference Center, 2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, AZ 85281 
• The cost per teacher is $195
• Each camper will receive: 
  • The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers (3rd edition) 
  • One-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children 
  • Additional valuable resources to pack in their teaching backpack 

Trailblazing Together: What Teach Camp Alumni Are Saying! 

• “The resources and guidance provided have helped boost my confidence as I begin my journey as a special education teacher.” 
• “I’m hiking away with a full backpack of ideas and a happy teacher heart! Huge thanks to everyone who planned, presented, and made camp such an unforgettable experience. I’d sign up again in a heartbeat—just point me to the trailhead!” 
• “I loved the warm, welcoming environment, the rockstar presenters (aka our fearless trail guides), and meeting so many fellow campers who were eager to share their survival skills and teaching hacks. Teach Camp was s’more than I expected!” 

Ready for Your Teachers to Join the Adventure? 

Registration for Teach Camp is open on a first-come, first-served basis and has been extended until Friday, June 26, 2026. Registration must be approved by the special education director and completed by the district or charter organization, not the special education teacher. Please note that there is a limit of ten registrations for each district or charter, after which participants will be placed on a waiting list. Travel reimbursement is available for eligible districts and charter organizations for up to five travelers per organization with additional travelers as funding allows. Reimbursement details are provided in the registration form. Please be aware that we may reduce the group size per district or charter organization to accommodate the attendance of more districts/charters and budget constraints for travel reimbursement. On-site registration is not available.  

Spots are limited—register your teachers for Teach Camp today! 

Please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with any questions about Teach Camp. 

ADE/ESS is pleased to announce that registration for the 2026–2027 Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) is now open!

The purpose of this professional learning opportunity is to support new special education directors in effectively navigating federal and state special education requirements, accessing ADE/ESS resources, and building a strong professional network. The SENDS series addresses key areas of ADE/ESS oversight and support including compliance and legal requirements, funding, data management, dispute resolution, assessment, and professional learning opportunities.

Eligibility
New special education directors directly employed by Arizona public education agencies in their first or second year of being a special education director (including any previous positions) in the fall of 2026 are eligible to attend SENDS.

Registration
The $100 registration fee for SENDS includes:

• Registration for the in-person kick-off session on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at ADE North,100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007 
• Follow-up webinars scheduled during the 2026–27 school year 
• A one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and CEC’s Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) special interest division as well as the Arizona Council for Exceptional Children (AZCEC) and the Arizona Council of Administrators of Special Education (AZCASE)

Registration is open until Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Travel Reimbursement
Funding is available to support travel costs for districts and charter organizations traveling 50 miles or more from the district, charter, or school work location of the special education director to ADE North, 100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007.  Reimbursements will be issued to the district or charter organization, not the special education director, through the Arizona Procurement Portal. Please note that APP registration is required.  Additional information regarding travel reimbursement for eligible PEAs will be provided upon completion of registration. 

Register for the Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) training!

If you have questions about SENDS, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

Don’t miss this opportunity to sign up your new special education teachers for Teach Camp!

Teach Camp is a three-day, camp-themed professional learning experience packed with practical resources, strategies, and a strong campfire community of support so that new special education teachers not only survive but thrive as they begin their teaching journey. Teach Camp is available to special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in one of Arizona’s public schools in the fall of 2026.  

Navigating the Journey: Camp Essentials 

• 3-day summer “camp” to be held July 7–9, 2026, at Rio Salado College Conference Center, 2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, AZ 85281 
• The cost per teacher is $195
• Each camper will receive: 
  • The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers (3rd edition) 
  • One-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children 
  • Additional valuable resources to pack in their teaching backpack 

Trailblazing Together: What Teach Camp Alumni Are Saying! 

• “The resources and guidance provided have helped boost my confidence as I begin my journey as a special education teacher.” 
• “I’m hiking away with a full backpack of ideas and a happy teacher heart! Huge thanks to everyone who planned, presented, and made camp such an unforgettable experience. I’d sign up again in a heartbeat—just point me to the trailhead!” 
• “I loved the warm, welcoming environment, the rockstar presenters (aka our fearless trail guides), and meeting so many fellow campers who were eager to share their survival skills and teaching hacks. Teach Camp was s’more than I expected!” 

Ready for Your Teachers to Join the Adventure? 

Registration for Teach Camp is open on a first-come, first-served basis until Friday, June 19, 2026. Registration must be approved by the special education director and completed by the district or charter organization, not the special education teacher. Please note that there is a limit of ten registrations for each district or charter, after which participants will be placed on a waiting list. Travel reimbursement is available for eligible districts and charter organizations for up to five travelers per organization with additional travelers as funding allows. Reimbursement details are provided in the registration form. Please be aware that we may reduce the group size per district or charter organization to accommodate the attendance of more districts/charters and budget constraints for travel reimbursement. On-site registration is not available.  

Spots are limited—register your teachers for Teach Camp today! 

Please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with any questions about Teach Camp. 

The ADE/ESS is thrilled to welcome you back to the trail! After six amazing seasons guiding nearly 600 new special education teachers, we’re ready for another unforgettable adventure. 

Teach Camp is a three-day, camp-themed professional learning experience packed with practical resources, strategies, and a strong campfire community of support so that new special education teachers not only survive but thrive as they begin their teaching journey. Teach Camp is available to special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in one of Arizona’s public schools in the fall of 2026.  

Navigating the Journey: Camp Essentials 

• 3-day summer “camp” to be held July 7–9, 2026, at Rio Salado College Conference Center, 2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, AZ 85281 
• The cost per teacher is $195
• Each camper will receive: 
  • The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers (3rd edition) 
  • One-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children 
  • Additional valuable resources to pack in their teaching backpack 

Trailblazing Together: What Teach Camp Alumni Are Saying! 

• “The resources and guidance provided have helped boost my confidence as I begin my journey as a special education teacher.” 
• “I’m hiking away with a full backpack of ideas and a happy teacher heart! Huge thanks to everyone who planned, presented, and made camp such an unforgettable experience. I’d sign up again in a heartbeat—just point me to the trailhead!” 
• “I loved the warm, welcoming environment, the rockstar presenters (aka our fearless trail guides), and meeting so many fellow campers who were eager to share their survival skills and teaching hacks. Teach Camp was s’more than I expected!” 

Ready for Your Teachers to Join the Adventure? 

Registration for Teach Camp is open on a first-come, first-served basis until Friday, June 19, 2026. Registration must be approved by the special education director and completed by the district or charter organization, not the special education teacher. Please note that there is a limit of ten registrations for each district or charter, after which participants will be placed on a waiting list. Travel reimbursement is available for eligible districts and charter organizations for up to five travelers per organization with additional travelers as funding allows. Reimbursement details are provided in the registration form. Please be aware that we may reduce the group size per district or charter organization to accommodate the attendance of more districts/charters and budget constraints for travel reimbursement. On-site registration is not available.  

Spots are limited—register your teachers for Teach Camp today! 

Please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with any questions about Teach Camp. 

From Evaluation to Service Delivery: Research-Informed Practices That Empower SLPs to Navigate Tensions and Strengthen Collaboration with Marie Ireland 

Friday, March 6, 2026  

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM  

Rio Vista Recreation Center  

8866 W Thunderbird Rd., Peoria, AZ 85381   

There is no fee to attend. Thanks to Peoria Unified School District for providing the venue for this event.  

Comprehensive speech-language assessment is essential for identifying students with disabilities under IDEA and requires the use of multiple tools and strategies. Post-pandemic skill gaps and increased referrals have intensified challenges for SLPs, contributing to misidentification and overidentification.  

This session examines nine research-identified tensions affecting school-based evaluation and eligibility practices and offers solutions to improve collaboration, caseload management, and decision-making. Participants will learn systematic, culturally responsive methods for integrating standardized and informal data—including dynamic assessment—to identify strengths, needs, and learning potential. Emphasis is placed on linking evaluation results to instruction, service delivery, and educationally relevant outcomes.  

ASHA CEs are not provided; however, participants will receive a certificate of completion for six Professional Development Hours (PDH), which count toward CCC maintenance. You can find more information from ASHA about PDHs on the ASHA certification FAQs webpage.  

About the Presenter: 

Marie Ireland is an adjunct research associate at Charles Sturt University in Australia, a Board-Certified Specialist in Child Language (BCS-CL) and served as the Virginia Department of Education’s specialist for evaluation and eligibility, speech language pathology, and related services for 16 years. She has served as ASHA’s Vice President of SLP Practice (2018–2020) and on the executive board of the State Education Agencies Communication Disabilities Council. Her areas of interest include child language, evidence-based assessment, and dynamic assessment. She has written numerous books and research articles. She received a national editor’s award in 2013 and an international award in 2021 for articles on evidence-based practice in schools. Her research focuses on evaluation and eligibility decision making in the US. She presents regularly at state, national and international conferences and venues.  

Apply now to attend this session. Seats are limited. Preference will be given to SLPs and SLTs who are district or charter school employees. Staffing agency employees contracted to a district or charter will be placed on a waiting list. This session is not intended for SLPAs. 

If you have questions about this event, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox. 

The Arizona Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ArSHA) will hold its annual convention on March 27–28 in Mesa. Hundreds of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Speech-Language Technicians (SLTs), Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLPAs), and students enrolled in SLP graduate programs will be attending this event. 

The ADE/ESS sponsors the public school strand at the convention to support high-quality, relevant, professional learning for school-based speech personnel. This year’s sponsored topics include Secondary Transition Planning, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Special Education Compliance, and Artificial Intelligence Tips and Tricks.

ADE/ESS also plans to have a recruiting booth in the exhibit hall. We will highlight all SLP/SLT/SLPA vacancies posted on the Arizona Education Employment Board (AEBB). The AEEB is a free, online special education job board provided by ESS. To be included in this recruitment effort, please post your speech vacancies (current or anticipated for 2026-27 school year) by March 16.

Prior to posting your speech position(s), you may wish to review our  “Develop Effective Job Postings” guidance document.

For additional information, please  email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

“Tell Me All About it!”  

Dynamic Assessment in the Schools with Janani Webb, CCC-SLP and Melissa White, CCC-SLP 

Date:  February 26, 2026 

Time:  3:30 PM–5:00 PM 

Our Presenters: 

Janani Webb, MS, CCC-SLP, is an experienced speech-language pathologist with a focus on multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), executive functioning, language disorders, and speech sound disorders.  

Melissa White, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and doctoral student at the University of Arizona, where she studies child language. She is especially interested in language and connections to literacy, assessment, and school-based issues. 

Register now for this FREE, virtual, after-school session. You’ll leave with free resources, tools, and strategies you can use right away to strengthen your practice of using Dynamic Assessment in the school setting.  

FAQs: 

Will it be recorded? No. 

Are ASHA CEUs provided? ASHA CEUs are not provided; however, you will receive a certificate of completion for 1.5 Professional Development Hours (PDH), which count toward CCC maintenance. You can find more information from ASHA about PDHs on the ASHA certification FAQs webpage.  

The National Resource Center for Paraeducators (NRCP) and the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE), in partnership with the ADE/ESS, are offering monthly, low-cost professional learning webinars for paraeducators, related service providers (RSPs), teachers, administrators, and other educators.

Join the NRCP on the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for exciting topics and presenters. Upcoming live webinars and previously recorded webinars include the following topics:

Upcoming live webinars:

• Feb 7, 2026—Paraeducator Career Growth
• Mar 14, 2026—Empowering Independence: Supports for Low Incidence Disabilities
• Apr 11, 2026—Paraeducator Roles & Responsibilities
• May 9, 2026—Visual Supports for Communication
• Jun 13, 2026—The Trauma-Responsive Paraeducator
• Jul 11, 2026—Teamwork & Collaboration in Schools

Previously recorded webinars:

• Oct 11, 2025—Differentiation in Action
• Nov 8, 2025—Accommodations & Modifications
• Dec 13, 2025—Behavior Management
• Jan 10, 2026— Artificial Intelligence 101

Teacher and paraeducator teams are encouraged to sign up together. The $100 registration fee per person includes 6 remaining live webinars and access to the previous four recorded webinars and extended access to the recordings until August 2026. There is a limited number of seats at this discounted price, so register now to save your spot!

Register for Saturday Mornings with the NRCP!

Please see the Saturday Mornings with the NRCP flyer for additional information about the professional learning series, and email Laura Lema with any questions.

Are you concerned about the current rate of suspensions and expulsions at your school or district? Do you feel students are losing valuable class time due to disruptions and other behavior problems? Are teachers struggling to be successful with classroom management? Are administrators spending too much time dealing with discipline issues?  If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, you might find the solution in Multi-Tier Behavior Supports.

Multi-Tier Behavior Supports (MTBS) is a three-year training series that will assist district, charter, or school teams with the development of a school-wide approach for positive behavior management practices. This training is based on School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (SW-PBIS) evidence-based elements. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) notes that “the IEP Team shall, in the case of a child whose behavior impedes the child’s learning or that of others, consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, to address that behavior” (20 U.S.C. §1414(d)(3)(B)(i)). 

Several free informational webinars are being offered to outline additional details about the MTBS model, the three-year training sequence, the readiness requirements, and the process for applying.  Attendance at one of the informational webinars is the first readiness requirement necessary for participation in the training series.

If you are interested in learning more and/or starting the readiness process, review the attached flyer and register to attend one of the following free webinars:

Register for February 12 from 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Register for February 12 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Register for February 25 from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Register for February 25 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Directions for applying for the training series will be provided during the webinar. Registration is limited to ten teams and only one team from each district. Applications earning the highest scores in the evaluation process will be approved until all seats are filled. Completed applications must be submitted by April 3 at 5:00 p.m.

The special education director is required to attend the readiness webinar for a PEA/district team. The principal is required to attend the readiness webinar for a school team.

Please see the MTBS 2026 flyer for additional information. If you have questions, please contact Celeste Nameth.

In partnership with ADE/ESS, the College and Career Competencies (CCCs) Project invites you to participate in a free professional learning opportunity. 

Title: Building Confidence and Persistence through Self-Efficacy Instruction 

Description: Students who don’t have confidence in their abilities give up easily when they experience obstacles. They struggle to understand the connection between putting forth effort and making progress. Self-efficacy is an individual’s perception of their ability to complete challenging tasks. Students with strong self-efficacy understand that learning new things is a process that includes multiple attempts, analyzing each attempt, and applying feedback to improve.  

Target Audience: Special education directors, special educators, individual service providers, general education professionals, and professional development coordinators. 

Dates: Tuesday, 2/3 12:00–3:00 pm  & Wednesday, 2/18 9:00 am–12:00 pm 

Sign up now for an interactive, virtual, 3-hour training where educators will learn about self-efficacy, the ten student strategies, and the process for embedding self-efficacy instruction into individualized supports and intervention for students (each session capped at 30 participants).  

Participants will receive: 

• FREE Self-Efficacy Curricula (primary, intermediate, and secondary) 

• Training on supporting individual students in self-efficacy instruction through the intervention process 

• A CEU certificate for completing the training issued by ADE for 5 contact hours. 

Register for Building Confidence and Persistence through Self-Efficacy Instruction 

We hope you can join us! 

View our self-efficacy infographic to see the Self-Efficacy definition and student impacts resulting from instruction. 

For any questions, email Pattie Noonan.