DISES President’s Message - February 2022
Dear Colleagues,
I am delighted to serve as the DISES president in 2022 and want to say a huge thank you to Dr. Mary V. Kealy and Dr. Jugnu Agrawal for their incredible service and leadership over the last several years. Please see the DISES annual report which highlights the work that our board and members have accomplished over the last year. DISES is truly a global family. The board is excited for all the 2022 events and welcomes you to join in committees, events and of course share opportunities for membership with your colleagues.
We have a very busy and exciting year ahead. I want to share some of the DISES activities and plans for 2022 with you. DISES was front and center at the January in-person CEC 2022 Convention & Expo in Orlando, FL, this year with an incredible showcase and presentations from around the world. We celebrated together at the 100th Anniversary of CEC and shared in a delightful and well attended DISES social event. We also had the honor of recognizing two incredible colleagues with awards this year at the DISES Annual Social and Awards Reception held in January at the CEC convention. Please join me in congratulating them on their work to improve global education for children with special needs. The Dr. Deborah Ziegler DISES Distinguished International Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Yaoying Xu. Throughout her career, Dr. Xu has demonstrated extraordinary contributions in her leadership and advocacy work to promote inclusive education for individuals and their families in national and international contexts. The DISES Special Award: Making an Educational Impact During a Time of Crisis was presented to Cheryl Burke. Ms. Burke's work with schools and families of students with disabilities in Nicaragua has been voluntary and self-funded since its start in 2010. Thank you to both award recipients for all that you do. It was truly wonderful to see so many of you and I am so looking forward to seeing everyone in Breckenridge in June as we continue to conversations and build on CEC’s newest strategic plan. The initiative that we are so excited about is as follows and we need all of our members to help us work toward this goal as it aligns with our DISES mission and vision.
Establish CEC as a globally recognized leader in the field of special education.
- Broaden CEC’s position as a premier partner organization
- Enhance CEC’s value to current and potential members
- Elevate and promote the work of education professionals who work with individuals with disabilities
- Showcase and celebrate the diversity and expertise of CEC members
Please make plans now to join us in the conversation and strategic planning at the DISES Global Leadership Summit-June 27-28, 2022 Breckenridge Colorado. The Global Summit planning committee is working on an incredible leadership panel and exciting opportunities to network, share , and engage in conversations at the event. Please register today and invite friends and colleagues to join in too. Keep an eye on social media and your email to check in on updates, program schedules, and activities for this exciting event. Please plan now to join us in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. Click here for registration information. Early bird registration ends February 28 so don't delay!
We have several virtual events planned, one on April 2nd and another on October 15th, both will be scheduled for 12pm ETS. Our Sip n Chats will continue too so stay tuned for invitations and announcements for these opportunities ahead! I look forward to connecting with you at our April Virtual Event, a future Sip & Chart and in Breckenridge, Colorado this year.
Wishing you all a fabulous day,
Clara
Clara Hauth, Ph.D.
President, Division of International Special Education and Services