Welcome to the CEC 2014 Convention & Expo blog! CEC is coming to Philadelphia April 9-12, 2014, and this is the place for attendees and exhibitors to get up-to-date information, fun facts, and recommendations on all things convention and Philly. We’ll provide you with all the pertinent details on the Convention & Expo and we’ll also have a little fun exploring Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. Be sure to join us next spring for the largest professional development event dedicated to special and gifted education.
More than 4,000 special and gifted educators joined us in San Antonio
to take part in more than 1,000 educational sessions and nearly 200
business and social events, a buzzing Expo Hall and invaluable
networking opportunities.
Activist and actress Amy Brenneman kicked off the Convention with the
Opening General Session keynote. Brenneman thanked educators for their
hard work and making a difference in the lives of students with
disabilities. Her first-hand experience as a parent provided educators
with insight and encouragement and a little humor to continue their
great work. Her final thoughts: "Sometimes the problem is just puberty!"
CEC celebrated the accomplishments of our 2013 Professional, Student and Yes I Can!
Award recipients. The Yes I Can! Awards ceremony brought both laughter
and tears to a packed house of attendees through the remarkable
accomplishments and inspiring spirits of our award recipients.
Many
thanks for making the CEC 2013 Convention & Expo a great success. We hope
that your professional development experience exceeded your expectations!
Your
feedback about the Convention & Expo is invaluable to us. We want to hear
what you enjoyed about the convention as well as your suggestions for
improvement. We use the information you provide to identify topics and
speakers, plan the schedule, and design activities and special events for next
year.
Become a CEC Leader Want to get
involved in CEC leadership, but not sure how to begin? Attend a special session
from 8–9 a.m. in Room 213, Convention Center, to discover how you
can get involved in YOUR organization! Learn about leadership opportunities,
time commitments and how to get started on your leadership journey.
Public Policy in San Antonio In 2013, CEC
approved its recommendations to Congress for the reauthorization for ESRA, legislation
which guides the federal education research agenda. Attend CEC’s session from 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. in Room 214A at
the Convention Center to hear directly from leaders in special education
research about education research, CEC’s recommendations and the impact this
will have on the field!
Yes I Can! Awards Heartwarming. Uplifting. Invigorating. That’s how people
describe the CEC Yes
I Can! Awards ceremony. These students’ stories will remind you of why you
entered special education. Show your support and help celebrate the accomplishments
of 21 remarkable Yes
I Can! recipientsfrom 5:30–7 p.m., at
the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, Lone Star
Ballroom, A/B/C.
What’s Happening
in Washington? Race to the Top, ESEA waivers, vouchers and charter schools–what
isn’t happening in Washington might
be a better question! A new Congress and the second term of the Obama
Administration mean more dramatic policy developments coming from Washington,
D.C., impacting states, schools and the education of students with exceptionalities
across the country. Attend thesesessions from 8–11:30 a.m.,in Room 214 A in the Convention Center,
to learn more about key policy issues that will impact special and gifted
education.
CEC 2013 Expo Hall Grand Opening
Don't miss the grand opening of the Expo Hall at 9 a.m. tomorrow! With nearly 200 exhibitors, you'll be
sure to find the latest in special and gifted education technology for your
classroom. Find all Expo Hall information, including hours, starting on page 377 of your program book.
CEC Bookstore
Inside CEC Central, just before the entrance to the Expo Hall, you will find
the CEC Bookstore. As part of the CEC 2013 festivities, all attendees will get
the discounted member price and free shipping on all products. Be sure to enter
our daily giveaway for your chance to win a FREE CEC publication or webinar
registration! Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m., author
Michael Wehmeyer will make an appearance for a reading and signing of his new
book Good Blood,
Bad Blood: Science, Nature and the Myth of the Kallikaks.
Join us as we kick off the 2013 Convention & Expo at
the Opening General Sessionfrom 5-6:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom,
upper level Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Don’t miss CEC President
Christy Chambers’ remarks and presentation of the CEC professional and student
awards.
Disabilities activist and actress Amy Brenneman will present the keynote address at the Opening
General Session. Best known for her award-winning work on the TV series
“Judging Amy” and “Private Practice,” Brenneman is an active supporter of
numerous children’s organizations, including TASH, an international
organization that advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with
significant disabilities and support needs.
She also directed and produced a documentary on the CHIME
Institute, a nonprofit organization considered to be a leader in the
development and implementation of the model of inclusive education that has
children who develop typically, children with disabilities and children who are
gifted learning side by side.
CEC staff is eagerly finishing up the final touches for the
2013 Convention & Expo. Our events are planned, signs are ordered and
speakers are putting the finishing touches on their presentations. Are you
ready to take in all the professional development you’re about to receive?
All our materials are packed and on their way to San Antonio
as we speak. Here’s a sneak peak of staff as they loaded up for San Antonio!
CEC 2013 is one week away -- can you believe it?! As you
pack your bags and finalize your travel plans, here are a few of our top items
to remember as you head to San Antonio.
Location, Location, Location
The weather looks nice for San Antonio next week, high 70s-low 80s during the
day, but bring a light jacket as the weather can dip into the 50s in the
evening. Looking for places to eat? Take
advantage of San Antonio’s “Show Us Your Badge” program. Get free or discounted appetizers, desserts,
meals and drinks just by showing your conference badge at participating
establishments! Check out the list of participating
restaurants.
The weather outside has been a little frightful here in
Washington, D.C., but good news, we’re heading to San Antonio where the weather
is warm and spring is definitely in the air. If you have a little extra time,
take advantage of the nice weather and enjoy these outdoor activities in the
area:
Botanical Gardens 555
Funston at North New Braunfels Ave. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost: Adults: $8; Children 3–13: $5.
CEC’s Policy and Advocacy team will be heading to CEC 2013, ready
to share policy updates and get feedback from you on issues that are important
to you! With sequestration, budget cuts, a new Congress and CEC’s new Special
Education Teacher Evaluation Position, CEC 2013 will be packed full of
policy insights and opportunities for advocacy on behalf of children and youth
with exceptionalities, their families and you!
This year’s line-up of Policy and Advocacy sessions
includes: