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This week in Washington got off to a fast start as two of FIU’s own came to D.C. showcasing their new roles. In addition to welcoming our new summer intern Christin “Cici” Battle, professor Linda Blanton came to Capitol Hill to present new recommendations regarding preparation for teachers of students with disabilities.
Battle graduated in May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a certificate in leadership. She is pursuing a graduate degree in higher education administration. She served previously as Student Government Association president for the Biscayne Bay Campus and was elected national outreach officer for the United States Students Association. Battle now joins FIU’s Federal Relations team and has hit the ground running.
Blanton, former dean of the College of Education, was in D.C. presenting her white paper, “Improving Learning Outcomes for Students with Disabilities through reformed preparation of General Education Teachers.” The work was released by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
The paper sheds light on the needs of students with disabilities. Although 96 percent of students with disabilities spend part of their day in general education, the levels of graduation and success are varied. Blanton believes that this issue not only “needs attention via action, but attention through policy.” The paper’s recommendations speak to the need for holistic training, direct interaction with disabled children during training, and ensuring that teachers are equipped with the proper tools to manage the diversity in the classroom.
DREAM Act revisited
Also this past Wednesday, Sen. Dick Durbin (IL) re-introduced the DREAM Act, which would provide a path for undocumented students with good moral character and academic success an opportunity to obtain higher education and legal status. The DREAM Act has been a priority for FIU for some time, considering the impact it would have on our South Florida community.
For students who may be interested in working in our Washington, D.C., office, the Office of Governmental Relations is accepting applications for the Fall 2011 Washington, D.C., internship. Click here for more information.
Remain engaged with Governmental Relations and FIU’s Washington, D.C. Office via Twitter @FIUdc and Facebook.
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