Summer 2007 Table of Contents
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Expanding Outreach Programs!

by Cyral Miller, Director of Outreach, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Abstract: Several staff members are joining or changing roles in the TSBVI Outreach Program this year.

Key Words: News & Views, TSBVI, Outreach, new staff, consultants

The TSBVI Outreach Program was very lucky this past year to receive additional funds from the Texas Legislature. These new dollars will allow us to expand in several significant ways in the 2007-2008 school year. In addition to the existing programs to provide statewide assistance to families and programs for students with visual impairments (including those with multiple disabilities) and students with deafblindness, we will have the following new initiatives:

Statewide O&M Specialist – Ruth Ann Marsh

An O&M specialist is one of the primary VI professionals to evaluate and teach children who are visually impaired. The significance of good O&M skills in life long success has been noted by many sources. TSBVI Outreach will now have a brand new position designated to provide statewide O&M consultation. Ruth Ann Marsh, who has been the mentor coordinator for the past 9 years, will now be able to devote her time and considerable passion for O&M to supporting new and experienced O&M specialists across the state. If you would like her to come look at your students or ask her questions about orientation and mobility practices, contact her at 512-206-9203 or <ruthannmarsh @ tsbvi.edu>

Statewide VI Transition Specialist – Eva Lavigne

What is the likelihood that your children/students will find jobs, satisfactory living arrangements, daily activities and/or social networks after graduation? How can educational teams support the families of these students and the young adults themselves to plan, prepare and succeed after IDEA services have ended? Eva Lavigne, a veteran teacher of students with visual impairments with the TSBVI VI Outreach team, is interested in being a partner in this process. She will team with others in Texas to help provide more statewide resources in the area of transition. Look for new website information, new products, a statewide focus group, and more as we build a stronger transition track record for VI students in Texas! If you would like Eva to contact you about transition issues for your student or child, contact her at 512-206-9271, or <evalavigne @ tsbvi.edu>.

Statewide Math Support – Susan Osterhaus

Statewide assessments include a heavy emphasis on math, including complex graphs, tactiles and equations even from early ages—how do we teach these to students using braille or adapted materials? Susan Osterhaus, Council for Exceptional Children Clarissa Hug 2007 Teacher of the Year award winner, author of the Math Page on the TSBVI website, after 30 years direct instruction in the classroom will have the opportunity to provide more concentrated support for professionals in the field. We are delighted and excited to have her join the Outreach Team. If you would like local or regional training or answers to questions on math instruction you can contact Susan at <susanosterhaus @ tsbvi.edu>, or 512-206-9305.

And that’s not all!

Those personnel changes related to new initiatives gave us a chance to invite some new faces into the Outreach Program. Joining our Outreach Team next year as a new VI Outreach Teacher will be Sara Kitchen, <sarakitchen @ tsbvi.edu>, who has experience at TSBVI and in Austin ISD. Our new Mentor Program Coordinator will be Chrissy Cowan, <chrissycowan @ tsbvi.edu>, coming to us from Region 13 ESC. We are very pleased to have them coming on board.

We will continue to use the online request format for requesting school consultations and/or training. Fill in the forms at <www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/request-process.htm>, and then email or fax them to our office. We plan to “tweak” the forms a bit this summer, and make the applications more user-friendly. If you have any questions or problems with the online format, please feel free to call me, Cyral Miller, Outreach Director, at 512-206-9242 or email me at <cyralmiller @ tsbvi.edu>.

Trainings are already scheduled:

The Outreach Program will sponsor an array of distance ed trainings next year, plus host workshops to be held on campus at TSBVI. You can find the schedule for these events at <www.tsbvi.edu>.

Have a great summer, and when the school year starts, give us a call, or drop us an email—we look forward to working with you. We can’t wait for the new year to begin!

Editors Note: We regret to inform our readers that Nick Necaise, who retired from Outreach a year ago, passed away on June 22, 2007. Nick was well-known and loved for his work both at TSBVI Outreach and before that, the Texas Education Agency.

Please join us in sending condolences to Nick’s family and all his friends. He will certainly be missed, and we will all cherish his work advancing the education of children with visually impairments in Texas.

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Last Revision: October 8, 2007