The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on March 22 that public schools must do more to accommodate students with disabilities in one of the most significant special education cases­ to reach the high court in decades.

Schools are no longer required to request prior approval from the State Education Department to administer state assessments over multiple days. And beginning with the 2017 test administration, students with disabilities who have the “tests read” accommodation on their individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 accommodation plans (504 plans) must be provided with this accommodation for all sections of the test.

Good news on CTLE and CEU requirements, per session hours for speech teachers, differentials for teachers with speech-language pathology licenses, IEP-mandated services: protections for speech therapy, appropriate uses of your new Chromebooks, shortage-area payments are on their way and make-up sessions and location of services.

Due to the new agreement and other work-related changes, the committee has extended the nomination deadline for our 11th Annual Better Speech and Hearing Month celebration. You now have until Friday, March 17 to submit a nomination to recognize the great work of your colleagues, your students and yourself.

Read about nominations for Better Speech and Hearing Month awards, the Labor Management Committee, per session hours, issues with NYCAPS, space, supplies and Chrome Book updates, Medicaid, shortage area issues and IEP-mandated services.

The six million students with disabilities in public schools around the country will suffer the most if Betsy DeVos expands for-profit charters and private-school vouchers nationwide.

It has been great to see so many of you at meetings about the new Medicaid agreement and SESIS settlement. It's my hope that you will continue to attend meetings and invite me to your local meetings so I can speak to you throughout the year.

The DOE on Nov. 18 agreed to provide $33 million in back pay to thousands of UFT members who have spent many hours outside their regular workday since Jan. 1, 2013 logging student data onto the DOE's SESIS system.

The UFT and the DOE on Nov. 18 signed an agreement that addresses the challenging working conditions that speech teachers have faced when documenting their work with children with speech and language delays in the SESIS system.

We have reached an agreement with the DOE on Medicaid billing for speech services that also addresses the challenging working conditions that you have faced when doing your SESIS work.