Presented by Dr. Kari Stubbs, Senior Vice President, STAGES Learning; and Lisa Schmucki, Founder and CEO, edWeb.net

Sponsored by STAGES® Learning

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The number of students with disabilities in our nation’s public schools is growing, yet the number of teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff who are qualified and prepared to teach and support them is declining. Teacher and staff shortages predate the pandemic, but the pandemic has made the situation much worse. The current crisis is much worse for our students with special needs.

In this edWebinar, we present new quantitative and qualitative data on the impact of staff shortages and hear, in their own words, from teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators on how this is affecting the whole school community. We review a range of ideas and solutions that can help to improve the situation.

You also learn more about how to apply for a STAGES Learning ARIS Thrive Grant for autism educators. A $10,000 prize package will be awarded to four recipients who will be announced during Autism Awareness Month in April.

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to any educator who works with students with special needs or who is interested and concerned about this topic.

About the Presenters

Dr. Kari Stubbs is an internationally recognized ambassador for the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning. Leveraging her professional roots in the classroom and collaboration in the boardroom, Dr. Stubbs has a proven track record of harnessing the voice of the customer to improve organizational systems. Most recently, she joined the team at STAGES Learning, the authority in autism education, as the Senior Vice President of Business Development. Previously, she spent 13 years working at one of the world’s most recognizable digital content providers for children, BrainPOP. Her dedication to education extends to service on multiple boards including SXSW EDU, Digital Promise’s Edcamp, KIPP Academy in Kansas City, and previously ISTE and the Horizon K-12 Report. Dr. Stubbs has presented extensively on education topics across the United States and around the globe from Shanghai and Abu Dhabi to Sydney, Prague, and beyond. She’s received the Making It Happen award, was recognized as 20 to Watch, and Microsoft’s Education VP twice named her a Global Hero in Education. Dr. Stubbs earned her Ph.D. in curriculum with a minor in administration from the University of Kansas. Her dissertation focused on the use of technology in preservice program design. She’s most proud of her own two children who graduated from The University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University.

Lisa Schmucki is the founder and CEO of edWeb.net, an award-winning professional learning network that provides peer-to-peer learning for a global community of 1.4 million educators. edWeb’s framework for Best Practices for Virtual Professional Learning provides districts, schools, and individual educators with professional learning that impacts staff growth, culture, wellness, retention, and student outcomes. edWeb has won nine SIIA CODiE Awards for professional learning and collaboration.

Lisa has over 40 years’ experience in educational publishing, media, and online learning. She serves on the Board of NCTET (National Coalition for Technology in Education & Training), the Expert Network for ERDI (Education Research & Development Institute), the Project Tomorrow SpeakUp Council, the Advisory Board for the Power Trip for Women District Leaders, and previously on the Board of the SIIA Education Division. She is a graduate of Princeton University and has a master’s degree from the Stern School of Business at NYU.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

Join the Teaching Students with Autism community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

For 25 years, STAGES® Learning has been dedicated to creating quality teaching tools to help educators provide the best learning opportunities for students on the autism spectrum. Since our first product, Language Builder: Picture Cards, was introduced in 1997, millions of children around the world have benefited from our products. Today, STAGES’ offerings include award-winning, photo-based teaching tools, manipulatives, games, puzzles, posters and sensory items, culminating in our recently launched complete curriculum for children with autism or other cognitive delays. STAGES’ online learning platform, releasing in time for fall 2022, will provide a digital option to ensure educators can support learners with autism and language delays in even more ways.