Essential Bulletin for Educators
November 2026
December 6–9, 2026 | Hershey Lodge
The SAS Institute connects Pennsylvania’s educational leaders for four days of purposeful learning designed to strengthen the systems and relationships that help people and organizations flourish.
Guided by the theme Design. Lead. Flourish, the Institute opens with optional Sunday Deep Dives and a powerful Monday storytelling experience that elevates real examples of innovation and courageous leadership from across the Commonwealth. Learn more about this year's institute on the attached flyer below.
Great ideas grow when we learn together.
This November, APR Networking and Learning Communities bring Pennsylvania educators and professionals together to exchange ideas, explore fresh perspectives, and discover strategies they can put into practice.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Community
Unlocking Communication: Supporting Complex AAC Users
November 3 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI)
TVI Time – It Takes a Team: Supporting Students with Visual Impairments and Complex Bodies
November 4 | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Healthy Relationships
Beyond Boundaries: Teaching Healthy Relationships to Students with Disabilities
November 4 | 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI) Implementers
The ECRI Exchange: Expert Differentiation with Jess Surles
November 11 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Emotional Support Teachers
Why Can’t Johnny Calm Himself? Rethinking Regulation for Student Success
November 17 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialists (COMS)
Orientation and Mobility to Go: Practical Instruction for Complex Learners
November 18 | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Corrections Education Staff
English Learners with IEPs: Effective Supports and Strategies
November 20 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Pennsylvania Material Specialists (PAMS)
PAMS Network: Leveraging NIMAC and NIMAS for Timely Accessible Formats
November 20 | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
📌 For more information and registration details, visit the APR Repository.
Your Next Chapter Starts with a Mentor!
New to a special education role? Connect with an experienced professional who can share practical strategies, offer encouragement, and help you navigate the school year with confidence.
Mentoring Opportunities Available for:
- CTE Special Populations Coordinators
- Educational Interpreters
- Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialists
- Special Education Administrators
- Special Education Teachers
- School Psychologists
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- Teachers of the Deaf
- Teachers of the Visually Impaired
Teaching and supporting students is deeply rewarding, but the hidden emotional load can quietly lead to burnout.
- Manage Emotional Load: Recognize emotional fatigue and build brief reset moments between classes.
- Set Clear Boundaries: Establish firm communication hours with parents to combat "always-on" digital guilt.
- Share Responsibility: Work with colleagues to normalize referrals for struggling students and share after-hours tasks.
Try these tips to create meaningful conversations and to build strong home-school partnerships this conference season.
Make family-teacher conferences productive, positive, and focused on what matters most – which is helping the student succeed by following these steps from Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) below:
- Plan Ahead: Outline a strength, key concerns, concrete work samples and at least one question to ask beforehand.
- Lead with Specific Praise: Highlight genuine accomplishments rather than generic compliments.
- Focus on Evidence & Behavior: Share concrete work samples and describe observable actions rather than applying labels.
- Listen Actively: Ask open-ended questions about home environments to build collaboration.
- Keep Steps Manageable: Leave with 1–2 actionable goals for school and home, then follow up!
Pennsylvania Department of Education: School District Re-entry Plans Resource Guide
Support successful student returns to school with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s School District Re-entry Plans Resource Guide. This resource helps educators plan for students returning after significant absences due to health, family, behavioral, or other life events. Featuring trauma-informed strategies, customizable templates, and step-by-step checklists, the guide supports academic continuity, emotional well-being, and successful reintegration through collaboration among school teams, families, and community providers.
Pieces of the Puzzle: The Power of Data
This learning module highlights essential elements of effective data collection in Autistic Support classrooms, including selecting meaningful measures, collecting accurate and consistent data, and using data to guide instruction. Whether you're establishing a data collection system or refining your current practices, you'll find practical ideas and strategies to help make data meaningful and manageable.
The Inclusion Podcast | When “Doing Nothing” is Actually Doing Something: Reframing Engagement
What if “doing nothing” isn’t disengagement… but regulation?
In this episode, the hosts challenge one of the most persistent assumptions in education: that learning must look busy, verbal, and compliant. Listen to the 23-minute episode to get the inside scoop and check out the free resources on the webpage.
Key Learnings:
- Stillness, movement, pausing, or even opting out can be part of regulation and learning.
- Traditional definitions of engagement often prioritize adult comfort over student needs.
- Interrupting regulation can actually disrupt learning and escalate behavior.
Unlock Your Deaf Students' Full Potential by Planning for Life Beyond Graduation Today!
The National Deaf Center (NDC) offers free resources for preparing deaf students for life after high school. Check out these three things to know:
- Transition Planning for Deaf Youth: A guide with tools for college, careers, and independent living.
- Deafverse: An ASL-accessible game with teacher guides that builds self-advocacy and career skills.
- Free Professional Learning: Self-paced modules and certificate programs, plus a Help Team for individual questions.
Resource Spotlight: PA Secondary Transition Assessment Planning Toolkit
The PA Secondary Transition Assessment Planning Toolkit is a practical resource to help educators develop meaningful, individualized plans that prepare students for life after high school.
The toolkit provides a structured process for identifying what is known about a student's strengths, preferences, interests, and needs; determining what additional information is needed; and using assessment results to guide transition planning. While designed with students with significant disabilities in mind, the toolkit can support transition assessment planning for all students.
Educators can use this resource to strengthen IEP transition planning, individualize assessment practices, promote student and family involvement, and connect assessment findings to instruction, transition services, and meaningful post-school outcomes in education, employment, and independent living.