Diane Willcutts/Education Advocacy LLC

09/16/2026

Let’s try this again. SEEK Conference. FREE for parents without lunch included. $25 for parents with lunch included. Friday, October 23. Middletown, CT. Join us! https://www.eventcreate.com/e/seekconference2026

09/13/2026

Special Education Equity for Kids (SEEK) will host its annual conference in Middletown, CT, on Friday, October 23. FREE FOR PARENTS without lunch, and $25 for parents with lunch. SEEK lobbies at the legislature for laws to protect students with disabilities and has been amazing at both moving legislation forward that is helpful and blocking the worst of legislation that is damaging.

Note to families: this conference presents a VARIETY of perspectives--from those of parent attorneys and advocates to state officials and legislators to community resources. I always go and love some of what I hear and completely disagree with other parts. But THAT'S democracy! Your voice is critical, and I hope you will attend. Not to mention that I am presenting and would love to have you join me! https://www.eventcreate.com/e/seekconference2026?fbclid=IwY2xjawUTqlhwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWYxbjY5ZXpUU1RWYjNzQkxzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeKylz_N-AVl0Iomzz1LoI48IE_PaLiHW-CfFiA0FNx6bIhcHLY5wEuZsiWw0_aem_zSEnNoTPAVcqanodW3pUvg

✨ 2026 SEEK Conference! ✨

The excitement is building for the 2026 SEEK Conference, and we're incredibly grateful for the amazing sponsors who have already committed to supporting this important event. Their partnership is helping create a day of learning, collaboration, and advocacy for students with disabilities across Connecticut.

📅 Friday, October 23, 2026 📍 Wesleyan University – Middletown, CT
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/seekconference2026

There's still time to be part of it!

🤝 Become a Sponsor and showcase your organization's commitment to inclusive education while connecting with families, educators, advocates, and professionals from across the state.

🎟️ Register Today! Whether you're a parent, educator, service provider, advocate, or community member, you'll leave with valuable resources, practical strategies, and meaningful connections.

Together, we're building a stronger, more inclusive future for students with disabilities.

Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, exhibitors, volunteers, and everyone who is helping make this conference possible, we can't wait to see you in October!

08/14/2026

I just learned that I will be presenting at the International Dyslexia Association Conference in Las Vegas! November 12-14. Join me!

Get ready for the most anticipated event in the field of dyslexia education and advocacy—the ANNUAL READING, LITERACY & LEARNING CONFERENCE hosted by the International Dyslexia Association! Join us November 12–14, 2026, in vibrant Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Hyatt Grand Rio for an inspiring and tr...

04/14/2026

Please join the Special Education Legal Fund, me, and some other fun panelists for an important discussion. Free! Virtual! May 6 at 7 p.m.

Choosing the “best” school district isn’t always straightforward—especially for children with special needs. Rankings and reputation don’t tell the whole story, and moving districts doesn’t always lead to better outcomes.

Join our S.E.L.F. Webinar Wednesday, May 6th at 7 PM to hear a multidisciplinary panel discuss what families should really consider: how districts meet individual needs, evaluate incoming students, support social transitions, and honor existing IEPs. Learn what questions to ask, what factors matter most, and how to advocate for the right fit for your child.

Free Registration with Event Brite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1983131716348?aff=oddtdtcreator

03/20/2026

Join me at this free event in Stamford!

03/09/2026

P.S. My associate Kate Schrock and I have concluded that, if school districts would do these TWO things, nearly every student with disabilities could be educated in their neighborhood schools. In our practice, we see that students are placed out of district most often due to reading disabilities, emotional needs, and/or behavior concerns. So. . .

1. To support emotional and "behavior" needs, schools should train all teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and related services staff in Dr. Ross Greene's Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, which has multiple PUBLISHED peer-reviewed studies showing it is effective. And yes, each school should ensure that there is a core team who has done the in-depth training WITH coaching. See the link, below.

2. To support reading for ALL students, schools should ensure that all K-3 teachers, reading specialists, and special education teachers are certified in structured literacy, including a supervised practicum. For example, this could be Orton-Gillingham certification at at least the associate's level, CALT certification, etc. Note that Orton-Gillingham and other structured literacy are NOT just for students with dyslexia. Structured literacy works for everyone--garden-variety child will simply zip through this more quickly. And p**f, 95% or more of our elementary school students will be able to meet grade-level benchmarks. Yes, teaching reading is rocket science, and there are no shortcuts. So let's stop doing the ineffective hit-and-run professional development and provide our teachers with what they need--including the supervised practicum in structured literacy!

Now, wasn't that easy? : )

Whether you’re an educator, parent, mental health clinician, physician, or staff member in a therapeutic treatment facility, if you’re looking for exposure to or proficiency in the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) model, we offer a variety of training options to meet your needs. Among t...

03/08/2026

Remember that educating students with disabilities has always been a bipartisan issue--since the Individuals with Disabilities Act was passed in 1975.

We know that the consequences of denying students an appropriate education are dire--resulting in higher drop-out rates, increased anxiety and depression, increased involvement with the juvenile justice system, and increased rates of unemployment and underemployment.

When our federal and state governments invest in appropriately educating students with disabilities, the vast majority of our kids can become independent, productive taxpayers who do not need to rely on government assistance! District administrators need to stop wasting money fighting against what children with disabilities need (hint: their families are not going away) and invest in what works!

03/05/2026

Spent the day on Capitol Hill with my fellow Connecticut advocates for children with disabilities! So. Much. Fun.

03/01/2026

If you live in Connecticut, please submit testimony opposing SB-312, which intends to endorse districts "instructing" struggling readers with AI, rather than to provide instruction through an actual teacher who is certified in structured literacy.

SB 312 states, "The Department of Education may approve one or more supplemental literacy support products that utilizes a machine-learning or other machine-based system capable of (1) listening to students read aloud, (2) analyzing student reading performance in real time, and (3) providing immediate, individualized support or intervention in the form of tutoring and instructional feedback."

Sorry, there is no such "literacy support product" whose computer algorithm has been demonstrated to be effective through peer-reviewed research. (But the bill doesn't require that. . . so maybe we're just supposed to take the publisher's word for it?) Links to the bill, to submit public testimony in writing, and to sign up to speak at the public hearing on 3/4/2026 are here:

02/14/2026

The Connecticut State Department of Education needs to become laser-focused on providing children with effective reading instruction in our schools. This is STILL not happening.

In Connecticut, only 36% of our fourth graders are proficient readers, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (see link below). Research tells us that, if we provide effective reading instruction, at least 95% of all students should be proficient readers. So why is Connecticut failing to teach more than half of our students to read well? Because most of our teachers have never been taught to effectively provide reading instruction in a way that is consistent with reading science--which typically requires about two years of training and a supervised practicum.

Although the state legislature attempted to improve reading instruction in Connecticut by passing the Right to Read law, there have been ongoing problems. For example, Right to Read required that the state identify "approved" reading curricula that are consistent with reading science--that nearly every district must use. Which sounds helpful in theory. So why hasn't Right to Read been effective?

A. Implementation problems. For example, some of the CT "state-approved" reading curricula do a terrible job of teaching foundational skills--and some even use failed strategies like "cuing" and/or requiring that students memorize whole words by sight rather than decoding them. In December 2022, I brought my concerns to the attention of Melissa Hickey at CSDE (who oversaw the approved curricula selection process) and received an email back that said something along the lines of "no reading program is perfect."

B. Even using a "good" reading curriculum is not enough on its own. The teacher implementing reading instruction must have a strong foundation in structured literacy, and getting that foundation requires about two years of training and a supervised practicum in structured literacy. Most of our schools of education do not provide this. So Connecticut needs to require our Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) at our colleges and universities to provide an evidence-based program of study and supervised practicum in structured literacy to teacher candidates.

On the plus side, for the past 5 to 10 years, Connecticut law has required that educators applying for any level of certification as a special education teacher or reading specialist have completed a program of study and supervised practicum in structured literacy specific to teaching students with dyslexia. (See 10-145d(i) for the exact wording.) On the negative side, to date that law has not been enforced. Not only do we need to implement the law we have, we also need to expand it to all include all K-3 teachers applying for certification, as these are the grades where students are still learning to read. ALL students benefit from structured literacy! And research tells us that most reading problems can be prevented if students get the right reading instruction in kindergarten and first grade.

The Connecticut Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities (ODRD) has been charged with auditing our EPPs and helping to move us towards enabling our teachers to be effective instructors of structured literacy. Fingers crossed the ODRD gets the funding and support it needs to move forward with trying to repair the state of reading in Connecticut.