Graphic promoting an upcoming webinar titled “Leading Beyond the Classroom: Pathways from Special Educator to Administrator,” scheduled for May 18 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The speakers listed are Abby Foley (Lead IDEA Center Director), Roddy Theobald (SPARC Center Co‑Principal Investigator), LaRon Scott (SPARC Center Co‑Principal Investigator), and Jinseok Shin (University of Texas–Austin, to be determined). The SPARC Center logo and website, sparccenter.org, appear at the bottom.

Join us for an upcoming webinar discussing recent findings about #SpecialEducation teachers moving into leadership positions in VA, WA, & TX. Speakers include LaRon Scott, Abby Foley, @roddy-theobald.bsky.social, and Jinseok Shin.

🗓️May 18th, 2 PM ET
🔗Register: binghamton.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Graphic promoting the SPARC Center Scholars Program FAQ Session. Text reads “SPARC Center Scholars Program FAQ Session,” “April 15 at 4pm ET,” and “Virtual.” Additional text invites participants to ask questions live and learn about the program’s mission, benefits, eligibility requirements, and application process. The graphic lists Loretta Mason‑Williams, SPARC Center Co‑Principal Investigator, and includes the SPARC Center logo and website, sparccenter.org, at the bottom.

Applications for the SPARC Scholars Program are due on May 1st. To learn more about this opportunity, join @lmasonwms.bsky.social for an upcoming Q&A session.

📅Wednesday, April 15th
⏰ 4:00 pm EST
🔗Register: binghamton.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Graphic promoting the SPARC Center Scholars Program FAQ Session. Text reads “SPARC Center Scholars Program FAQ Session,” “April 15 at 4pm ET,” and “Virtual.” Additional text invites participants to ask questions live and learn about the program’s mission, benefits, eligibility requirements, and application process. The graphic lists Loretta Mason‑Williams, SPARC Center Co‑Principal Investigator, and includes the SPARC Center logo and website, sparccenter.org, at the bottom.

Are you interested in applying for the SPARC Center Scholars Program but have questions or want to learn more? Attend our Q&A Session on April 15 at 4pm ET hosted by @lmasonwms.bsky.social.

🔗Register now: binghamton.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

The SPARC Center Scholars Program is a unique opportunity for early career researchers interested in the #SpecialEducation workforce.

@lmasonwms.bsky.social shares more in this video:

Apply by 5/1: sparccenter.org/sparc-center...

Lucky Mason-Williams, Elizabeth Bettini, & Lynn Holdheide stand in front of a large screen displaying a session titled “Strengthening the Special Education Workforce with the SPARC Center and LEAD IDEA” at the CEC 2026 Convention & Expo in Salt Lake City. The three presenters are smiling and wearing lanyards with name tags.

A group of 11 SPARC Center researchers and colleagues pose together indoors at a conference, smiling and wearing name badges on lanyards.

💡We’ve been busy! This month, our experts presented at the conferences of @cecmembership.bsky.social & @aefpweb.bsky.social.

It's always valuable to share findings, learn from others, and bring back feedback that strengthens our work.

This session is also an opportunity to learn more about our new SPARC Scholars Program. Learn more and apply by May 1: sparccenter.org/sparc-center...

Graphic promoting the AEFP 2026 Conversation Group titled “Building and Sustaining a Strong Special Education Workforce Through Policy‑Relevant Research.” Event details read “March 20 at 4:30pm CT | Zurich D Ballroom,” with four speaker headshots labeled Elizabeth Bettini (SPARC Center, Co‑Director), Allison Gilmour (SPARC Center, Co‑Director), Loretta Mason‑Williams (SPARC Center, Co‑Principal Investigator), and Roddy Theobald (SPARC Center, Director). SPARC logo and sparccenter.org appear at the bottom.

At #AEFP2026 & interested in #SpecialEducation research? Join SPARC Center experts @lizbettini.bsky.social, @afgilmour.bsky.social, @lmasonwms.bsky.social & @roddy-theobald.bsky.social for a conversation group tomorrow at 4:30 pm in the Zurich D Ballroom!

📅 March 21 | 11:45 am–1:15 pm
📍 Vevey 2
💡 Teacher Incentives with @roddy-theobald.bsky.social

📅 March 21 | 8:15–9:45 am
📍 Vevey 2
💡 Working Conditions, Supports, & Teacher Wellbeing with @lizbettini.bsky.social 💥

📅 March 20 | 4:30–5:30 pm
📍 Zurich D Ballroom
💡 Conversation Group: Building and Sustaining a Strong Special Education Workforce Through Policy-Relevant Research with @lizbettini.bsky.social, @afgilmour.bsky.social, @lmasonwms.bsky.social & @roddy-theobald.bsky.social 💥

📅 March 20 | 10:00–11:30 am
📍 St. Gallen 2
💡 Promoting a More Nuanced Understanding of IEPs and Supports for Students Receiving Special Education with @lizbettini.bsky.social 💥

📅 March 20 | 8:15–9:45 am
📍 Montreux 3
💡 Understanding Special Education Identification and Services with @afgilmour.bsky.social 💥

📅 March 19 | 1:30–3:00 pm
📍 Montreux 2
💡 Special Education Teacher Workforce with @afgilmour.bsky.social & @edutuan.bsky.social 💥

📅 March 19 | 8:15–9:45 am
📍 Vevey 2
💡 The Impacts of School Leaders with @roddy-theobald.bsky.social 💥

Graphic announcing an upcoming conference: “Association for Education Finance & Policy (AEFP) 51st Annual Conference, March 19-21 in Chicago” displayed over a cityscape background. SPARC logo and sparccenter.org appear at the bottom.

SPARC Center experts are presenting at #AEFP2026 this week! Sessions are in the thread below, with 💥indicating sessions related to #SpecialEducation:`

📅 March 13 from 9:15–10:15 am MT
📍Ballroom B
💡 Leaders Unlocking Potential: Strengthening Services for Students with Disabilities with Lynn Holdheide

📅 March 12 from 2:15–3:15 pm MT
📍 Ballroom C
💡Project SUSTAIN: Enhancing Special Educators’ Working Conditions with @lizbettini.bsky.social

📅 March 12 from 1:00–2:00 pm MT
📍 Room 251 E
💡From Burnout to Breakthrough: Cultivating a Healthy Special Education Workforce with @lizbettini.bsky.social

📅 March 12 from 1:00–2:00 pm MT
📍 Ballroom D
💡 A New Pathway for School Leadership: Registered Apprenticeships & Disability-Inclusive Practice with Lynn Holdheide

📅 March 12 from 11:45 am–12:45 pm MT
📍 Ballroom C
💡 Strengthening the Special Education Workforce with the SPARC Center & LEAD IDEA with Lynn Holdheide, @lmasonwms.bsky.social, & @lizbettini.bsky.social

Graphic announcing an upcoming conference: “Council for Exceptional Children 2026 Convention & Expo, March 11–14, Salt Lake City, UT,” displayed over a cityscape background. SPARC logo and sparccenter.org appear at the bottom.

Heading to @cecmembership.bsky.social's #CEC2026? Join our experts for sessions on strengthening the #SpecialEducation workforce and more:

Promotional graphic with a header of “Scholars Program” and subtext of “Apply for SPARC Center Scholars Program by May 1, 2026”. The SPARC Center logo is featured in the graphic’s bottom left corner and it includes the website sparccenter.org

📢 Apply for the SPARC Center Scholars Program by May 1st! Early career scholars interested in the #SpecialEducation teacher workforce can collaborate with SPARC researchers to conduct rigorous policy-relevant research. Learn more and apply: sparccenter.org/sparc-center...

Promotional graphic that announces the launch of the SPARC Center Scholars Program. It includes that applications are due by May 1, 2026. The SPARC Center logo is featured in the graphic’s bottom left corner and it includes the website sparccenter.org

📢Just launched: the SPARC Center Scholars Program! This program aims to support early career scholars in conducting rigorous research on the #SpecialEducation teacher workforce. Learn more and apply by May 1:

sparccenter.org/sparc-center...

💡In a recent podcast, SPARC Center’s @afgilmour.bsky.social discusses the primary causes of #SpecialEducation teacher shortages, and how schools can address them.

The @caldercenter.bsky.social Conference is Monday 3/2 in Arlington, VA. SPARC's @roddy-theobald.bsky.social will present new findings on #SpecialEducation teacher retention from work with @lizbettini.bsky.social, @afgilmour.bsky.social, & LaRon Scott.

Register: caldercenter.org/events/17th-...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

🔎How do researchers identify #SpecialEducation teachers? Our recent paper explores how seemingly simple data decisions impact analyses.

Read the paper from @afgilmour.bsky.social @lmasonwms.bsky.social, @roddy-theobald.bsky.social , and @lizbettini.bsky.social: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

🌟Supporting the #SpecialEducation teacher workforce requires collaboration. This week, SPARC Center experts @lmasonwms.bsky.social and @afgilmour.bsky.social share insights from our first year of research with the Coalition for Teaching Quality.

Read our findings: sparccenter.org/research-fin...

Attend the upcoming #CALDER2026 conference to catch a session by SPARC Center Director @roddy-theobald.bsky.social on Evidence on What Makes Teachers Stay: Schedules, Salaries, and School Leaders! 💡

This week, our experts LaRon Scott and @lmasonwms.bsky.social presented at the @ceedarcenter.bsky.social Cross-State Convening on strengthening teacher and leader preparation. When we lead together, we can better support #SpecialEducation teachers and students with disabilities.

Did you catch @afgilmour.bsky.social’s recent article in @edweek.org?