Wherever you turn, we are surrounded by acronyms: Governmental agencies (FBI), work output statuses (MIA), even boxing (TKO).
The teaching profession is no different. Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Jordan Catapano, who is a seasoned high school English teacher based in the Chicago suburbs, takes an in-depth look at the acronyms living large in the teaching profession, including:
LRE = Least Restrictive Environment
ESSA = Every Student Succeeds Act
FERPA = Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
And More!
Here’s Jordan’s take on FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education): “One of the provisions in IDEA is that all students are to receive a free and appropriate education. This is an educational right for students with disabilities, and it means that schools must provide students with disabilities an education equal to that of non-disabled peers. This requires all schools to include adapted instruction and necessary services to ensure students with disabilities receive the college and career-ready skills necessary for their futures.”
Jordan sums up his article like this, in a paragraph devoted to the PLN (Professional Learning Network): “And now for a non-government term. A Professional Learning Network, or PLN, is a handy way of identifying the fellow educators a given teacher is connected to either in real life or online. A PLN is a customized, personalized set of professionals who help an individual learn and grow in their craft. This might include individuals in a teacher’s department, school, district, at conferences, within education organizations, or via social media. Teachers should develop their own PLN to leverage the ideas, resources, and materials of others.”
