Creating Transition Programs that are Beneficial to Students with Disabilities with Joel Lavin

In this podcast episode, Joel Lavin and Jethro Jones discuss transition services for students with disabilities as they mature out of the K-12 schooling program. We talk about combining CTE and Transition Services to make sure students are prepared for life, independence, self determination, communication, and living on their own. See Joel’s previous interview on Transformative Principal episodes 258 and 259.

• Education and Training, Employment, Independence, self determination and communication, planning for your future.
• Transition Vision Project. Including General Ed and CTE programs.
• Visioning process. The pathway process. North Star, positive and possible, enroll, stronger
• Why is CTE and Transition services so important for working together? Career Technical Education.
• Sometimes kids needing services in their IEP gets in the way of their opportunities to have more work experiences.
• CTE: FutureBuild
• Unified Sports and other unified programs - if you don’t have this in your school, make it happen!
• Ryan- started in the pandemic as a freshman in charter school struggled, moved to the alternative school still struggled, finally moved to a program in one of our high schools focused on transition, still included in regular classes though it was regional, began to thrive in the setting, had an opportunity to access a centralized program called future build.Student continues to thrive as a senior. Is now a keynote speaker for the Oregon Statewide Transition Conference in March 2024.
• Transition Services take a lot of teamwork!
• How to be a transformative principal? All staff need to be on board with inclusive practices.

About Joel Lavin

Joel is in his 15th year as an administrator and 25th year as a public educator. He is currently an equity and inclusion administrator for high schools in Eugene School District 4J. His job is focused on removing barriers for students in high school through age 21 who experience disabilities and autism. Joel has worked with students prekindergarten through age 21 in his career. He started teaching as a middle school science teacher and branched out to administration in 2009.

• Joel has two children, who are each about 3 years apart. They are currently in high school and college.
• His hobbies include camping with his family, gardening, running, cooking
and martial arts.

His passions include: inclusive education, transition services, restorative justice, bilingual education and educational equity. He has been a facilitator for the CFEE Collaborative for 15 years, Coaching for Equity in Education Collaborative.

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