Greetings, CAPED Members:
It was great to see many of you at the CAPED 2022 Convention in Marina del Rey. Attendance exceeded our expectations, and it was great to listen to wonderful presentations, and see the vibrant conversations in the hallways and the hotel lobby. The networking opportunity at our conventions is incomparable; it is always great to see old friends and meet new acquaintances. It was an honor and pleasure to meet Roy Payan in person as he received the President Award. Supporting his cause against the Los Angeles Community College District was one of the highlights of our advocacy activities this year.
It was a busy year as we were managing new waters, to borrow the very fitting slogan of our convention. However, this year was also a clear demonstration of what CAPED can accomplish if members come together and collaborate with our partners and allies. There were so many accomplishments starting with the addition of Accessibility to the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEIA) statewide initiative and ending with the inclusion of protecting our educational assistance classes (EACs) in the newly signed AB 1705. It could not have been done without the passion, dedication and tireless efforts of our members.
While we came together to work on system advocacy, let’s not forget about those who spent long hours on their own educational journey earning their doctorate and master’s degrees. A huge shoutout and heartfelt congratulations to our graduates. Many of their graduate work focused on students with disabilities and system advocacy; something that will be very beneficial as we continue to fight for the rights of our students.
Last but not least, a huge thank you to our Editor-in-Chief, Rebecca Ferrelli to put together a highly informative Communique. I hope you will find them as useful and interesting as I did. I look forward to continuing to work together in the upcoming year. Let’s stay CAPED strong.
Edina Rutland, Ph.D.