Office of Accountability - Albany Office
Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, as reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), McKinney-Vento liaisons are required to participate in professional development so they can better identify and meet the needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness (42 U.S.C. §§ 11432[f][6] & [g][6][A][ix]). The New York State Education Department (NYSED or “the Department”) requires that the McKinney-Vento liaison from each local educational agency (LEA) attend at least one of the professional development sessions offered by the Department’s technical assistance center, NYS-TEACHS, by the end of the 2020-21 school year to comply with the federal training requirement. NYS-TEACHS provides free trainings and webinars for school districts, social service providers, and other professionals about the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Information about NYS-TEACHS professional development sessions, which will be held remotely this fall, can be found at: http://www.nysteachs.org/trainings/.
McKinney-Vento liaisons are also responsible for ensuring that LEA personnel providing McKinney-Vento services (e.g., Superintendents, registrars, transportation directors, CSE chairs, school counselors, school social workers, principals, school attorneys, and Title I directors, teachers) receive professional development. Liaisons can do this by either providing the training to staff themselves or by ensuring that LEA staff participate in one of the trainings offered NYS-TEACHS.
Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Melanie Faby at melanie.faby@nysed.gov or Erin Allen at erin.allen@nysed.gov . You may also contact NYS-TEACHS at 1-800-388-2014, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m.– 5:00 p.m. Thank you in advance for your support and participation.
