An Interview with CEC President Dennis Cavitt,Ed.D

What drove your interest in special education?

Most often, you find that people who advocate for individuals with exceptionalities are those who have close family members with exceptionalities or who themselves have an exceptionality. I didn’t. However, I struggled in school and it was not until I reached college that I was identified with Dysgraphia, a learning disability that affects writing abilities.

My parents felt it was our responsibility to help others in whatever way we could. I did a lot of volunteering during high school and college and each time I was assigned to an individual or groups of individuals with disabilities. That directed my choice of career.

I attended college in the late 1970s and special education was not on my radar. I pursued a degree in psychology. When I moved to Texas, I focused on working with children with emotional and behavioral problems. I worked in a secure facility for children with behavioral disorders and finished my license as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) and went to work for various school districts in Texas, where my responsibility was to assess the academic, emotional, and behavioral needs of students. I did that for more than 20 years before entering higher education, where I now train new teacher candidates for service in the schools.

How did you get involved in CEC and how has CEC influenced your career?

A friend who served on the Texas CEC Board recommended that I become a member of CEC. Once I became involved at the state level, I saw how important the mission and vision of CEC was to the field of special education and there was no looking back. Soon I had opportunities to become involved at the national and international level.

My involvement in CEC has informed my practice and helped me see the field from a broader view. I believe it is vital that as a practitioner in the field you belong to an organization that provides training in advocacy, professional development, and leadership. The takeaway is that CEC became my professional organization home.

My involvement in CEC has informed my practice and helped me see the field from a broader view.””

What do see as the major challenges in special education today?

The shortage of trained special education teachers is overwhelming. We continue to see that almost all states report special education teacher shortages and a 2019 Gallup poll shows that more than 50 percent of all educators from early childhood through higher education will retire during the next 10 years.

I predict that with the outbreak of COVID-19 and the challenges that brings to educating our children, even more teachers may investigate opportunities to retire or change careers. I teach in a school of education and have experienced the declining numbers of teacher candidates choosing special education. This is a national issue where I believe CEC can take the lead to identify the reasons for this and offer solutions to correct the trajectory. Attempting to identify the reasons for the decline is much like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall. It is very elusive. I believe that we, as leaders in the field, need to identify solutions to this challenge and develop trainings to correct the issues.

A second issue directly related to the first is the issue of diversity in the field of special education. Education Week recently reported that 18 percent of special education teachers in public school are people of color, while about half the students they serve are of color. I feel this issue is very important and needs to be a priority in our work as we move forward.

A third major challenge that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis is student mental health. From my lens as an LSSP, I believe students with exceptionalities are dealing with unprecedented mental health issues and are having great difficulty managing the changes. They feel isolated and frustrated and that feeds into a negative cycle of emotions. Student mental health issues have been an issue for several years and having to be quarantined for extended time has made this a high priority.

What do you hope to accomplish during your year as president?

This past year I had an amazing opportunity to learn from CEC President Jenn Lesh and Past President Mary Lynn Boscardin regarding the skills necessary to be an effective and strategic leader. I look forward to working closely with all CEC stakeholders such as our members, Board of Directors, the Leadership Development Committee, the Policy Steering Committee, other standing and advisory committees, workgroups, and staff.

This past year CEC made significant progress toward reaching our goals in the strategic plan. Our new executive director, Chad Rummel, has been instrumental in much of our progress. I look forward to working with him to see what more we can accomplish. We have plenty more work ahead, but I believe we are on the right track. I want to encourage CEC stakeholders to continue the momentum we have created and all row in the same direction.

First, we have made significant gains in our policy and advocacy presence on Capitol Hill. This is because of the hard work of our policy response team, Chad Rummel, and the leadership of Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor Kuna Tavalin. Due to this hard work, CEC has a voice, which is extremely important. This is not only important federally but also at the state, regional and local levels. I want to expand our advocacy work to those levels. This will take the collaboration of our headquarters leaders working at the grassroot level of our members. The most recent Special Education Legislative Summit opened many opportunities for our members to advocate for the infants, children, and youth they serve at many levels.

Second, I want CEC to make significant progress in understanding the reasons for the teacher shortage crisis and then develop strategies to resolve this issue. This includes the challenge of increasing diversity in our field.

I want CEC to make significant progress in understanding the reasons for the teacher shortage crisis and then develop strategies to resolve this issue. This includes the challenge of increasing diversity in our field.””

A third goal came from my experience this past year. One of my responsibilities as president elect was to work with the Leadership Development Committee (LDC). One of the purposes of the LDC is to identify members who can become CEC leaders and prepare them for those roles. I am very excited about the leadership development process and look forward to working with our members, the LDC, CEC staff and leadership to implement this.

Please tell us something about yourself that most CEC members don’t know.

The first and most important thing is that my faith guides all that I do, especially in my work and volunteer activities. I believe it is my responsibility to help everyone I encounter to grow into who God intended them to be. My faith helps me focus on what matters most, which is people!

During the past several years, I have begun to truly barbecue. I have grilled for many years, but now I have moved to having a small pit and learning the skills necessary to be a “Pit Master.” Brisket is my favorite cut to smoke. Cooking is fun but what really excites me is to sit down and share a meal and a story with people. It always amazes me how we are more alike than we are different.

Any last thoughts?

I am so excited about the direction CEC is headed. With the new website, membership levels, policy and advocacy, leadership opportunities, and more, members can be involved and have a voice in their organization. So, JOIN CEC! GET INVOLVED! This reminds me of a quote from Clint Eastwood, “What you put into life is what you get out of it.” You can say the same thing for CEC, “What you put into CEC is what you get out of it.” Take a chance, get involved, make a difference. CEC is your professional home, so come home!

What you put into CEC is what you get out of it. Take a chance, get involved, make a difference.””