Why does KIPP do padded rooms for kindergarteners and regular ed. students who have run-of-the-mill behavior problems? Calming rooms, in unique and very structured situations, might be justifiable for special education, but not regular ed. The justification for a padded room is that the student needs to be protected from self-injurious behavior or hurting others. […]
Why Education Reformers Worry about Special Education
I heard someone, a parent or teacher, blurt out at an informal education meeting, that education reformers are afraid of special education. I think that person is right. I don’t think many of those currently in charge of redoing public schools understand anything about special ed. students and how they learn. I think they must […]
Good-bye NICHCY! But Why?
For decades the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) has been a go-to website for families and educators seeking information about how to find support for young students and children and youth with disabilities. My website is a work in progress and when I went to add NICHCY to the section on Special Education, […]
Advocacy Groups for Parents of Children with Disabilities
On Monday I wrote about two significant class action suits that steered the course for students with disabilities to receive a more “appropriate” education in their public schools. Today I am providing lists of some advocacy groups for parents to contact if they are dissatisfied with the Common Core and/or other issues negatively affecting their […]
Less High-Stakes Testing—More Focus on Mental Health and Personalized Schooling
This past week saw yet again two horrible instances of violence—once again at schools. Two popular teachers are gone, along with a troubled student. Another student will possibly be tried as an adult and prosecuted. Again we wonder whether public schools do much to help disturbed students. In both these situations, unless something new pops […]
Isn’t It Time for Some Class Action Suits Against Common Core–For Students with Special Needs and Young Children?
This past weekend’s post about Common Core not rhyming with Individual Educational Plans brought over 1,000 Facebook likes. For a relatively new Blogger this jumped out at me as a sure sign that people, especially parents with students who have special needs and their teachers, are fed up with Common Core State Standards which have […]
Special Olympics—Endangered?
Recently, Special Olympics celebrated the anniversary of their 1976 event. This is a picture of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and a young competitor and winner from back then posted on the Special Olympics site on August 22. As a young college student, almost ready to graduate with a degree in special education, I volunteered in the […]
The Public School System and Mental Health Services
Two days ago we had another grim reminder that schools, like communities, are vulnerable to troubled individuals, often young people, possessing weapons. These events strike fear in the hearts and minds of parents and add fuel to the fire when it comes to the gun debate. While the gun debate goes on…. Most people […]