Newton Tab blog about FIXING SPECIAL EDUCATION!

Interesting feedback...I am heartened that the conversation is happening. Several thoughtful comments so far. It would be interesting to hear from educators, as well as parents. Maybe they have time during this Memorial Day weekend...

My goal in writing Fixing Special Education--12 Steps to Transform a Broken System is to encourage that national conversation. Let's talk! Let's act. Let's dare to create trust-based special education and education for all children.

Check the blog at:
(reaction to Tab story about my book).

And, it turns out, the book is available at AMAZON.com!

The saddest article I've read in a long time...

No more federal funds for the top half of the class! What type of public policy is that. One of the persons quoted in the article talks about the Race to the Top being the Race to the Bottom. Kinda sounds like that. SAD! BAD! EGADS!

(End of federal funding for top students)

( AP and G&T stripped of federal dollars?!?!)

Say it ain't so!

Multitasking--not advised!

Multitasking--Another example of popular concepts that have no research support. This time, it's the belief that kids can multitask and not lose out. Well, psychologist Dan Willingham says they can't. An important read for parents and educators.

(multitasking not advised for teens)

Newton Tab piece picked up by several blogs!

Here's some:

(Newton story about Fixing Special Education)

(Teaching on edge)

(Great blog by editor of Newton Tab)

The power of the web to connect ideas and people is truly amazing.

Check out Wicked Local story on Fixing Special Education!

here's a nice story. Enjoy!

(Story about Miriam's book, Fixing Special Education in local paper)

Success story from Birmingham...

(Mainstreamed student featured)

Here's a story for reading pleasure of special education working well. Your thoughts?

Human-powered motivation at Maker Faire!

Yesterday was the Maker Faire in San Mateo, California--inventors of all types were featured there. (human powered stage at Maker Faire).
One was my son's human powered stage at (Rock The Bike), powered by people sitting on stationary bikes to harness energy to power up the music and lights for the singers and performers on that human-powered stage! Awesome...

So interesting to me was watching little children (age 8? 9? 10?) who clamored to get on those bikes and power them. All day long, one after another, these kids jumped on the bikes and volunteered! They checked out the pedal meter which told the audience if there was enough power at any moment. If there wasn't, they had to pedal faster! Those kids watched that meter like hawks! They wanted to help. They wanted to be useful. They wanted to participate. They created the power. They mattered. They were important. No whining or complaining there. Just young children looking to be useful and having fun doing it (and getting lots of exercise pedaling)...

I often think that in our schools we do way too much for kids and expect them to contribute way too little. People want to be useful and to be needed. So do little people. We should learn from the pedal powered stage at Maker Faire!

Alternate route to success--no college!

And here's today's Boston Globe weighing in with the story we tracked last week. Let's hope it get the traction it needs. College is not for everyone. There are better success paths for some students. We need to legitimize them and make them honorable. It's time we educate all students in their areas of strengths, rather than forcing everyone into a one size fits all model. Trying to fit everyone into that model has created damaging distortions in the system and for young adults. Colllege is good for many. But not for all.


(College not for everyone, says The Boston Globe story)

I love this article! Plan B--Skip College.

(Plan B--Skip College).

I've written about this often. We need to acknowledge and support the multiple ways to be a success life. There are many many paths. Not everyone needs to go to college after high school. Finally, we have The New York Times on board! College is not for everyone. Perhaps later. Perhaps never. Perhaps whatever. Thank you NY Times for opening the discussion at last.

See also Joe Lamacchia's website, (Alternate ways to be a success in life!)

Top producers conference...

HMM. What is a 'producer' in this era of double speak?

HMMM. I was walking around San Francisco and saw an insurance company conference for its top producers. I wondered. Are they the folks who make patients better? who improve services to clients? who reduce health care confusion and costs? who produce something? No, I was told, they are the sales people who sell the most insurance. HMMMMM.

In education, what are our top producers? Are they the teachers who document what they do the best? who fill out the most forms or attend the most meetings? who are the most caring and concerned? I wonder and rather doubt it. I believe we want top teachers to PRODUCE (along with efforts by parents and students--too often overlooked) the best learning for their students. A real goal. A real need.

With all the language about holding teachers responsible for student learning, what word will we use? How about top producers of a REAL good!

College for all? At last, there's a good question.

The issue of college for all has been off the table for too long. The assumption, or course was, that the answer what YES, everyone should go to college.

Well now, finally, that good question is up for grabs. There are LOTS of good reasons for success minded high school graduates NOT to go to college. Read on!
(Questioning the assumption that everyone should go to college)

Check out Akron's Quaker Square Inn

We all talk about getting out of our silos--everyone doing his/her own thing in public schools. Instead, we talk about joining forces--among all the various professions and experts.

Well, here's a hotel that did this literally. 36 silos were brought together and created a beautiful luxury hotel in Akron Ohio. I have not seen it yet, but hope to before too long.

(36 silos pulled together to form luxury hotel in Akron Ohio!)

Let's join forces in public schools--teachers, administrators, parents, students, and others--to improve teaching and learning and create a luxury public education system!

NEWSWEEK--Education Research gets an F

(Education research gets an F).

Say it ain't so! Especially in this era of 'research-based education.' The No Child Left Behind Act is based on r-b education. Sad, sad, sad.... and I will add to this report card the need for research in how we do special education. Do all the rules and regulations lead to better outcomes for kids? Where is the data?

T-shirts and how we need to keep eyes on the prize

You've got to be kidding me. But no, students in a U.S. school were told to go home because they had t-shirts on with an American flag on cinco de mayo. As an immigrant, (Students told to go home for wearing American flag t-shirts to school)

As an immigrant,I am truly scratching my head. Where did commonsense go? Since when can't kids wear American flag t-shirts? Since when did free speech evaporate?

Within 48 hours, of course, cooler heads prevailed and the assistant principal's order was voided by the school superintendent. But the lesson was learned--educators took their eye off common sense, education, the public good, and other realities that should be front and center for our schools Case closed, we hope.

The bigger picture is that this is but another example of our education leaders not their eye on the prize, not focused on the goal of teaching and learning, taking sides among student groups, etc. The goal should be education. Where did that go?

And, of course, this brings me back to special education and how it is broken. Why? Because, here too, we have lost sight of the goal--teaching and learning for all students. Instead, we saddle schools with rules, regulations, lawsuits, fear, lack of trust, etc.--that truly have nothing to do with teaching and learning. And we get further from the goal that would serve us all.

Let's hope the t-shirts can lead the way back to common sense.

Virtual schools coming to Massachusetts!

(Virtual schools coming to Greenfield Massachusetts)

You gotta love the marketplace and love American innovation! If there's a problem, someone will come along and fix it. If schools don't or won't or can't or whatever.. meet the needs of students,then go out and create a system that might meet the needs of different students. Thus we try charters, 'choice,' vouchers, private, home, special ed, GED, early college, drop out prevention, gifted and talented, tutoring, and lots of other options. Many options. The schools, called 'brick and mortar' with all the issues they have....are no longer the only way to go. And here's the latest. Attend school on line! Wow. Who would have thought that this is where the push to neighborhood and universal schools would take us...

Of course, we don't know how far this innovation will or can go. But we do know that schools are not meeting the needs of all students and that something(s) have to change.... So, good luck!

E.D. Hirsch reviews Diane Ravitch's book! A must read!

(E.D. Hirsch's review of Diane Ravitch's book)

And here's a sad tale from England.How common is this?

Bullied teachers? How common is this? So sad. Bullying can be torture. Here it was.

A sad tale from the UK. (Sad tale of bullied teachers)

No high school honors? No football honors?

And no standing ovation at the play? Or an evening of appreciation at the community action efforts. I do not buy it.

Should high schools stop honoring students with awards at graduation? We knew this was coming--everyone is the same and no one should be compared to others..... Well, OK, then, no honors for football, band participation, being the star in the school play, tutoring children in local schools, doing environmental cleanup. Etc. We are all the same. I do not agree.

There is a time and place for various activities and for demonstrating appreciation for them by the greater community. Graduation is the time to honor academic achievement and partipation in the life of the school.

The story apparently started with a parent whose child's name on the list of high school graduates was between two students who had icons next to their names for specific honors--one the valedictorian and one headed to an Ivy League college. Her child just had the name on the list. Therefore, we are asked to stop schools from honoring student achievement at the highest levels. We are asked to just honor all students for getting through high school. I disagree. Since when do we want to change policies based on comparing one student with another? Since when do we want to limit achievement to the lowest common denominatory? Since when do we want to create a false sense of comfort and 'self esteem?' Since when do we want to pretend that competition does not exist in our world? What is helplful about that? I don't get it.

Check out the article for yourself.

(No honors at graduation?)