News for the Special Education Community
by Mary Ruiz – “Jimmy” couldn’t sit still or concentrate and acted out during class. He felt like he was always in trouble as he needed frequent redirection. His grades were lower than his capability even though he really tried. Discouraged, the 10-year-old boy told his mother, “Sometimes I wish I were never born.” “Monica,” [...]
by Nathan Vine – A panel of state and local officials on Wednesday discussed concerns about a proposed expansion of private school vouchers. Speakers talked about their opposition to Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to expand private school vouchers in the state to any district with at least 4,000 students and at least two schools receiving [...]
At the 8th annual Perkins School for the Blind Science Fair on May 3, Michael Yudin, Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education, came from Washington, D.C., to carry the president’s message encouraging both students and teachers to focus on science and mathematics disciplines. “The president has said that [...]
by Chris Bond – The majestic sound of soprano Denise Leigh in full voice fills the room. It is a joy to behold and when she finishes her impromptu performance the place erupts in cheers and applause. Many of the people in the audience here are blind, or disabled, but it doesn’t dim their appreciation of the [...]
by Matt Buxton – Fairbanks North Star Borough school board members put in extra hours Saturday to try to balance the district’s budget but made no changes and instead asked school officials to look for other options. The special meeting largely focused on a smaller-than-proposed funding increase for special education and the application of a state [...]
by Paula J. Owen – Saturday morning’s sprinkles did little to deter the 360 celebrating graduates at the Nichols College commencement ceremony, which championed those with learning disabilities. Valedictorian Stephen W. Mack and Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, the commencement speaker, share something in common that has done nothing to stop the two men from [...]
by Carla Rivera – As part of a settlement with Disability Rights Advocates, UC Berkeley will provide disabled students with more timely access to printed materials in alternative formats such as Braille, large print and audio. UC Berkeley is making its vast library collections and course textbooks more readily available to students with visual and [...]
by Jamar Younger – The tutors in Meaghann Mulrow’s special education class at Mountain View High School have learned firsthand about the challenges that special needs students encounter each day. Not only do the junior and senior tutors help their special education peers with academics, they also partner with the students on the basketball court, [...]
by Debbie Cafazzo – Tacoma Public Schools told teachers last week to get ready for changes in special education programs. The changes will start this summer, with new training for teachers district wide aimed at helping them learn fresh strategies for working with special-needs kids. Goals include getting kids help earlier and leaning toward positive [...]
by Patti Zarling – After the morning bell rings at Howard Elementary School, Jordan Miles reads a book while his classmates work on reading and writing projects of their own. The first-graders move from station to station practicing language skills as Jordan sits quietly at his desk turning pages, or later, listens to audio books [...]
