Some comments on Special Education

First, thank you for insightful participation during the special education lectures. 

Second, I posted a few key slides from class below.  Unfortunately, they are out of order and I cannot figure out how to fix this issue.   I’m sure, however, that this won’t confuse you too much.  There are a few new slides below that I wanted to ensure sharing with you.  Some are dealing with funding, others with retention/job opportunity. 

Funding: I wanted to make the point that although the Federal govt. provides a large sum of money for education ($59,181,467,000) it only counts for approximately 9% of all money spent for education in the U.S.  The same is true for special education funding.  The federal govt. spends $11,981,892,000 for special education programming.  Seems like a lot.  However, take Pennsylvania as example (I could not find DE’s figures as their dept. of ed. website is a little whacky).  In PA, $1,026,815,000 is consumed by special education.  Meaning, (special) education is really supported (financially) at state and local levels rather than federally.

Retention/Opportunity:  Yes, it’s true–there is a lot of turn-over/burn-out in special education.   There are veteran teachers, however, who employ strategies for coping with pressures–ie., paperwork, testing, etc.–and maintain a healthy professional life (like the letter you read from my friend).  And really, this is true for any kind of teaching.  It is necessary to find balance.  Also, I’d like you to take note that due to special education teacher turn-over/burn-out, there are lots of jobs available.  In fact,  universitities only produce about 22,000 professionals certified in special education per year–approximately half of the amount required to fill all vacant positions (Thorton, Peltier, & Medina, 2007; Katsiyannis, Zhang & Conroy, 2003). 

If you have any questions or need of clarification, don’t hesitate to ask.  Good luck studying for finals!

Powerpoint Slides from Special Education Presentation

FYI – US Dept. of Ed. Budget

US Dept. of Ed. Budget can be found here.

The last remaining days…

11/26   VHS 2429 or Featherstone article (Morris Library)

12/1   Sex Discrimination (Morris Library)

12/3   “Welcome to IDEA” and two videos posted below.

12/5   Make sure you are familiar with above reading (Welcome to IDEA)

12/8   Handout

12/10   Final Exam Review

12/12   Final (in class, open book) @ 10:30

12/18   Take home part of exam due @ noon  (this changed from 12/15 – 12/18)

Special Education (12/3)

On December 3rd, we will begin looking at how special education has taken form in this country. 

To prepare, please look at the following materials prior to class:

 

1.  For context compare and contrast these two extraordinary videos:

Take note to the opinion submitted by Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in Buck v. Bell.

and

 

2. Read this handout prepared by NICHCY: Welcome to IDEA!   (Don’t bother with the activities–instead concern yourself with the content/concepts presented). 

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Optional Reading/Reference:

Subpart A - General – Includes Purposes, Definitions (11 pages, pdf)

Subpart B - State Eligibility, General – Includes FAPE and LRE requirements, ESY, services to children in private schools, state and LEA eligibility (25 pages, pdf)

Subpart C – Local Educational Agency Eligibility – Includes Early Intervening Services (6 pages, pdf)

Subpart D - Evaluations, Reevaluations, Eligibility, Individualized Education Programs, and Educational Placements
(12 pages, pdf)

Subpart E – Procedural Safeguards – Includes due process procedures, procedural safeguards notice, mediation, due process hearings, model due process form, resolution process, timelines, attorneys fees, child’s status during proceedings; discipline, manifestation determination; transfer of rights at age of majority, etc. (14 pages, pdf)

Subpart F – Monitoring, Enforcement, Confidentiality, and Program Information (8 pages, pdf)

Subpart G – Authorization; Allotment; Use of Funds; Authorization of Appropriations (10 pages, pdf)

Subpart H – Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities (3 pages, pdf)  

 IDEA in entirety

Contract

Here is a school district contract.  Take a moment to look it through:  Caesar Rodney S.D.

The Rubber Room

This is a very extraordinary case.  School districts do not, for the most part, have such holding places.  Rather, any problems or allegations are worked out with union and administrative collaboration within “reasonable” timeframes.

This movie in the making looks excellent.  Provided are some links:

The Rubber Room Movie

NPR’s discussion

Revised Syllabus Posted

Just FYI – The revised syllabus has been posted on a page within the blog for your reference.

Interview Assignment Tip

As Professor Hampel has suggested, perhaps the person you are interviewing would like a copy of the questions prior to your meeting/conversation. 

If so, or if you feel this might produce rich responses, try sending them an email with a link to the questions posted on our blog: http://educ247.wordpress.com/interview-questions/.  A simple solution!

The Onion Headlines

(From the Onion)

Nation’s Fourth-Graders Continue To Trail Nation’s Fifth-Graders

WASHINGTON, DC—Data released by the National Education Association Monday showed that the wide “knowledge chasm” in American public education is showing no signs of narrowing, especially among the nation’s fourth-graders, who continue to lag behind their fifth-grade counterparts by as much as one academic year.

“Despite the fact that these students are often taught in the very same school, fourth-graders exhibit inferior knowledge of such subjects as spelling, grammar, and mathematics, as well as even the most rudimentary scientific concepts,” NEA spokeswoman Millicent Hoff said. “Most alarmingly, our data show that the crisis has been exactly this dire for as long as schools have kept records of children’s progress.”

While some education advocates say fourth- graders should be exposed to accelerated learning programs, others claim such actions would be futile, as fourth-graders are often little diaper-babies who are too dumb to do the same things as the big kids.

Bush Introduces New Timmy Blanchard Left Behind Act

WASHINGTON, DC—President Bush announced Monday that he’ll encourage Congress to back his new education initiative, the Timmy Blanchard Left Behind Act. “It is my goal to close the achievement gap in our schools with accountability, flexibility, and choice, so that no child is left behind—except for Timmy Blanchard of Akron, OH,” Bush said at a White House press conference. “By 2014, I plan to see a significant jump in the math, reading, and science proficiency of 99.9999 percent of America’s students. The children, excluding Timmy, are our future.” Bush was inspired to leave Blanchard behind after the child threw up all over the merry-go-round last week.