When is it resource support, and when is it segregation?
While most parents and some schools understand that students with special education needs should receive remedial help, or remediation, the question of how these services should be provided often creates a rift between school and home.
If the class specifically targets an individual's area of weakness, such as reading decoding or fluency, with a research-validated intervention, and the student participates in the mainstream class, then it is resource remediation. However, if the student is in a self-contained language arts classroom in lieu of the mainstream language arts classroom, then it is segregation. According to the 1954 Supreme Court Ruling, Brown v Board of Education, "separate but equal" is not equal and is against the law of the land.
Students should be supported in their mainstream classes with appropriate accommodations in order to have full access to their regular curriculum.
Do your child's educational services and supports provide an equal opportunity to learn and grow with his or her peers?
Most people have become familiar with computers, with email, and cell phones. However, for the disabled community, technology is their lifeline. Speaking when one's voice is silent, staying connected via email with others when fingers cannot type on the keyboard, remaining independent with tasks such as electronic grocery shopping, and remaining in charge of their medical decision-making by online researching of medical practices are just a few of the ways in which those with ALS can remain connected and functional. Here's a video of Marie-France who has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS):
Does it make sense?
In the era of NCLB (No Child Left Behind) requiring continual testing of our children in school, children have little time left for recess and other physical activity. Homework quantities have increased to the point of eliminating any free time to run and play outside once children arrive home after school. The New York Times reported that an increasing body of research points to the dangers of lost opportunities to exercise: those who exercise "... can improve the performance of the brain by boosting memory and cognitive processing speed." Read the full article at
http://news.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/20/working-out-your-brain/
Today The Chicago Tribune magazine published a list of people who are making a difference in small but significant ways. "The Power of One," August 19, 2007
..... a common theme in my book is the spirit of Hyde's book, Pay it Forward, where a single kind act creates a ripple effect, spreading ever widening circles of change in our world.
Today, I'm pleased to see her concept is listed as #8 in the Tribune's Top 20 list of ways to build a brighter tomorrow.
The story includes a link to Hyde's web site: http://www.payitforwardmovement.org/
Are you paying it forward to help a child access his/her education?
