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special education

College and Career-Readiness for Special Education

July 13, 2023

“My students think they are ‘broken,’” lamented one special education teacher. “They don’t have dreams because they don’t think their dreams matter.” The truth is, our education system is not equipped to help any student explore their dreams and options beyond high school. But special education students have an even greater disadvantage; they don’t think…

Are You the Best Version of Yourself?

February 16, 2020

Have you created the best version of yourself? I recently met an inspiring individual that most certainly has. You haven’t seen this person on the cover of Forbes.  She doesn’t flaunt expensive clothing and jewelry. And, you haven’t seen her meeting with world leaders. Well, not yet anyway. But, she did just win a prestigious…

Special Education: How to Make Common Core Work

October 23, 2017

“Common Core” is an emotional phrase nowadays. Some people hate it. Some people love it. From what we have heard from Special Ed teachers, their story is no different. Special Ed students are being held to the same high standards as their Gen Ed peers. On top of that, you don’t have the time to teach…

Learning and Soft Skills Empower Special Education Students

June 5, 2017

Are we aiming to have our students “college ready” OR “career ready?” OR both? If both, do we get them “college ready” first, then “career ready?” These are many of the questions that educators seem to wrestle with on a regular basis as our country works to prepare future generations for workplace success. Let’s cut…

Special Education Teachers: What Makes You Sing Like Taylor Swift?

April 26, 2017

Dear Special Education Teachers, why do you do it? You have to deal with loads of paperwork, angry parents, impossible state standards, and flack from administrators. Doesn’t it feel like you’re constantly swimming upstream? Teaching has become a job, not a passion. Schools are not a warm and fuzzy place anymore. The focus has changed…

Special Education: How to Solve & Prevent Learning Disabilities

September 20, 2016

  Welcome to part 2 of our 3-part series on special education. In part I, we explored the brain biology of learning disabilities, which is critical information for making sense of the recommendations below. How Do We Solve & Prevent Learning Disabilities? We start with the Success Pyramid. Since learning disabilities are a biological function of the brain, it…

Special Education: It Doesn’t Have to Be So Difficult

June 16, 2016

Do students have learning disabilities? Or, does our system have a teaching disability? Maria Montessori taught children labeled as “uneducable” and “idiots” to surpass their normal peers on standardized tests. My own son was diagnosed with “severe dyslexia” as a first-grader. We moved him to a Montessori school; within nine months, he was reading “on…

When Parents CAN’T Get Help

November 6, 2012

There is a scene in the Disney movie, “Beauty and the Beast,” where Belle’s father is desperately trying to save her. She’s being held prisoner by the Beast, so her father begs people in town to help rescue her. At first, the townspeople lead him on, letting him think they will help. But, in truth,…

When A Student Is Not “Working to His Potential”

September 11, 2012

If you ever hear a teacher say these words about your child: “He’s just not working to his to potential!” OR “She just needs to try harder.” …something is very wrong! (Obviously, if you are a teacher and feel inclined to say these words…keep reading.) I have come to learn that these words are major…

The Brain Biology of Learning Disabilities

January 31, 2012

For the last two weeks, I have been writing about a 9 year-old boy named Will who is struggling with reading. I prepared a short video explaining some basic, yet very important information about the biology of the brain. I am sending this video to Will because I believe it will give him hope and…

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