Seattle Schools Community Forum

 Katie Dolan, a long-time activist for the rights of disabled people in Washington state, died last Saturday, the Seattle Times reports.  I had never heard of Ms. Dolan but I'm glad to have read about her important contributions.  Her family was among the first to participate in Northwest Center, which provided developmentally disabled students with teaching and jobs. In 1971, under what he once called a "tidal wave" of pressure from Mrs. Dolan and others, then-Gov. Dan Evans requested the Education for All Act, to make clear that Washington state children have a constitutional right to education in the public schools, regardless of disability. In fact, Evans is related to one of the crusading parents and he "recognized the value early on," said Janet Taggart, one of the activists. It was the first such law in the nation. It started for her in high school. As a Franklin High School student in 1943, she persuaded her father to drive her ...

Interesting piece in the Seattle Times today from psychologist John Rosemond (who apparently has a syndicated column on parenting) about the labeling of children at school. He doesn't quite come out and say it but I believe his premise is that we are over-identifying students rather than accepting that ALL students have different ways of learning and challenges to learning. From his column: People gifted in more than a couple of areas are rare, and people gifted in one area but lacking in another are not unusual. A person with outstanding musical aptitude, for example, may be noticeably lacking in social skills, and a person with outstanding verbal skills may be mechanically inept. The mere fact that a person is lacking in some characteristic or ability does not necessarily mean something is "wrong." That a certain 10-year-old child is shy, lacks conversational skills, and prefers solitary activity to group play does not mean something is amiss inside the chil...

For Bright Students with Disabilities and Learning Differences Please come to a community meeting to learn more about bright students who have disabilities and school difficulties, known as "Twice-Exceptional". Date: Monday, November 16th Time: 7-9pm Location: Hamilton International Middle School at Lincoln High School in the Library 4400 Interlake Ave. N., Seattle, 98103 This meeting is open to all parents of students at all grade levels. If you have a student currently in Advanced Learning programs, APP or Spectrum, AP classes, or the IB program, who also has a 504 plan, Special Ed IEP, or has difficulties in school due to medical or learning issues, it is important for you to attend. Information will be provided, support groups are forming. For more information, email Lynne at: contact@nwexceptionalchildren.org