There's an elephant in the room. Our kids are going to school with multiple disabilities and can't access the curriculum. The help that they are getting is not adequate. Everyone knows. No one says it out loud. The number of children with disabilities is growing. The schools stall, the parents are sleepless with worry, and there is still no solution. When I'm awake at night I try to figure it out. Why would a school not do everything it takes to help a child to learn? Why would a professional, who set out to be in education for one reason only, so quickly abandon that reason? Sadly, I believe it comes down to what most things come down to: money and politics. Special education is a nuisance to a district that wants to build the number one high school in the country. It is costly. It brings down the school average. It lowers real estate values. But what is to be done for these kids? Many of their IQ's are normal, sometimes even above average. Often, their brains just cannot take the information in the same way as most children. There are brilliant educators out there who are mastering best practices for helping all kinds of minds to learn. But not all districts choose to take on these best practices. There is fear. There is speculation of cost and manpower without any evidence or real investigation. The resources are out there, the success stories are abundant. But it takes vision, hard work, courage, and a shifting of values. What exactly are the criteria for a top high school? For a top school district? What does it mean to be truly innovative and revolutionary? What value can an entire population of students, teachers, administrators and families gain by solving this real life equation? What impact can we have on the world? What exactly is the most important lesson to be learned?
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