When Congress passed IDEA in 1975, the assumption was that general education would successfully teach most children to read. Special Education existed for students whose disabilities prevented them from learning through standard instruction. It could be said that special education wasn’t originally designed to teach everyone to read. As explicit decoding instruction became less common, … Continue reading Wait to fail: When reading deficits become disability 

Literacy and disability policy have historically moved in sync, often compounding system failures. Looking at the history of reading instruction and special education helps illustrate the larger picture.  The 1970s: The right to read era. Our government funded the television show The Electric Company as an intervention to prevent the third grade reading cliff. They … Continue reading Fifty years of reading instruction and special education

City stabilization funds are often compared to a family’s rainy day fund, intended for unforeseen expenses. An actual savings account has more flexibility. If a family is saving for a new car and an unexpected medical expense comes up, they can still access their funds. City stabilization funds have restrictions on what the money can … Continue reading More than a reserve

If the laws that guarantee people with disabilities the right to public education and to live in the community are no longer meaningfully enforced, do these rights still exist?  There are 7.5 Million current students with IEPs, about 15% of public school students, and about 70 million disabled adults in the United States. Historically, enforcement … Continue reading What if we lose disability rights?

“We aren’t born to read — we’re born to speak. Reading is a code that can be taught,” Dorrie said. “I would like to see all Northampton students be able to read by third grade. What happens when they hit third grade and they’re really far behind, it’s called the ‘Matthews Effect’: the poor stay … Continue reading Data predicts student outcomes. It shouldn’t decide them.

Dear City Council,  It’s budget season, and again there are common misconceptions about school funding.  If children with high needs are prevalent state and nation wide, why is this a local government responsibility?  Government exists to take care of the people.  These are our neighbors: economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, students with disabilities and … Continue reading Common misconceptions about school funding

The crisis in our schools is like a hole in the roof. A strong budget patches it. A level-services budget just puts buckets and wet floor signs underneath. And the target budget? It cuts a new hole. Some say repairs cost too much, materials, salaries, too many people on the job. But buckets aren't a … Continue reading Hole in the roof

Funding our schools isn’t just about supporting our children today—it’s about lowering Northampton’s long-term costs associated with crime, social services, and lost tax revenue. The narrative that restoring $2 million to the school budget will “take $10 million a year away from future capital improvements” overlooks a crucial truth: every dollar invested in education generates … Continue reading The cost of shorting schools