I've started a blog for the purpose of networking. I am hoping to gather together a group of folks in my region who are interested in a public Montessori school for the city in which I reside and work. Now I just have to start spreading the word (always a daunting task at first).
Anyway, if you are curious what that is about, check it out: http://worcestermontessori.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Hi "Mindy"!
So I have this really good friend, who I love dearly. She lives back in my old state. I miss her dearly. Anyway, she keeps trying to call me on her way in to work every morning, and keeps missing me by a hair. I can't find her cell phone number, and I know her best time to chat is on her way to and from work.
This time when she called she said she was going to check my blog to see what is up in my life recently. So this is my shout out to her.
What's been going on in my life lately?
Hmm...
The kids are both doing well. M is doing a one day per week Montessori program at a center for otherwise homeschooled children, and we are doing Montessori-based homeschooling the rest of the time. He is absolutely thriving! It is wonderful. I'm thinking of pulling him out of all his public-school based therapies. They are poor quality (private would be so much better) and really not the direction we are wanting to head. So many things he does in the public schools undermines the great stuff happening in Montessori for him. In any case, he is talking up a storm and wants to know about everything right now. His favorite subjects at the moment are (1) what exists "behind the walls" and (2) what exists "underneath the floor." He wants to know about wires and electricity, and pipes and plumbing. He also asks the question, "What is in that?" about everything until we get down to talking about "invisible" science, like atoms. He is such a curious, thougtful boy. I really need to brush up on my science.
K. can't wait to turn three and start going to the Montessori center too. She is super interested in letters. She loves for me to write words on her magnadoodle, and then she takes letters from her alphabet puzzle and moves them on top of my letters until she's spelled out the word. The first thing she asks for me to do every morning and the last thing she asks for me to do every night is to read to her. She is all about books, books, books all day long, though make no mistake about it...she is also on the go! Even when we read, she is twisting and turning and squirming. Even more than the average two year old, she is not one to sit still. She is a mover and a shaker! I'm thinking she might want to take dance. Actually, both kids would probably enjoy gymnastics or dance classes. K's favorite song is a "babywipe" song M made up. It's too hilarious, and she sings it nonstop. It's only words are "babywipe, babywipe," but it is sung with such a tender, sweet voice that even the word "babywipe" is no endearing.
We're getting closer to K's adoption. Not there yet, but things are looking pretty good. We really wanted to fly back for it. We owe M's birthfamily a visit so we're going to have to fork over the money at some point...but right now we just don't have it. I would have liked to visit you, and G's brother and his family while we were at it. Looks like we'll be doing the proceedings by phone and notary/certified mail though.
I had my 72 hour EEG but don't have the results yet. I think I am supposed to go see the epileptologist some time this month, but I forget when. G is looking for part-time work. She definitely doesn't want to teach preK again until the kids are older. She is looking for work that she can keep at work, rather than take home, and something she can do without a lot of thought. Something like bartending. I think that kind of adult time will be good for G too. My work is going okay. Not shortage of challenges to keep me hopping and of course everyone is worried about budgets for the upcoming year, especially since we (1) we have already used all of our heating oil money for the budget year through January and we just had to turn on the heat at the start of October, and (2) we are about to begin a capital campaign, just now as the economy hits the fan. But so much of my world is filled with graces and blessings, and dare I say that God is present. The work is good. So good.
I hope we'll talk soon. I can't wait to hear how you and A. and B. are doing.
Love,
Your Friend S.
P.S. Both kids have decided to be firefighters for Halloween!
This time when she called she said she was going to check my blog to see what is up in my life recently. So this is my shout out to her.
What's been going on in my life lately?
Hmm...
The kids are both doing well. M is doing a one day per week Montessori program at a center for otherwise homeschooled children, and we are doing Montessori-based homeschooling the rest of the time. He is absolutely thriving! It is wonderful. I'm thinking of pulling him out of all his public-school based therapies. They are poor quality (private would be so much better) and really not the direction we are wanting to head. So many things he does in the public schools undermines the great stuff happening in Montessori for him. In any case, he is talking up a storm and wants to know about everything right now. His favorite subjects at the moment are (1) what exists "behind the walls" and (2) what exists "underneath the floor." He wants to know about wires and electricity, and pipes and plumbing. He also asks the question, "What is in that?" about everything until we get down to talking about "invisible" science, like atoms. He is such a curious, thougtful boy. I really need to brush up on my science.
K. can't wait to turn three and start going to the Montessori center too. She is super interested in letters. She loves for me to write words on her magnadoodle, and then she takes letters from her alphabet puzzle and moves them on top of my letters until she's spelled out the word. The first thing she asks for me to do every morning and the last thing she asks for me to do every night is to read to her. She is all about books, books, books all day long, though make no mistake about it...she is also on the go! Even when we read, she is twisting and turning and squirming. Even more than the average two year old, she is not one to sit still. She is a mover and a shaker! I'm thinking she might want to take dance. Actually, both kids would probably enjoy gymnastics or dance classes. K's favorite song is a "babywipe" song M made up. It's too hilarious, and she sings it nonstop. It's only words are "babywipe, babywipe," but it is sung with such a tender, sweet voice that even the word "babywipe" is no endearing.
We're getting closer to K's adoption. Not there yet, but things are looking pretty good. We really wanted to fly back for it. We owe M's birthfamily a visit so we're going to have to fork over the money at some point...but right now we just don't have it. I would have liked to visit you, and G's brother and his family while we were at it. Looks like we'll be doing the proceedings by phone and notary/certified mail though.
I had my 72 hour EEG but don't have the results yet. I think I am supposed to go see the epileptologist some time this month, but I forget when. G is looking for part-time work. She definitely doesn't want to teach preK again until the kids are older. She is looking for work that she can keep at work, rather than take home, and something she can do without a lot of thought. Something like bartending. I think that kind of adult time will be good for G too. My work is going okay. Not shortage of challenges to keep me hopping and of course everyone is worried about budgets for the upcoming year, especially since we (1) we have already used all of our heating oil money for the budget year through January and we just had to turn on the heat at the start of October, and (2) we are about to begin a capital campaign, just now as the economy hits the fan. But so much of my world is filled with graces and blessings, and dare I say that God is present. The work is good. So good.
I hope we'll talk soon. I can't wait to hear how you and A. and B. are doing.
Love,
Your Friend S.
P.S. Both kids have decided to be firefighters for Halloween!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Born Into Brothels
I just watched a documentary on instant Netflix called "Born Into Brothels." It is about a photography education project for children born into the red light district of Calcuta. I recommend it. I didn't think I'd be able to make it through, that it would be too sad. It was sad, but also hopeful in some ways, and important in many more.
See also: http://www.kids-with-cameras.org
See also: http://www.kids-with-cameras.org
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Tears of Recognition
I saw a seizure specialist for the first time today. It was a fiasco getting there. The hospital was completely disorganized, and the right hand did not know what the left was doing. I was sent to three different locations (in two different buildings)-- and had an inquiry by my name placed in two different computers by two different hospital staff people-- before finally being sent to the correct location for the seizure clinic.
The clinic is part of Harvard Medical School. For a good portion of my young adulthood, I wanted to attend Harvard Medical School. Life meanwhile took another direction. It was odd now to be driving past the school as a patient, and to have (presumably) one of its students (a resident perhaps?) conduct my patient interview and physical exam.
After finishing the interview and the exam, this doctor-- who I will call the "interview doctor"-- left the room, and he came back about ten or fifteen minutes later with the doctor to whom I'd originally been referred, who I will call the "recommendations doctor." She made the recommendations for next steps.
Basically, there are two things the "recommendations doctor" would like to do, to get a better understanding of what is happening in my brain. First, she would like to send me home with a portable EEG unit that I will keep on for 48 hours. During this time, it will take intermittent recordings. G. can also turn it on to do a recording if she feels I am spacing out. This provides a panaromic view of the electrical activity in my brain. The EEG I had done a while back was only a snapshot, and although it came back abnormal, provides little information.
The other thing the "recommendations doctor" would like to do is a high resolution MRI. Though the MRI I recently had been done was with contrast dye, giving us a good amount of information, the high resolution MRI will give us even more information.
The "recommendations doctor" explained to me that she is guessing I am having seizures that are impacting a large part of my brain, or indeed the whole thing. My symptoms would be more localized if the seizures were more localized.
When she first came into the room, the "recommendations doctor" asked me some clarifying timeline questions. Since my memory has been impacted in the course of my symptoms, the timeline had been difficult for me in the first place. But basically what I explained to the "interview doctor" was that I don't remember being especially symptomatic until maybe about five years ago. It has gotten slowly but progressively worse since then, and only within the last year or year and and a half was it bad enough that G. was alarmed to the point of forcing my hand so that I would see a doctor.
The clarifying questions were interesting. The "recommendations doctor" was able to use certain periods of time (for example, classes I took in high school) to help me create a better timeline. It was during that conversation when I remembered some experiences in school from early childhood. They may have been early symptoms. Tears began streaming down my face as the memories poured in. For years, those memories were markers of low academic self-esteem. Suddenly, those memories were also transformed into potential markers of a seizure disorder.
I was overcome by the need to apologize to the doctors for my tears. I felt so silly, sitting there in the clinic crying as I remembered little hardships about being a young student. The "recommendations doctor" let me know it was okay to cry. She said, "It seems to me we get a lot of tears around here. I think they are tears of recognition." Indeed.
She said that the seizures can go unnoticed for years and years even if they occur for say, as long as 30 or 45 seconds. She said she felt like intelligence could make up for large chunks of missing time. The brain just does double-time. I guess she was saying I am smart ;-). But this gets challenging as we get older, she explained, because our brains end up doing more multi-tasking as we balance our jobs and our families, and so forth. When we are younger and more focused on something like school, we have more reserves for a brain doing double duty. I don't have that luxury now, which may be why things are progressing and I was finally pushed to see a neurologist. Apparently, this isn't rare.
I had been thinking about my case as a "new(ish) onset" of seizures. Hmmm.
What an interesting day it has been.
The clinic is part of Harvard Medical School. For a good portion of my young adulthood, I wanted to attend Harvard Medical School. Life meanwhile took another direction. It was odd now to be driving past the school as a patient, and to have (presumably) one of its students (a resident perhaps?) conduct my patient interview and physical exam.
After finishing the interview and the exam, this doctor-- who I will call the "interview doctor"-- left the room, and he came back about ten or fifteen minutes later with the doctor to whom I'd originally been referred, who I will call the "recommendations doctor." She made the recommendations for next steps.
Basically, there are two things the "recommendations doctor" would like to do, to get a better understanding of what is happening in my brain. First, she would like to send me home with a portable EEG unit that I will keep on for 48 hours. During this time, it will take intermittent recordings. G. can also turn it on to do a recording if she feels I am spacing out. This provides a panaromic view of the electrical activity in my brain. The EEG I had done a while back was only a snapshot, and although it came back abnormal, provides little information.
The other thing the "recommendations doctor" would like to do is a high resolution MRI. Though the MRI I recently had been done was with contrast dye, giving us a good amount of information, the high resolution MRI will give us even more information.
The "recommendations doctor" explained to me that she is guessing I am having seizures that are impacting a large part of my brain, or indeed the whole thing. My symptoms would be more localized if the seizures were more localized.
When she first came into the room, the "recommendations doctor" asked me some clarifying timeline questions. Since my memory has been impacted in the course of my symptoms, the timeline had been difficult for me in the first place. But basically what I explained to the "interview doctor" was that I don't remember being especially symptomatic until maybe about five years ago. It has gotten slowly but progressively worse since then, and only within the last year or year and and a half was it bad enough that G. was alarmed to the point of forcing my hand so that I would see a doctor.
The clarifying questions were interesting. The "recommendations doctor" was able to use certain periods of time (for example, classes I took in high school) to help me create a better timeline. It was during that conversation when I remembered some experiences in school from early childhood. They may have been early symptoms. Tears began streaming down my face as the memories poured in. For years, those memories were markers of low academic self-esteem. Suddenly, those memories were also transformed into potential markers of a seizure disorder.
I was overcome by the need to apologize to the doctors for my tears. I felt so silly, sitting there in the clinic crying as I remembered little hardships about being a young student. The "recommendations doctor" let me know it was okay to cry. She said, "It seems to me we get a lot of tears around here. I think they are tears of recognition." Indeed.
She said that the seizures can go unnoticed for years and years even if they occur for say, as long as 30 or 45 seconds. She said she felt like intelligence could make up for large chunks of missing time. The brain just does double-time. I guess she was saying I am smart ;-). But this gets challenging as we get older, she explained, because our brains end up doing more multi-tasking as we balance our jobs and our families, and so forth. When we are younger and more focused on something like school, we have more reserves for a brain doing double duty. I don't have that luxury now, which may be why things are progressing and I was finally pushed to see a neurologist. Apparently, this isn't rare.
I had been thinking about my case as a "new(ish) onset" of seizures. Hmmm.
What an interesting day it has been.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
A Blog Treasure: "It's Not on the Test" Song
Thanks to a homeschooling mama for posting this video on her blog (which I discovered this evening) along with the following quote:
"Just as eating against one's will is injurious to health, so study without a liking for it spoils the memory, and it retains nothing it takes in." --Leonardo Da Vinci
She also passed on the very clever idea of using rain gutters to house books for the kids, with fronts displayed. I wonder if there is somewhere in the new house where we have good wall space to do this? This is one of the pictures she shared of the "reading corner" in her house:
"Just as eating against one's will is injurious to health, so study without a liking for it spoils the memory, and it retains nothing it takes in." --Leonardo Da Vinci
She also passed on the very clever idea of using rain gutters to house books for the kids, with fronts displayed. I wonder if there is somewhere in the new house where we have good wall space to do this? This is one of the pictures she shared of the "reading corner" in her house:
So I guess that makes two major treasures discovered!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Shout-Outs
You may have noticed I don't have any links, including links to other blogs, on the sidebar of this blog. Long story...but it is an OCD thing.
Anyway, it seems I at least ought to periodically post some shout-outs to those folks with whom I am keeping in touch. So here is what is up with some of the folks "in the neighborhood."
Anyway, it seems I at least ought to periodically post some shout-outs to those folks with whom I am keeping in touch. So here is what is up with some of the folks "in the neighborhood."
- My friend Sara introduced me to "flat traveling," an idea with which I immediately fell in love. Check it out: http://learningumbrella.homeschooljournal.net/2008/05/29/flat-traveling/ Turns out, though, it can be a bit of a disappointment in practice if you don't do it with folks you know who actually follow-through. So basically I've decided I need to secure myself a pal for my kidos in each state and elsewhere around the globe...sometime in the next couple of years ;-). Good thing my kids aren't quite old enough for this yet. It's bought me a little time LOL.
- Quinn from one of my parenting boards is worrying about her body, which makes me think of my little girl and whether she'll worry about her body too. Still, it is a big struggle I can relate to and I appreciate Quinn's honesty: http://rainbowmamajourney.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-am-not-beautiful.html
- My mom is introducing me to some fun animation set to music at http://ragtagsf.blogspot.com/. I never got into animation much, but this stuff is beautiful and interesting, and yes, appeals to me.
- The Rev. Ford passed on this artistic depiction of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/2008/05/universal-declaration-of-human-rights.html (advance notice: this declaration has thirty articles, so the video is about twenty minutes, but visually really interesting...I'd be interested in seeing artistic spin-offs of any type)
- The Rev. Ketchem is thinking about science and religion: http://mskittyssaloonandroadshow.blogspot.com/2008/05/importance-of-science-to-unitarian.html. I'm looking forward to when she posts her sermon because I love both science and religion, and I too find them closely intertwined in my life.
- The Rev. Ms. Peacebang is doing those new to ordained ministry a great service by sharing more good tips, this time on graveside services: http://www.peacebang.com/2008/05/29/graveside-ceremony/. It's actually an interesting read for *anyone* who might be attending a graveside service and is not experienced in such services. She also posted a book recommendation that sounds really interesting: http://www.peacebang.com/2008/05/29/practicing-resurrection-a-peacebang-review/. Good thing I've been slow to finalize my 8 x 8 in 08 list ;-). Oh yes, and on her other blog, Beauty Tips For Ministers, she is offering a worthwhile reminder universal to any human being to periodically update one's underwear rather than wearing it ragedy ol' andy like I have been lately: http://beautytipsforministers.com/2008/05/25/a-festival-of-inappropriate-sharing-at-the-festival-of-homiletics/
- I continue to pray for Little Warrior. The latest update is here: http://uuminister.blogspot.com/2008/05/just-update.html. I'm also trying to incorporate love through action into my life, and hope to be writing Lizard Eater with some stories soon: http://www.lovethroughaction.blogspot.com/. I encourage you to join me, even if you have no idea who this little kido is. Here is the short story at the top of the blog: "Little Warrior is my daughter. She's almost three and she's fighting cancer for the second time. Friends far and near have asked what they can do. We said, 'Show love through action.' Do a good deed, then let us know. We'll compile these in a book for Little Warrior to show her how love for her made the world a better place." If you want to better understand the idea you can check out: http://uuminister.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-you-can-do.html. Finally, I highly recommend you check out Little Warrior's "Happy Birthday" video. What a cutie: http://lovethroughaction.blogspot.com/2008/05/happy-third-birthday-little-warrior.html
And lastly, some "posting anytime soon?" shout-outs:
- My oldest sister hasn't posted for a little while, probably busy with the end of the school year and travel to VT and all. Last I heard, she was promising tips on moving. In the meantime, if you haven't visited her site (at least not recently), check out her new project, a rainbarrel: http://awfulbrothers.blogspot.com/2008/05/say-say-oh-playmate.html.
- My "little" brother (http://www.sunthroughleaves.blogspot.com/) and his wife (http://www.chickadeescout.blogspot.com/) are probably doing the newlywed bliss/lovebird hide-away time, or maybe they are traveling (I never did ask them about post-wedding plans), but before the wedding my brother did post some thought-provoking conversation starters on polar bears, government, and responsibility. And his wife-- also before the wedding, of course-- has been posting some great photos including of some delicious looking food she and my bro have whipped up and some of the plants in their lives.
- My nephew is apparently too busy learning how to use "the force" lately to post on his blog, but he's a cutie so here's my little auntie brag: http://amazingadventuresofdante.blogspot.com/2008/04/force.html
- My dad is a "weekend poster" and seems to have been too busy with the wedding and related travel, work crunches, etc. to have posted too recently, but I really, really appreciated his post on what a college education should be about: http://colin-quodlibet.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-to-learn-in-college.html. By the way, I heard a piece on NPR about a book discussing and critiquing universities as businesses as much as educational institutions, etc. Sounded interesting.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Not done (aka: dangerously blogging while angry)
An addition to my writing of a few minutes ago. I just read the comments on the news cast website, and I am all the more horrified. Here is my most recent post on my message board.
Post Four: You know, the comments on the news video...VOMIT! More parent blaming for the child with the disability...more wah, wah, we adults lose it because we aren't allowed to discipline and we have no idea how else to relate to children with disabilities other than to discipline (punish) them into submission. More, no one understands how bad it is for teachers and how this child is surely the devil himself.
Not to mention more excusing the teacher's behavior with the notion that teachers are overworked and underpaid. BELIEVE ME. My wife was a preschool teacher, the most overworked and underpaid of them all. And at one point in a preschool with HUGE discipline issues. But being overworked and underpaid still is not a justification for abuse of a child. It is just not.
I appreciated the person who commented, "Did she really think she could bully him into better behaviour?" Well, given the way we have historically misunderstood and mistreated people with disabilities, it is possible she thought she could. But she was WRONG (and unprofessional and abusive).
Someone commented on the news cast website:
"The teacher explained that this student had been a major disruption in her classroom all year: yelling, touching and bothering others, rolling around on the floor, etc."
All of these are actually types of behavioral communication that make sense for a child with aspergers. It is a discipline issue until the teacher figures out what the child is trying to communicate and responds appropriately. The behavior will stop when the need is met. The child is trying to regulate his neurological system. The child is trying to communicate with other children when words fail him. The child is trying to respond to his environment when it overwhelms him. That's hard work, but all this he has had to do all year under the duress of this emotionally unsafe classroom environment.
I just can't get over it.
Saying (as one person did in their comments) "the teacher explained that this student had been a major disruption in her classroom all year: yelling, touching and bothering others, rolling around on the floor, etc." about a child getting evaluated for aspergers is like saying about a child being evaluated for visual impairment: "the teacher explained that this student had been a major disruption in her classroom all year: running right up to the chalk board while the teacher was writing, running and bumping into other students, putting her hands on the walls when walking down the hall, sometimes even causing other students' artwork to fall."
Post Four: You know, the comments on the news video...VOMIT! More parent blaming for the child with the disability...more wah, wah, we adults lose it because we aren't allowed to discipline and we have no idea how else to relate to children with disabilities other than to discipline (punish) them into submission. More, no one understands how bad it is for teachers and how this child is surely the devil himself.
Not to mention more excusing the teacher's behavior with the notion that teachers are overworked and underpaid. BELIEVE ME. My wife was a preschool teacher, the most overworked and underpaid of them all. And at one point in a preschool with HUGE discipline issues. But being overworked and underpaid still is not a justification for abuse of a child. It is just not.
I appreciated the person who commented, "Did she really think she could bully him into better behaviour?" Well, given the way we have historically misunderstood and mistreated people with disabilities, it is possible she thought she could. But she was WRONG (and unprofessional and abusive).
Someone commented on the news cast website:
"The teacher explained that this student had been a major disruption in her classroom all year: yelling, touching and bothering others, rolling around on the floor, etc."
All of these are actually types of behavioral communication that make sense for a child with aspergers. It is a discipline issue until the teacher figures out what the child is trying to communicate and responds appropriately. The behavior will stop when the need is met. The child is trying to regulate his neurological system. The child is trying to communicate with other children when words fail him. The child is trying to respond to his environment when it overwhelms him. That's hard work, but all this he has had to do all year under the duress of this emotionally unsafe classroom environment.
I just can't get over it.
Saying (as one person did in their comments) "the teacher explained that this student had been a major disruption in her classroom all year: yelling, touching and bothering others, rolling around on the floor, etc." about a child getting evaluated for aspergers is like saying about a child being evaluated for visual impairment: "the teacher explained that this student had been a major disruption in her classroom all year: running right up to the chalk board while the teacher was writing, running and bumping into other students, putting her hands on the walls when walking down the hall, sometimes even causing other students' artwork to fall."
This Is NOT Okay
So a couple days ago, one of the parents on a message board I frequent posted a link to this article:
Post One: I am sitting here sobbing at the thought.
Literally, I could see this happening to my son. I am TERRIFIED of putting him in school.
What does the teacher think this is, an f'ing Survivor episode?!!
Seriously, that was so emotionally damaging for this boy AND all the students in this class. And really, those two little ones who voted against the crowd...you have got to be impressed because at that age, how hard would that be?! Incredible.
Post Two (After someone wondered whether the teacher was engaging in a misguided attempt to teach him natural consequences-- as in, if you behave in a particular manner, you will upset other people and they won't want to be around you):
If it was a natural consequence of his behavior, then I am sure he was already experiencing it.
Where did the IEP come into all of this? That's what I want to know. Because if the kid had an IEP as a result of aspergers, then there likely had to have been some kind of plan to address these types of issues with this kid.
Post Three (When someone reminded me that there wasn't yet an IEP in place): Right. I got so wound up about this that I started forgetting some of the details. Still...
Then someone reminded us of this, from the original article:
Of course what this teacher did would have been awful no matter what student was the victim: a student of any age, with any disability or none at all. But this teacher attended the IEP meetings. She knew what was up. This is disabilism. This is horrific!!
And now, listen to the tape (go to the following link, scroll down to the video box, and click on "watch this story"):
How on earth can the school district say this doesn't meet the standards for emotional abuse? This is absolutely NOT okay, and as for me, I am taking this very personally. Because this is a blow to all human beings who have any sense of decency at all, not to mention all of us who have children and especially those of us with "disabled" children.
But the worst of it is the fact that the damage has been done, to this child and to all the other children in that classroom. Serious damage. It will take a lot of hard work to help these children heal these wounds. The only silver lining I see is that this child is learning in a major way (albeit under unfortunate circumstances) that his parents will protect and stand up for him. May all children come to be so blessed.
Here's a photo of this little guy, lest we run the risk of thinking of him as a hypothetical.
Of course we all-- meaning all the moms on the message board who read the story-- went straight up in arms about it.
Here is some of what I said:
Post One: I am sitting here sobbing at the thought.
Literally, I could see this happening to my son. I am TERRIFIED of putting him in school.
What does the teacher think this is, an f'ing Survivor episode?!!
Seriously, that was so emotionally damaging for this boy AND all the students in this class. And really, those two little ones who voted against the crowd...you have got to be impressed because at that age, how hard would that be?! Incredible.
Post Two (After someone wondered whether the teacher was engaging in a misguided attempt to teach him natural consequences-- as in, if you behave in a particular manner, you will upset other people and they won't want to be around you):
If it was a natural consequence of his behavior, then I am sure he was already experiencing it.
Where did the IEP come into all of this? That's what I want to know. Because if the kid had an IEP as a result of aspergers, then there likely had to have been some kind of plan to address these types of issues with this kid.
Post Three (When someone reminded me that there wasn't yet an IEP in place): Right. I got so wound up about this that I started forgetting some of the details. Still...
Then someone reminded us of this, from the original article:
"Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Aspberger's, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February for an official diagnosis under the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marsha Cully. Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disabilities, Barton said. The school and district has met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan, she said. His teacher, Wendy Portillo, has attended these meetings, she said."
Of course what this teacher did would have been awful no matter what student was the victim: a student of any age, with any disability or none at all. But this teacher attended the IEP meetings. She knew what was up. This is disabilism. This is horrific!!
And now, listen to the tape (go to the following link, scroll down to the video box, and click on "watch this story"):
How on earth can the school district say this doesn't meet the standards for emotional abuse? This is absolutely NOT okay, and as for me, I am taking this very personally. Because this is a blow to all human beings who have any sense of decency at all, not to mention all of us who have children and especially those of us with "disabled" children.
But the worst of it is the fact that the damage has been done, to this child and to all the other children in that classroom. Serious damage. It will take a lot of hard work to help these children heal these wounds. The only silver lining I see is that this child is learning in a major way (albeit under unfortunate circumstances) that his parents will protect and stand up for him. May all children come to be so blessed.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
And Another Video Interlude
http://www.collegehumor.com/moogaloop/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1812947&fullscreen=1
Some more college humor. I thought it was funny even though I am not at this stage in my life, and I do not have kids in this stage in their lives. Watch it for a good laugh!
Some more college humor. I thought it was funny even though I am not at this stage in my life, and I do not have kids in this stage in their lives. Watch it for a good laugh!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
The Rev. Wright
Did you catch the Bill Moyers interview? I did not. While it may be ancient history for some, I just finished the full text online. Much better than a singular clip. I am glad I went back a few times until I could finish it.
Here it is. The video is in two parts. Look up at the top of the page to click on "part II" when the first ends. However, there is the transcript at the bottom of the same screen, with the whole interview in its entirety. The interview was completed in an hour-long segment:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04252008/watch.html
Some random thoughts on first reflection:
1. I wish Bill Moyers had not limited his conversation in the interview to the term "black liberation theology." Unfortunately, due perhaps to "miseducation," white folks-- and maybe even other folks of color-- who are unfamiliar with liberation theology may be inclined to put this off as something that has nothing to do with them. Ahem. "Liberation theology." I am so glad this term is coming, if slowly, into the national conversation. I come from a religious tradition with a history closely intertwined with liberation theology. Whether or not this is your own theology, developing an understanding of liberation theology is of value. We are all developing, learning human beings, and if we are people of faith seeking to develop ourselves spiritually and religiously, we will be interested in developing into the wholeness of our humanity. Liberation theology can help inform us along the journey.
2. There is a powerfully beautiful (slightly off topic) sermon here from the Rev. James Ford: http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/2008/05/saying-yes-to-life-even-hard-parts.html. There is a piece in that sermon, that reminds me of one of my favorite sermons from one of my all-time favorite preachers, the Rev. Thomas Anastasi from Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church in Shoreline, WA. His sermon was titled something like "What You Think You Heard Me Say Was Not What I Thought I Said." There are few more painful and fragile lessons for those of us new in our ministries, and perhaps those long-timers as well-- and really for all people-- than what that title sums up. This whole "Rev. Wright controversy" has been so interesting for me to just stand back and observe. I feel such tenderness, such empathy for the Rev. Wright, even as I do not agree with everything I think I hear him saying.
3. Many folks are questioning Wright's judgement in terms of the timing of his very public commentary on the media-frenzy over statements he has made. I do fear this will be detrimental to Obama's campaign, and at the same time, I am thankful this is coming out now. I want all the mud-slinging to begin at this time, rather than when the general election is upon us. If there is "dirt" to be dug up on Obama, let it not take us by surprise.
4. I think it is worthy of pause to think of the many preachers of one type or another who have been involved with our various presidents and other politicians. Some heinous things have been said by a-many of them. What makes the Rev. Wright's comments (whether or not you consider them heinous) particularly controversial seems to me to be (1) that the Rev. Wright is black, and unapologetic. Yes, though Obama has since "divorced" himself from the Reverend, as he originally said, it does come back to the old phrase that Sunday is the most segregated day of the week...the Reverend has made himself clear that he is not going to speak in ways more palatable to whites if it changes his message to do so. And that to me seems to be the clincher in this conversation. I do have a feeling that many of the doubts that this raises for folks about Obama have as much to do with the "miseducation" that you can't be patriotic and question your own country. And being black just seems to feed into that sense of suspicion. But what is more patriotic than questioning one's own country in an effort to call it into its better self? And anybody who has ever been to therapy knows that honest dialogue about the self-destructive things we do and the way to get out of those patterns does not automatically mean self-hatred. Finally, as many ministers have commented since "Jeremiah Wright" became a household name across America, let no one ever hold a congregant accountable to every belief and statement of that congregant's minister. As a religious professional myself, I'd like to acknowledge that I am also a living, growing, changing, learning, fallible human being.
5. Unitarian Universalists have been attempting to engage in honest racial conversation and anti-racist work (starting from within our own hearts) for a long time. When I heard the Rev. Wright frame his "next step" recommendation for the work of the United Church of Christ as needing to have such a conversation, I got hung up for a moment. It is easy to feel discouraged right now as a Unitarian Universalist in the midst of such a conversation, with so many fits and starts. Then I heard the Rev. Wright say this in his next breath about that conversation: "To start using Bill Jones' paradigm, about how one sees God...your theology determines one's anthropology. And how you see humans determines your sociology." We are on an interesting course right now in Unitarian Universalism, engaging theological language and having an honest conversation about our theological diversity too. Perhaps these two conversations, our conversation on race and our conversation on theology, for the first time should begin to find places to be in ongoing relationship with one another. I wonder how this would change the depth to which we can take both these conversations.
That's it, for now. I'm sure I'll periodically have more to say on this.
Here it is. The video is in two parts. Look up at the top of the page to click on "part II" when the first ends. However, there is the transcript at the bottom of the same screen, with the whole interview in its entirety. The interview was completed in an hour-long segment:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04252008/watch.html
Some random thoughts on first reflection:
1. I wish Bill Moyers had not limited his conversation in the interview to the term "black liberation theology." Unfortunately, due perhaps to "miseducation," white folks-- and maybe even other folks of color-- who are unfamiliar with liberation theology may be inclined to put this off as something that has nothing to do with them. Ahem. "Liberation theology." I am so glad this term is coming, if slowly, into the national conversation. I come from a religious tradition with a history closely intertwined with liberation theology. Whether or not this is your own theology, developing an understanding of liberation theology is of value. We are all developing, learning human beings, and if we are people of faith seeking to develop ourselves spiritually and religiously, we will be interested in developing into the wholeness of our humanity. Liberation theology can help inform us along the journey.
2. There is a powerfully beautiful (slightly off topic) sermon here from the Rev. James Ford: http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/2008/05/saying-yes-to-life-even-hard-parts.html. There is a piece in that sermon, that reminds me of one of my favorite sermons from one of my all-time favorite preachers, the Rev. Thomas Anastasi from Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church in Shoreline, WA. His sermon was titled something like "What You Think You Heard Me Say Was Not What I Thought I Said." There are few more painful and fragile lessons for those of us new in our ministries, and perhaps those long-timers as well-- and really for all people-- than what that title sums up. This whole "Rev. Wright controversy" has been so interesting for me to just stand back and observe. I feel such tenderness, such empathy for the Rev. Wright, even as I do not agree with everything I think I hear him saying.
3. Many folks are questioning Wright's judgement in terms of the timing of his very public commentary on the media-frenzy over statements he has made. I do fear this will be detrimental to Obama's campaign, and at the same time, I am thankful this is coming out now. I want all the mud-slinging to begin at this time, rather than when the general election is upon us. If there is "dirt" to be dug up on Obama, let it not take us by surprise.
4. I think it is worthy of pause to think of the many preachers of one type or another who have been involved with our various presidents and other politicians. Some heinous things have been said by a-many of them. What makes the Rev. Wright's comments (whether or not you consider them heinous) particularly controversial seems to me to be (1) that the Rev. Wright is black, and unapologetic. Yes, though Obama has since "divorced" himself from the Reverend, as he originally said, it does come back to the old phrase that Sunday is the most segregated day of the week...the Reverend has made himself clear that he is not going to speak in ways more palatable to whites if it changes his message to do so. And that to me seems to be the clincher in this conversation. I do have a feeling that many of the doubts that this raises for folks about Obama have as much to do with the "miseducation" that you can't be patriotic and question your own country. And being black just seems to feed into that sense of suspicion. But what is more patriotic than questioning one's own country in an effort to call it into its better self? And anybody who has ever been to therapy knows that honest dialogue about the self-destructive things we do and the way to get out of those patterns does not automatically mean self-hatred. Finally, as many ministers have commented since "Jeremiah Wright" became a household name across America, let no one ever hold a congregant accountable to every belief and statement of that congregant's minister. As a religious professional myself, I'd like to acknowledge that I am also a living, growing, changing, learning, fallible human being.
5. Unitarian Universalists have been attempting to engage in honest racial conversation and anti-racist work (starting from within our own hearts) for a long time. When I heard the Rev. Wright frame his "next step" recommendation for the work of the United Church of Christ as needing to have such a conversation, I got hung up for a moment. It is easy to feel discouraged right now as a Unitarian Universalist in the midst of such a conversation, with so many fits and starts. Then I heard the Rev. Wright say this in his next breath about that conversation: "To start using Bill Jones' paradigm, about how one sees God...your theology determines one's anthropology. And how you see humans determines your sociology." We are on an interesting course right now in Unitarian Universalism, engaging theological language and having an honest conversation about our theological diversity too. Perhaps these two conversations, our conversation on race and our conversation on theology, for the first time should begin to find places to be in ongoing relationship with one another. I wonder how this would change the depth to which we can take both these conversations.
That's it, for now. I'm sure I'll periodically have more to say on this.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Since We're on This Topic...What To Look For in a Montessori School
Based on a series of related discussions on an internet forum I visit, I came up with the following format for evaluating Montessori schools I am visiting as I decide where M. should go to school.
Because I can't format this post the way I have things formatted on the page (I created the one double-sided page form in Publisher), I will just kind of describe the format for you. As many folks are unfamiliar with Montessori, I will also make other notes so you understand the significance of each item. All notes about formatting or significance will be in yellow.
I think when visiting Montessori schools, especially, it is helpful to have this kind of a form. The name "Montessori" is not trademarked, and any school can call itself a Montessori school, even if it has nothing at all Montessori in its approach.
MONTESSORI SCHOOL
TOUR SUMMARY
(each of the following six items are short-answer items)
Name of School:
Location of School:
Tuition:
Notes on Financial Programs:
Notes on Teacher Training:
Experience With Children Who Have Special Needs:
Observations (each of the following have "yes" and "no" checkmark boxes underneath):
Because I can't format this post the way I have things formatted on the page (I created the one double-sided page form in Publisher), I will just kind of describe the format for you. As many folks are unfamiliar with Montessori, I will also make other notes so you understand the significance of each item. All notes about formatting or significance will be in yellow.
I think when visiting Montessori schools, especially, it is helpful to have this kind of a form. The name "Montessori" is not trademarked, and any school can call itself a Montessori school, even if it has nothing at all Montessori in its approach.
MONTESSORI SCHOOL
TOUR SUMMARY
(each of the following six items are short-answer items)
Name of School:
Location of School:
Tuition:
Notes on Financial Programs:
Notes on Teacher Training:
Experience With Children Who Have Special Needs:
Observations (each of the following have "yes" and "no" checkmark boxes underneath):
Children choosing activities themselves, having sustained focus on the activities, and caring for the classroom and materials. In a true Montessori school, this is what you would observe. During the "work period," the children will be working alone or in small groups, generally of their own choosing. Teachers are available to help students as needed, but are generally "hands off." In fact, if a child asks for help, the teacher may provide assistance, but in doing so will try to provide assistance with only the portions of the activity that the child truly can't do independently. The assistance provided will also be a springboard for teaching.
Work period close to 3 hours. A Montessori work period is generally 3 hours long, as Montessori observed this as the optimal time for children to work independently in her highly structured enviornment. During this time, children will go through various cycles of being more or less active with the materials. The children may also remain focused on just one or two work items or may work on an unlimited number of items during this time.
Children working and helping one another in a natural way (without looking for approval or praise from adults.
Older children giving lessons to the younger ones. You may or may not observe this during your visit, depending on what happens on that particular day, what the children are involved in, or how "normalized" the classroom has become. For example, at the start of the school year, you are less likely to observe this. However, it is important to note that this is a critical element of the Montessori experience for children. The classes are purposefully multi-age, and the ideal classroom has a balance between each age (for example, 6 3-year olds, 6 4-year olds, 6 5-year olds, and 6 6-year olds in a 3-5 year old classroom with 24 children).
Children solving their own disputes without adult intervention. If adult intervention is involved, please make exact notes. In the Montessori setting, children are taught conflict-resolution skills and given opportunities to use them. In my personal opinion, some classroom social behaviors DO require intervention, but the important thing is that adult intervention is not a common occurrence in the classroom for two reasons: (1) Children are being taught skills so that adult intervention is less necessary and (2) The norm for classroom behaviors reduces behavioral management issues.
Minimal behavioral management provided does not involve yelling, threatening, physical restraint, etc. Montessori teachers should be a calm, quiet presence in the classroom. I would look for behavioral management techniques that are done privately and quietly whenever possible. It is also, of course, expected that the teacher will behave in respectful, gentle ways.
An orderly, pleasant environment, with materials that are attractive, complete, and well-cared for. This is sort of the "trademark" sign of a quality Montessori school. You will walk in and there will be shelves all around the room with beautiful materials that you want to touch and get your hands on. Everything will appear orderly, and the enviornment should be warm and inviting for young people. The care taking of materials should be done by the children. You should not see adults cleaning up after children or following the children around reminding them to clean up after themselves. Instead, children will be accustomed to getting items of the shelves, using a work mat (much of the classroom will likely be floor space where the children will be working on work mats) to denote their workspace, and putting the items back after they are finished with each one.
The presence of traditional Montessori materials. Minimal “toys,” and all toys have a specific lesson-based purpose. Imaginative play is wonderful and important for children. It is not happening enough for too many children these days. However, the Montessori classroom is a playful space for focused children's work. This is why I support the idea of 5-days-per-week (for consistency...I truly believe this is better for children, in opposition to every-other-day, etc.) half-day programs for young children. I think it is important that they have a lot of time each day for open-ended, unstructured play at home. Recess is also great for kids in Montessori school. But while they are in the classroom, they will be focused and working. Not because they are forced to do so, but because they are drawn to do so by their own development in combination with the attractive nature of the materials and the prepared environment the teacher has set up. In other words, they will not be unhappy, but instead will enjoy having meaningful ways to interact with their world. If you are not familiar with Montessori materials, you might want to check out a catalog online just to familiarize yourself with the types of items you should see. For example: http://www.nienhuis.com/index.php
Child sized furniture and equipment, and materials at the children’s level, set up in orderly and accessible ways. Here is another "trademark" sign. The children's work is at their level, well organized and easy for them to access, one piece of work at a time. Ideally, all sinks, toilets, etc. are also at their level (and if they aren't, step stools or other accessibility features should be provided). You won't see desks, but you may see a minimal number of small tables at the children's levels (as well as lots of floor space for work).
Children moving about and talking to one another freely, but still respecting each other's space.
You will see children going up to the shelves, setting up their work space, working, and then returning work to the shelves. Hopefully you will see some children choosing to work together and some children choosing to work on their own (this should be a cooperative agreement made between the children based on community interest and their own interest). The children should be walking around one another's work mats. There should be a limited number of work materials so that children are encouraged to negotiate their use and interact (for example, in a class with 30 children, you might see a handful of scissors on the shelf rather than 30). Children should ask one another if they want to join in work together, and should not touch one another's work without permission from the child to whom the work belongs.
Teachers who speak quietly and respectfully to the children.
Teachers giving individual or small group lessons. In an AMI classroom, this should be the way lessons are most commonly given. There may be a "community/circle time," particularly at the close of the day, but (1) this should not be a place generally used for group lessons, and (2) this should not cut into the work period by any significant amount. In an AMS classroom, you may see circle time used for the teaching of particular lessons depending on the type of lesson. Again, however, check to make sure that this does not cut too much into the period and that children are still given many lessons individually or in small groups. Also, note that once a lesson is given, the child is free to choose that work or not. Of course, if the lessons are given when the child is properly ready, the child will likely be very interested in the new work. But the child may or may not choose this as his or her work at any given time. When the child does choose the work, the teacher will not interfere in general. You may notice children trying different ways of completing the lesson, and even making mistakes without any teacher correction, involvement, or intervention (though some items will be self-correcting or will have a "control" that allows the child to check his/her own work).
The lesson-giving generally involves little talking on the part of the teacher. In fact, it may involve little eye contact between the student and teacher. Instead, the teacher demonstrates the use of the materials and interest in the work, looking carefully at what s/he is doing, and narrating just a bit to give the students some specific information or instructions. The child during the lesson will generally watch without interfering, as the child knows the lesson can become his/her own work soon. Then the teacher returns the lesson to the shelf, and the child can choose to engage in it on his or her own.
Teachers journaling and/or actively observing the classroom in action, without taking an active role. If you observe a Montessori class over a stretch of time, you will see periods in which the teacher sits back, often off to the side, and just watches the children at work. This time should be plentiful. Many teachers keep a journal with their observations, and this can be very useful as they track what work should be introduced next to each child. In Montessori, introducing lessons at the individual child's proper point of readiness is critical. Unless a teacher is working with a student (or small group of students) on a lesson, you should see the teacher remaining on the children's level but not directly engaged in the children's work. Note that the typical classroom often includes one teacher and one or two assistants.
(the rest of the questions, aside from the last, are short answer questions)
Notes on Depth of Teacher/Administrative Understanding of the Work:
Notes on Depth of Teacher/Administrative Understanding of the Philosophy:
What is the typical daily schedule? What are drop off and pick up procedures? Often pick up and drop off will occur outside of the school, sometimes at the car with a teacher helping the child out. This demonstrates to the child confidence in his/her entry into the school. How does parent-school/teacher communication take place?
What are the clothing and personal item restrictions? Many Montessori schools will ask that children not wear clothing with cartoon or pop culture characters and/or with advertisements (such as a Reebok symbol). This limits detractions in the classroom, eliminates some social issues among children, and eliminates many inequalities in regard to clothing options for children. Also, it is nice when a school allows children to bring a photo from home into the classroom, or for young children to bring a security item. However, this should be limited, as the focus should be on the Montessori materials and the shared classroom environment.
Is the school AMS or AMI or [insert other] oriented? What is the training most common among staff? I look for schools in which the teacher is certified in the method of the school, whether AMS, AMI, or another. I also look for assistants who have some background in Montessori or who are pursuing further Montessori training. Is circle time a regular or unusual part of the class schedule?
How are lessons presented? How is a child’s progress through materials monitored?
Where does the school expect children to be at the end of the 3-6 year old period? Does the school offer Montessori for children older than six, and if so, what percentage of children continue at the school? In schools that have both a lower and an upper elementary, and even a middle or high school, it would be useful to ask the percentage of children continuing at the school at each level. However, take into consideration the local norms and other educational options available as children get older.
How does the school describe it’s approach to discipline? (Also, any concerns such as lack of boundaries placed on restraint, etc.)
Are teachers ever one-on-one with a child or class of children? In what type of scenarios? For what length of time? This is my own thing, not limited to Montessori. I think it is safest for children in teachers and staff are rarely if ever one-on-one with an adult (I don't mean working one-on-one, but rather outside the vicinty of others).
What type of scenario would signal to the teacher/administrator that Montessori or that the school is not a good fit? Are there any types of students who the teacher/administrator feels would have a harder time in the school? What type of testing is required for admission/what’s the admission criterion?
Are there any “specials” offered, and if so, how frequently and at what cost (gym, music, foreign languages, etc…)
What is the teacher turnover rate? Do staff members appear happy and satisfied by their work? What is the level of support and compensation of staff?
How does the school describe its approach to diversity? What is the classroom approach to family structure diversity (adoption, same-sex parents, multiethnic or multiracial families, etc.)? What is the current level of diversity (gender, ethnicity, race, first language, family structure, etc.) among the children, their families, and the staff:
Notes on the facility (playground, library, garden, etc.):
Notes on general sense of the school:
Overal rating (circle): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (10=best fit for my child)
**It is also helpful to ask for a copy of the school handbook (so I included a note on my form reminding myself to ask about this), though some schools don't give these out until a child has been admitted.
My letter to that Montessori School
The following is the letter that I sent to Summit Montessori School in Framingham after my visit to their open house and the conversation I described in my notes posted earlier (notes and letter have been edited to conform with my standards for using initials of names only on my blog).
This was not the kind of situation that was "complaint worthy" in terms of making a formal complaint and actually requesting that something specific is done about it and expecting results. I feel pretty certain that I am uninterested in submitting an admissions application for M. in this school, largely because of that particular experience. However, I did feel like it might be useful for the school to be aware of the situation, whether or not they chose to do anything about it. I felt that at the very least, they ought to have the privilege of hearing my experience so they could do with it what they like.
Dear Summit Montessori School,
As the parent of a prospective student who will turn three this week, I came to your open house today. Your Director of Admissions, J.M., noticed and kindly complimented me on a form I made to use in my visits to Montessori schools. She asked me what my source was for this form. It was a form I had created for my own use. I’ve enclosed a copy in case you would find it useful in any manner.
I want to thank you for the time your staff took with me during my visit to the school. I had many questions, and I really appreciated that you were all so patient with me, giving me plenty of time to ask my questions.
The visit to the school was enlightening. I am a parent in [name of city], and we are considering a move to [name of city] if we find the right school in the area. As I am sure is the case with all parents, decisions I am making about my son’s education are deeply important to me and have already involved many hours of research, touring schools (all Montessori, as I have chosen this method because of my background and commitment to the model and my son’s responsiveness to it), and reflection. The decision about the school my child will attend is one I will not enter into lightly.
This was also one of the saddest days in my life as a parent.
I have been a parent for a number of years now. Before adopting my son, and having my younger foster daughter placed with us as a foster-adopt placement, my partner and I had foster parented children up through the age of fifteen. As you can imagine, I have had many profoundly sad and profoundly joyful times. This day will be among the saddest days of parenthood for me because it is representative of the “no admission” sign on so many doors that my son will encounter through his life.
I’ve enclosed some notes from a conversation I had with J.M. toward the end of my visit. I hope they are helpful for you.
Before you read these notes, however, I would like you to know the following things. I have experience with Montessori. My mother formerly taught in a Montessori school. Though I did not attend a Montessori school as a child, my mother brought some of Montessori’s approach into our home life (and also modeled parts of the method for me in the year she homeschooled my younger brother). As an adult whose vocation is Religious Education/Family Ministry, I have studied educational models in great depth, and developed an ever-growing and cherished commitment to Montessori’s method.
I have been trained in a Montessori model of Religious Education (Spirit Play, a version of Godly Play), and prior to moving to Massachusetts, as head of [a Religious Education/Family Ministry in name of city and state], I worked to start a Spirit Play program that tripled in size by its third year. I watched a certified Montessori teacher who had additionally been trained in Spirit Play, as well as teachers trained only in Spirit Play, transform the culture of that ministry. I spent a minimum of one-and-a-half hours per week in a children’s Spirit Play classroom, which included children with special needs.
The “Montessori way” is integrated into my own children’s home life. In fact, I took my son to visit one Montessori school where a teacher commented, “Wow! He takes right to this model. Look at his response, with virtually no orientation from me. He could start tomorrow! What a sweetie!”
My son is a loving, sensitive, gentle, affectionate, curious child with an incredible memory and a strong ability to creatively solve problems. He has experienced a lot in his short life, but demonstrates tenacity, courage, persistence, resilience, and a will to not only survive but to thrive. He has a great sense of humor, and is a delightful human being. He is very loved by a diverse group of kids and adults alike. He wants to learn, and like all people, he wants to participate in the world in meaningful ways.
My son also has developmental delays. He is slightly “behind” other children his age in all areas of development, and significantly delayed in language development. He isn’t able to communicate everything that he understands, and the signs that he is paying attention are not always obvious (for example, he may not make eye contact because the convergence and divergence of muscles in the eyes is tiring), but he is observant and interested in the world. Because his birthparents both require assisted living, it is possible that he will experience some lifelong challenges. Despite this, some days it is possible to forget he has special needs altogether. Like all three year olds, my son is a wonder-filled, observant individual striving to create meaning in his little world.
Though I am not convinced all these things should matter, my son, by the way, can fairly-independently dress and undress himself, can drink out of an open cup, can feed himself (though he struggles some with the use of flatware, which can be tough for him to manipulate, and does tend to resort to finger foods), can walk and run and climb (though he can’t jump), can manage stairs with railing independently, can open and shut doors with care, and is learning to use the toilet. [All of the above are important skills children are taught in a Montessori setting.]
Thank you again for your time, and I do very much hope the enclosed items [primarily the notes from my conversation with Director of Admissions] are useful to you as you continue to grow your lovely school.
Warmly,
S.
This was not the kind of situation that was "complaint worthy" in terms of making a formal complaint and actually requesting that something specific is done about it and expecting results. I feel pretty certain that I am uninterested in submitting an admissions application for M. in this school, largely because of that particular experience. However, I did feel like it might be useful for the school to be aware of the situation, whether or not they chose to do anything about it. I felt that at the very least, they ought to have the privilege of hearing my experience so they could do with it what they like.
Dear Summit Montessori School,
As the parent of a prospective student who will turn three this week, I came to your open house today. Your Director of Admissions, J.M., noticed and kindly complimented me on a form I made to use in my visits to Montessori schools. She asked me what my source was for this form. It was a form I had created for my own use. I’ve enclosed a copy in case you would find it useful in any manner.
I want to thank you for the time your staff took with me during my visit to the school. I had many questions, and I really appreciated that you were all so patient with me, giving me plenty of time to ask my questions.
The visit to the school was enlightening. I am a parent in [name of city], and we are considering a move to [name of city] if we find the right school in the area. As I am sure is the case with all parents, decisions I am making about my son’s education are deeply important to me and have already involved many hours of research, touring schools (all Montessori, as I have chosen this method because of my background and commitment to the model and my son’s responsiveness to it), and reflection. The decision about the school my child will attend is one I will not enter into lightly.
This was also one of the saddest days in my life as a parent.
I have been a parent for a number of years now. Before adopting my son, and having my younger foster daughter placed with us as a foster-adopt placement, my partner and I had foster parented children up through the age of fifteen. As you can imagine, I have had many profoundly sad and profoundly joyful times. This day will be among the saddest days of parenthood for me because it is representative of the “no admission” sign on so many doors that my son will encounter through his life.
I’ve enclosed some notes from a conversation I had with J.M. toward the end of my visit. I hope they are helpful for you.
Before you read these notes, however, I would like you to know the following things. I have experience with Montessori. My mother formerly taught in a Montessori school. Though I did not attend a Montessori school as a child, my mother brought some of Montessori’s approach into our home life (and also modeled parts of the method for me in the year she homeschooled my younger brother). As an adult whose vocation is Religious Education/Family Ministry, I have studied educational models in great depth, and developed an ever-growing and cherished commitment to Montessori’s method.
I have been trained in a Montessori model of Religious Education (Spirit Play, a version of Godly Play), and prior to moving to Massachusetts, as head of [a Religious Education/Family Ministry in name of city and state], I worked to start a Spirit Play program that tripled in size by its third year. I watched a certified Montessori teacher who had additionally been trained in Spirit Play, as well as teachers trained only in Spirit Play, transform the culture of that ministry. I spent a minimum of one-and-a-half hours per week in a children’s Spirit Play classroom, which included children with special needs.
The “Montessori way” is integrated into my own children’s home life. In fact, I took my son to visit one Montessori school where a teacher commented, “Wow! He takes right to this model. Look at his response, with virtually no orientation from me. He could start tomorrow! What a sweetie!”
My son is a loving, sensitive, gentle, affectionate, curious child with an incredible memory and a strong ability to creatively solve problems. He has experienced a lot in his short life, but demonstrates tenacity, courage, persistence, resilience, and a will to not only survive but to thrive. He has a great sense of humor, and is a delightful human being. He is very loved by a diverse group of kids and adults alike. He wants to learn, and like all people, he wants to participate in the world in meaningful ways.
My son also has developmental delays. He is slightly “behind” other children his age in all areas of development, and significantly delayed in language development. He isn’t able to communicate everything that he understands, and the signs that he is paying attention are not always obvious (for example, he may not make eye contact because the convergence and divergence of muscles in the eyes is tiring), but he is observant and interested in the world. Because his birthparents both require assisted living, it is possible that he will experience some lifelong challenges. Despite this, some days it is possible to forget he has special needs altogether. Like all three year olds, my son is a wonder-filled, observant individual striving to create meaning in his little world.
Though I am not convinced all these things should matter, my son, by the way, can fairly-independently dress and undress himself, can drink out of an open cup, can feed himself (though he struggles some with the use of flatware, which can be tough for him to manipulate, and does tend to resort to finger foods), can walk and run and climb (though he can’t jump), can manage stairs with railing independently, can open and shut doors with care, and is learning to use the toilet. [All of the above are important skills children are taught in a Montessori setting.]
Thank you again for your time, and I do very much hope the enclosed items [primarily the notes from my conversation with Director of Admissions] are useful to you as you continue to grow your lovely school.
Warmly,
S.
A Montessori School Open House Experience
The following are notes from a conversation I had with the Director of Admissions at a Montessori school near us. The post directly above this one will be the letter I sent to the school regarding these notes (I've edited both the notes and the letter to conform with the use of intials as names on this blog). I thought this was interesting enough conversational material for us here. What does this say about where we are as a society when it comes to special needs? What does this say about what is happening in the world of Montessori right now?
· Children with special needs are not welcome. J. does not want me to apply for my son’s admittance. If I want to push it, I might be able to get admittance for my son, but first I need to prove that he wouldn’t “be a problem.”
· As a child with special needs, my child would be under a level of scrutiny in the admissions process and in the classroom that other children in the school do not experience. (By the way, can you imagine a job interview in which you had to sit there and talk about your own special needs/challenges/etc. for twenty minutes...wouldn't you end up sounding like an impossible person to work with?)
· I am not considered to be among the experts on my child and his needs. Anyone who can write “a report” (of what type, it never was specified) on my child must hold more expertise than I do, and would be better equipped to provide information about whether my child would do well in a Montessori classroom where specific special education services are not provided.
By the way, it is very sad to me that even in the public schools, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that parents are viewed as a part of the team of experts involved in a child’s life, but an independent Montessori school does not take this approach. Also, you should know that my child will be receiving special education services from his school district, including speech and occupational therapy, via IDEA, even if he is enrolled in a Montessori School. He is an unlikely candidate for a one-on-one assistant in either setting, so this wouldn’t be a concern or issue in the “match” at this point.
· As a parent, there is a considerable possibility that I would mislead the school into admitting my son even if that wasn’t going to serve his best interests, or the interests of the school.
· If my son were to be admitted, he would be considered a liability to the integrity of the community. Once I mentioned that my child is developmentally delayed, J. stopped listening and started talking. She wasn’t interested in hearing about what I knew about his challenges, let alone his gifts and strengths. She was clearly very focused and concerned about what level of “burden” he might be, and she clearly felt I wasn’t qualified to be a part of that conversation.
I am choosing a school for my child. I am going to be investing money in this school, and I am going to be handing over my precious little one and entrust a school with his care and education. I am having a lot of trouble imagining myself applying for my son’s admission into Summit Montessori School.
For all of my children, even those without special needs, I want them to participate in educational communities where individuals with special needs are seen not in simple terms as a liability, detraction from and burden to the community, but that they are seen as human beings who, like everyone, can participate meaningfully in the life of the community. I would hope that all of Summit Montessori School’s parents would want their children to learn to relate to people of all abilities, to be in an environment where they can practice how to be fully inclusive of people who have both the same and different strengths and challenges from them.
I've come to treat my son's special needs as a normal part of human diversity. In my life’s journey, I’ve learned that every human being has “special needs.” My son's needs are simply among the slightly less common. But some of those same needs are part of what affirmed for me that Montessori would be right for him.
The “no admittance for people like your son” sign has been posted on Summit Montessori’s door. What a loss for not only my son, but for the children in the school who lose out on the opportunity to learn to engage in a diverse and interesting human world.
I do want to send a special thank you to D. and one of the founders of the school (whose name I have forgotten, I am sorry to say), for asking me as I was stepping out of the building, what I thought of the school, and for taking the time to chat with me as I worked through the initial shock and confusion, as well as utter sadness, I had experienced during my conversation with J. The messages D. gave me were empathetic, considerate, and warmly welcoming, and the founder’s messages were cautiously welcoming. I also appreciate the founder offering that I could call either D. or herself if I wanted to arrange for an assessment for my son for entry into the school.
---------------------------------------------------
On a completely different note, I want to say that I am surprised at the reaction I received from the school’s business manager when I asked about staff compensation and financial aid. I told her I understood that asking about staff compensation was unusual for parents, and she agreed and asked me why I was interested. I told her that I want my children to go to a school with “happy, healthy, satisfied teachers” (and I should add “people who are highly qualified and who feel valued for their work”), and she said that made sense to her. I am just surprised more parents don’t ask. I was so glad to hear that your school strives to be very competitive in its salaries and compensation of teachers and staff.
I also asked her about financial assistance for two reasons. First, because Summit Montessori is by far the most expensive Montessori school I have found in the area (double the average cost for the half-day program), and I wanted to know what assistance might be available because we are a lower middle class family. Second, because the school’s current director and my tour guide had mentioned that the school strives to be diverse, I wondered if that included economic diversity. I asked the business manager what percentage of students receive financial aid, and she told me this number is confidential. However, she did give me the percentage of tuition that provides the financial aid budget. I thought you might be interested to know that it is unusual for a school to make confidential information on the approximate number of “scholarships” they award each year.
Notes From a Conversation With the Montessori School Director of Admissions (J.)
April 8, 2008
At first I wrote down J.’s exact words because I found them so striking, but mid-way through the conversation I became very uncomfortable with the tone of the dialogue, so I did not feel that verbatim notes were necessary for my decision about my son’s placement.
Me (going through the questions on the enclosed form): “What experience does the school have in working with children who have special needs?”
J.: “We don’t really have resources for children with special needs.”
Me: “So you don’t admit children with special needs?”
J.: “No. It’s not fair to the children. We want to do what’s fair for the children.” After a pause she added, “I mean, it depends on the need. Like, a child with cochlear implants. That kind of thing we can handle.” [Note: She did not say a “deaf child.” The implication is that only a child who has had implants would be acceptable. Not a deaf child. I also want to note that earlier in the conversation when I asked what type of scenario would signal a child and Montessori are mismatched, her immediate response was, “When a child can’t listen.”].
She continued: “This is something we tell parents over the phone before they come in, so it doesn’t surprise anyone.”
Me: “No one told me this over the phone.”
J.: “Did you talk about special needs on the phone?”
Me: “Yes, I did.”
What follows is the remainder of the conversation. I am writing this just a couple of hours after my visit, so my memories are still fresh and clear. I believe this is an accurate representation of what was said.
· J. asked me about my son’s special needs, though she didn’t really give me any time for a real explanation. I told her that he has global developmental delays, and was about to share more when she continued talking. J. said that she wasn’t qualified to “know what that means,” but that her sister (if I recall correctly) is a special education teacher and that her sister has told her (J.) that “there are high and low functioning” children with special needs and that “[Summit Montessori School faculty] should read all the reports very carefully.”
· J. asked me if I had “any reports” about my son (she did not specify what type of reports from whom). I told her that I do, and before I had a chance to ask what type of reports, she told me that the faculty would need to see these in order to make an admissions decision. I said something very close to the following words, which I chose very carefully at that point because I wanted to make sure that I was not misunderstanding. “You said earlier that the evaluation process for admission involves an approximately twenty-minute lesson and observation period with a teacher. Are you saying that for children with special needs, the admission decision is not made on this period of observation, but rather from reading reports about the child?”
· I remember the first part of J.’s answer clearly. “Yes.” After another pause, she said: “Well, it depends. We have got to read those reports. We’ve had parents come in and tell us their kids are low needs, and then they come in and the kids are all over the place. Parents don’t really see their children. We can’t just take what they say.” [Note: the tone of J.’s voice indicated to me that she was talking about parents misleading the school.]
“Yes, we usually do twenty minutes of assessment for a child without special needs, but for a child with special needs, it might be forty-five minutes. We would read those reports for sure. Because in the end, yes, parents are important. But this isn’t about the parents. This is about the children.” J. re-stated several times that “reports” would be vital, and she consistently downplayed the role of teacher observation in the assessment of my son’s match with the school. It was clear to her that written “reports” of any type would carry a heavy weight, and that the teacher observation was only a small part of the process.
· J. also referred to the school as not being “a place for special education. We’re just not able to do that.” It was unclear to me if she truly grasped Maria Montessori’s work as being “special education” in and of itself. She also didn’t give any indication that she remembered that Montessori’s first work was with children who had been identified as having “special needs.”
If I was looking for a special education class for my child, I would be looking elsewhere. In fact, my child qualifies for free early childhood education in a special education setting, which would obviously be an incentive for me to place him in such a setting. However, I demonstrated throughout my visit that I am an educated, thoughtful parent who is well versed in and committed to the Montessori model. I also demonstrated that I want an environment for my child where he can thrive.
Clearly, as a parent, I am concerned about the match between my son and any school. I don’t want him to be in a school where his needs can’t be met, and of course, as someone who values the Montessori philosophy, I am aware of the need to respect the community as a whole as well. I wouldn’t be taking the time to tour Montessori schools if I didn’t believe that my son could be “mainstreamed” into a Montessori school. I am completely confused as to why J. would assume I would want to set up my son for a bad experience like that, after observing me tour the school and ask thoughtful questions.
The messages that were communicated to me verbally (and nonverbally) during this conversation included:
April 8, 2008
At first I wrote down J.’s exact words because I found them so striking, but mid-way through the conversation I became very uncomfortable with the tone of the dialogue, so I did not feel that verbatim notes were necessary for my decision about my son’s placement.
Me (going through the questions on the enclosed form): “What experience does the school have in working with children who have special needs?”
J.: “We don’t really have resources for children with special needs.”
Me: “So you don’t admit children with special needs?”
J.: “No. It’s not fair to the children. We want to do what’s fair for the children.” After a pause she added, “I mean, it depends on the need. Like, a child with cochlear implants. That kind of thing we can handle.” [Note: She did not say a “deaf child.” The implication is that only a child who has had implants would be acceptable. Not a deaf child. I also want to note that earlier in the conversation when I asked what type of scenario would signal a child and Montessori are mismatched, her immediate response was, “When a child can’t listen.”].
She continued: “This is something we tell parents over the phone before they come in, so it doesn’t surprise anyone.”
Me: “No one told me this over the phone.”
J.: “Did you talk about special needs on the phone?”
Me: “Yes, I did.”
What follows is the remainder of the conversation. I am writing this just a couple of hours after my visit, so my memories are still fresh and clear. I believe this is an accurate representation of what was said.
· J. asked me about my son’s special needs, though she didn’t really give me any time for a real explanation. I told her that he has global developmental delays, and was about to share more when she continued talking. J. said that she wasn’t qualified to “know what that means,” but that her sister (if I recall correctly) is a special education teacher and that her sister has told her (J.) that “there are high and low functioning” children with special needs and that “[Summit Montessori School faculty] should read all the reports very carefully.”
· J. asked me if I had “any reports” about my son (she did not specify what type of reports from whom). I told her that I do, and before I had a chance to ask what type of reports, she told me that the faculty would need to see these in order to make an admissions decision. I said something very close to the following words, which I chose very carefully at that point because I wanted to make sure that I was not misunderstanding. “You said earlier that the evaluation process for admission involves an approximately twenty-minute lesson and observation period with a teacher. Are you saying that for children with special needs, the admission decision is not made on this period of observation, but rather from reading reports about the child?”
· I remember the first part of J.’s answer clearly. “Yes.” After another pause, she said: “Well, it depends. We have got to read those reports. We’ve had parents come in and tell us their kids are low needs, and then they come in and the kids are all over the place. Parents don’t really see their children. We can’t just take what they say.” [Note: the tone of J.’s voice indicated to me that she was talking about parents misleading the school.]
“Yes, we usually do twenty minutes of assessment for a child without special needs, but for a child with special needs, it might be forty-five minutes. We would read those reports for sure. Because in the end, yes, parents are important. But this isn’t about the parents. This is about the children.” J. re-stated several times that “reports” would be vital, and she consistently downplayed the role of teacher observation in the assessment of my son’s match with the school. It was clear to her that written “reports” of any type would carry a heavy weight, and that the teacher observation was only a small part of the process.
· J. also referred to the school as not being “a place for special education. We’re just not able to do that.” It was unclear to me if she truly grasped Maria Montessori’s work as being “special education” in and of itself. She also didn’t give any indication that she remembered that Montessori’s first work was with children who had been identified as having “special needs.”
If I was looking for a special education class for my child, I would be looking elsewhere. In fact, my child qualifies for free early childhood education in a special education setting, which would obviously be an incentive for me to place him in such a setting. However, I demonstrated throughout my visit that I am an educated, thoughtful parent who is well versed in and committed to the Montessori model. I also demonstrated that I want an environment for my child where he can thrive.
Clearly, as a parent, I am concerned about the match between my son and any school. I don’t want him to be in a school where his needs can’t be met, and of course, as someone who values the Montessori philosophy, I am aware of the need to respect the community as a whole as well. I wouldn’t be taking the time to tour Montessori schools if I didn’t believe that my son could be “mainstreamed” into a Montessori school. I am completely confused as to why J. would assume I would want to set up my son for a bad experience like that, after observing me tour the school and ask thoughtful questions.
The messages that were communicated to me verbally (and nonverbally) during this conversation included:
· Children with special needs are not welcome. J. does not want me to apply for my son’s admittance. If I want to push it, I might be able to get admittance for my son, but first I need to prove that he wouldn’t “be a problem.”
· As a child with special needs, my child would be under a level of scrutiny in the admissions process and in the classroom that other children in the school do not experience. (By the way, can you imagine a job interview in which you had to sit there and talk about your own special needs/challenges/etc. for twenty minutes...wouldn't you end up sounding like an impossible person to work with?)
· I am not considered to be among the experts on my child and his needs. Anyone who can write “a report” (of what type, it never was specified) on my child must hold more expertise than I do, and would be better equipped to provide information about whether my child would do well in a Montessori classroom where specific special education services are not provided.
By the way, it is very sad to me that even in the public schools, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that parents are viewed as a part of the team of experts involved in a child’s life, but an independent Montessori school does not take this approach. Also, you should know that my child will be receiving special education services from his school district, including speech and occupational therapy, via IDEA, even if he is enrolled in a Montessori School. He is an unlikely candidate for a one-on-one assistant in either setting, so this wouldn’t be a concern or issue in the “match” at this point.
· As a parent, there is a considerable possibility that I would mislead the school into admitting my son even if that wasn’t going to serve his best interests, or the interests of the school.
· If my son were to be admitted, he would be considered a liability to the integrity of the community. Once I mentioned that my child is developmentally delayed, J. stopped listening and started talking. She wasn’t interested in hearing about what I knew about his challenges, let alone his gifts and strengths. She was clearly very focused and concerned about what level of “burden” he might be, and she clearly felt I wasn’t qualified to be a part of that conversation.
I am choosing a school for my child. I am going to be investing money in this school, and I am going to be handing over my precious little one and entrust a school with his care and education. I am having a lot of trouble imagining myself applying for my son’s admission into Summit Montessori School.
For all of my children, even those without special needs, I want them to participate in educational communities where individuals with special needs are seen not in simple terms as a liability, detraction from and burden to the community, but that they are seen as human beings who, like everyone, can participate meaningfully in the life of the community. I would hope that all of Summit Montessori School’s parents would want their children to learn to relate to people of all abilities, to be in an environment where they can practice how to be fully inclusive of people who have both the same and different strengths and challenges from them.
I've come to treat my son's special needs as a normal part of human diversity. In my life’s journey, I’ve learned that every human being has “special needs.” My son's needs are simply among the slightly less common. But some of those same needs are part of what affirmed for me that Montessori would be right for him.
The “no admittance for people like your son” sign has been posted on Summit Montessori’s door. What a loss for not only my son, but for the children in the school who lose out on the opportunity to learn to engage in a diverse and interesting human world.
I do want to send a special thank you to D. and one of the founders of the school (whose name I have forgotten, I am sorry to say), for asking me as I was stepping out of the building, what I thought of the school, and for taking the time to chat with me as I worked through the initial shock and confusion, as well as utter sadness, I had experienced during my conversation with J. The messages D. gave me were empathetic, considerate, and warmly welcoming, and the founder’s messages were cautiously welcoming. I also appreciate the founder offering that I could call either D. or herself if I wanted to arrange for an assessment for my son for entry into the school.
---------------------------------------------------
On a completely different note, I want to say that I am surprised at the reaction I received from the school’s business manager when I asked about staff compensation and financial aid. I told her I understood that asking about staff compensation was unusual for parents, and she agreed and asked me why I was interested. I told her that I want my children to go to a school with “happy, healthy, satisfied teachers” (and I should add “people who are highly qualified and who feel valued for their work”), and she said that made sense to her. I am just surprised more parents don’t ask. I was so glad to hear that your school strives to be very competitive in its salaries and compensation of teachers and staff.
I also asked her about financial assistance for two reasons. First, because Summit Montessori is by far the most expensive Montessori school I have found in the area (double the average cost for the half-day program), and I wanted to know what assistance might be available because we are a lower middle class family. Second, because the school’s current director and my tour guide had mentioned that the school strives to be diverse, I wondered if that included economic diversity. I asked the business manager what percentage of students receive financial aid, and she told me this number is confidential. However, she did give me the percentage of tuition that provides the financial aid budget. I thought you might be interested to know that it is unusual for a school to make confidential information on the approximate number of “scholarships” they award each year.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Have they "gone too far?" Um...how could you even ask that?
I am heading to bed, but we are staying at G's parents house tonight and Boston's Fox25 news is on.As I am heading off, I hear the headliners, including: "Have they finally gone too far? A child is in intensive care after being pushed down the stairs at school by a bully."
When does it take a child ending up in intensive care before a bully has gone too far? This is very sad.
Every child in our country has a right to access education, free from bullying and harrassment.
We, as a nation, have a lot of work left to do in this arena.
(By the way, from what I gather, this child also has some disabilities and was receiving special education services at his school. This certainly hits some hot buttons in my world.)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
And to break the theme of my last few posts...
...since I don't have time to finish my autistic allies series right now but don't really want a diary-style blog...
I will post some shameless political evangalism.
Now I feel I must say that I don't follow politics much these days. But a couple of years before the name "Obama" started getting tossed about in the public arena, before many of you probably had heard of Barack Obama, I saw him speak and I said, "This guy ought to be the president of our great country." I have never been so stirred about any politician in the past, including Clinton. I waffled a bit early on in the campaigns, but the specific plans coming from Obama continue to be the better in my humble opinion, than any candidate republican or democrat.
Two of the many reasons I love Obama (watch the videos in the links...most are very short):
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities/
Also check out the following, but once you click into the videos, watch the one called "Our Kids, Our Future" instead of or in addition to the main one in the link:
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/education/
Having said all that, just for fun I am sure most of you have seen by now:
http://www.dipdive.com/
But did you see this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs -- "like hope, but different"
Love, masasa
I will post some shameless political evangalism.
Now I feel I must say that I don't follow politics much these days. But a couple of years before the name "Obama" started getting tossed about in the public arena, before many of you probably had heard of Barack Obama, I saw him speak and I said, "This guy ought to be the president of our great country." I have never been so stirred about any politician in the past, including Clinton. I waffled a bit early on in the campaigns, but the specific plans coming from Obama continue to be the better in my humble opinion, than any candidate republican or democrat.
Two of the many reasons I love Obama (watch the videos in the links...most are very short):
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities/
Also check out the following, but once you click into the videos, watch the one called "Our Kids, Our Future" instead of or in addition to the main one in the link:
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/education/
Having said all that, just for fun I am sure most of you have seen by now:
http://www.dipdive.com/
But did you see this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs -- "like hope, but different"
Love, masasa
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