Special Education Today newsletter 4(32)
How about a recap of news and info for the week ending 2 February 2025?
Welcome to this 32nd issue of the newsletter for the fourth year of Special Education Today. This issue shows that this year of SET is greater than 60% of the way to its end. For those who have been with SET since the proverbial get go (I’m tilting my head in your direction Angelique W., Bryan W., Clay K., Dan H., Ed M., Ed P., Jean C., Joel M., Larry M., Linda L., Mary Anne L., Michael K., Mike N., Nancy C.-W., Pam S., Vicki W., and others), let me just say, “thanks, for real.” Loyalty, which has been much in the news of late, is clearly something that I appreciate about your readership.
Both you older and newer readers will recognize the structure of this week’s missive. It includes the usual eye candy (photo), some notes about the status of SET, a list of posts that appeared during the covered week, and some maybe-possibly-perhaps interesting editorial comments.
Photos
Eighteen years ago on 2 February I attended the funeral of my father in law, Fred F. Salazar.1 Although it was a sad occasion, it was also joyous. There were things to celebrate. He was a wonderful man…surely not perfect, but thoughtful, kind, generous, and devoted to his family. And he included me as a part of that family—I get a little lumpy-chokey when I remember instances of this.
“Grandpa,” as we often refer to him in my household, had a vanity license plate, as shown in this image.
Among the many conversations I remember having with him, I’ll retell this one. Grandpa was an extraordinarily accomplished salesman; he sold printing paper by the train car load and was repeatedly salesman of the year for at least one large, national paper company. One morning at breakfast, I explained that I was interested in selling ideas and sought his advice. I asked him what he thought was important in sales. He told me that the key in his experience was finding out what the customer wanted or needed. What was the print job for which they needed paper? If he didn’t have paper that fit that job, then he’d honestly explain that he didn’t have the right product for it…and ask what other jobs they had coming in the future. He would eventually find a way that he could help solve his customers’ need.
I think of this story often when I hope to convince educators to employ evidence-based practices, employ scientific methods, and so forth. I’ve got to remember to figure out what people need and want, and then I can provide guidance about trustworthy ways of reaching those goals.
What do you think about this idea, dear readers?
Flashes of the electrons
Well, SET has greater than 1000 total followers. Wooooowho! About 785 are “subscribers” and about 220 are “followers.” Followers only see notes that I post; notes are brief bits that refer to recent posts or—more often—are simply remarks composed of a few words (and maybe a link) about something I saw while out on the Intertubes. Subscribers get the the email versions of posts when they are published.
Oh, that reminds me: Special thanks for the sustaining subscribers, Mike G., Kathy M., and Li-Yu H.
Comments
I hope ya’ll comment. As I have mentioned previously, one of the joys about publishing SET is seeing readers’ interactions with the content. Most days, I open the dashboard early in the morning (and repeatedly) to scan the activity on the site. It’s a pleasure to see likes, restacks, and comments.
Jane B. (2), Sally B., Paul C. (3 or 4!), Angelique W., Mitch Y., Tom Z. and Dan H. all left comments on posts this past week. Thank you, one and all!
Restacks
Sandra D. continues to be the queen of resetacking. Sandra restacked multiple posts, and she was joined by Katie D. this week. Thank you for letting others know about posts from SET.
Welcomes
I’ve got special “howdys” for Joe G., Jenny D., Donn L., Naomi, Just A., Sophie S., Stephanie C., Debbie T., and Macro E. I get a little thrill when I see new subscribers joining the rest of us.
Thank you all for your support. I haven’t gone back to count over the previous ~180 weeks, but these interactions seem like another indicator of the growth the newsletter and site. And, just in case it’s helpful, here’s a link to share this post!
This week’s ToC
Okay, I posted only six notes on SET proper since the last newsletter.2 And, yes, that is fewer than some weeks. In my defense, a couple of them took a lot of research and revision—extra time. I hope that readers have found them valuable. Here’s the catalog of them in reverse chronological order (as usual):
Special Education Today newsletter 4(31): What happened with SET during the week ending 26 January 2025?
Accessibility today and tomorrow: What's going on beyond inclusion in the broader world of access?
Steve Graham on writing affecting reading: Why should we all be teaching writing?
Richard W. Woodcock, 1928-2024: Remembering the author of tests frequently used with children with disabilities
Sarah Powell interviewed about arithmetic and mathematics: Who wouldn't want to know about teaching arithmetic effectively?
Hellen Keller wasn't staging a moon landing: What should be the buy-before date for Bologna?
Public references to intelligence, IQ, and ID: Is the US president re-inventing the "R Word?"
Please don’t let the amount of reading material deter you, but if you’re a free subscriber, you might want to review the posts in the next few days before they go behind the paywall. If you’re a standard subscriber, you can ensure that you can read them later by becoming a paid subscriber. If you’re already a paying subscriber (YAY!), go back and read them at your leisure.
Commentary
My comments this week will be similar to those last week and during this week in at least one or two ways. In the US, at least, citizens (people…we, us) are in a new political environment. There is a heightened level of concern about the future for individuals with disabilities, including our kids. We should wear our Hallahan Goggles.3
As I wrote in the commentary of last week’s newsletter and in the post for 1 February 2025 discussing concerns about derogatory references to individuals with disabilities, I am fretful about potentially deleterious effects of these events for our efforts to provide beneficial services for our kids. More specifically, I am uneasy about whether efforts by the new US administration, according to Section 2, § (b)(i) of “ENDING RADICAL AND WASTEFUL GOVERNMENT DEI PROGRAMS AND PREFERENCING,” to
terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions (including but not limited to ‘Chief Diversity Officer’ positions); all ‘equity action plans,’ ‘equity’ actions, initiatives, or programs, ‘equity-related’ grants or contracts; and all DEI or DEIA performance requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.
Disability is a dimension of diversity. I seek equity for individuals with disabilities and those who work to improve the lives of those with disabilities. I want individuals with disabilities and their families to have access to personal, social, commercial, and educational resources in the US (and elsewhere on Earth). So, I am concerned that the “DEI initiatives” being promulgated currently are placing our kids’ rights into risky territory.
This week, I have been hyper-alert to current news related to my concerns, especially as they apply to the work of the US Department of Education (as well as other agencies of the government). There have been reports (CNN, NBC News, New York Times) about employees of US ED being placed on leave “to eliminate DEI.”
I am apprehensive that some of the people who are working to promote access and effective services for kids with disabilities may be caught in the nets of those who are purging the US government of DEI activities. Although I may disagree with the efforts of some of those colleagues who are at risk, I disagree even more with the degradation of their efforts and them. I do not know who, specifically has been targeted in these purges, but I think it is a pretty good bet that those who have been put on leave, lost their email addresses, and threatened with loss of their jobs are people who have been “going to bat” for our kids and our efforts to promote beneficial outcomes for them.
I would like the promoters of the current reforms to show us their data. How has each and every one of the individuals caught up their dragnet promoted (as noted in the aforementioned statement of presidential action)
“DEIs infiltration of the Federal Government,”
contributed to “immense public waste and shameful discrimination,” and
Not “committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect.”
Inquiring minds want to know. Please show evidence and data.
Thanks for reading this issue of the newsletter and thanks (again) especially to sustaining subscribers Li-Yu, Kathy, and Mike. I encourage each and every one of us to help ensure that our kids, their families, and those who work on their behalf get a fair shake.
Take care of your health, take care of those around you, and please be sure to teach your children well.
Hugs,
JohnL
SET Editor guy
Previously a teacher and researcher
Charlottesville, VA, US, North America, Western Hemisphere, Earth, Sol System, some arm of the Milky Way (and Snickers)
SET should not be confused with a product with the same name that is published by the Council for Exceptional Children. SET predated CEC’s publication by decades (see “Lovitt’s Lines” for examples from those days). Despite my appreciation for CEC, this product is not designed to promote that organization. It’s independent. I’m not selling anything here other than what you read in the posts.
Footnote
His first name was actually “Fedrico,” but he used “Fred.”
I wrote “proper” because I wanted to acknowledge the “notes” I posted on the more chatty part of Substack. There are some posts that appear there but not on the main site.
“Hallahan Goggles”™️are a pair or set of psychological lenses that allow us to focus on what we are considering (looking at, thinking about, etc.). They are named after Daniel P. Hallahan, a psychologist doing memory research who migrated to special education and attention problems, and (along the way) turned into a wonderfully powerful advocate for kids with disabilities and special education. Oh, and of particular importance, he’s a great guy, pal, and lunch mate.
I have my Hallahan goggles on for sure.