Special Education Today newsletter 4(45)
Are you ready to review the last week's traffic and read some other notes with the recap?
Here we are again. It’s the weekly newsletter for Special Education Today (and the 1283rd post in the history of SET). This issue covers the week that began 28 April 2025. If you’re familiar with the newsletters, you will expect a photo, some updates, a list of recent posts, and an editorial. Check…and we’re off!
Photo
If you, Dear Readers, followed SET this week, you’ll remember that I posted about the official opening of Bennett’s Village this past week (see link in the listing of posts). Here is an additional photo from that event. This view from the playhouse (railing at the right side of the photo) shows a segment of “Josie’s Way,” a feature of the play space. It’s a lovely looking path and, although I didn’t do so during Party in the Park, I look forward to walking it some day soon.
Status
As of this past week, Substack indicated that there are 919 subscribers and 1172 followers for SET. Welcome to the half-dozen people who started subscriptions over the past week. Thanks for joining in with all of us.
Subscriptions: About 75 subscribers provide financial support for SET via paid subscriptions. In addition to three sustaining subscribers (Li-Yu H., Mike G., and Kathy M.), I want to acknowledge contributions here’re thanks to some of these very Dear Readers: Nancy S., Jane N., Brenda L., Mary R.,, Jen W., Jim P., Jim S., Riley M., Kristen M., Christy A., Jean S., Vicki W., Ann R., Paige P., Ed P., Ed M., Clary K., Joel M., Dan H., Larry M., and Mike N. Thank you!
Interactions: Also, DRs, I want to express thanks to folks who interacted with the content this past week. There were an entire host of y’all who dropped “likes” on posts. Thank you! Please keep it going. Sandra D. restocked a post. Yay! And these folks posted comments, which I consider especially valuable: Jessica C., Jane B., Ellie W., and Sally B.
And, DRs, please keep on sharing SET in whatever ways you can. Copy the URL, forward messages, talk about it around in the lounge or around the water cooler, or just click the share button.
Ersatz table of contents
As subscribers, you received new posts on SET durning the just-passed week.1 I didn’t publish as many posts as some DRs may hope to receive, but the number (6) is within the range y’all said was OK in the poll . Here is the catalog of the four of them, beginning with newsletter for the previous week:
Special Education Today newsletter 4(45): What happened on SET last week?
A sorta-kinda pushback on RFK: What did Jill Escher say about current concerns regarding autism?
It was a wonderful time: Are you sorry you missed the Party in the Park for Bennett's Village?
Dan Willingham on teachers and psychology: What will the cognitive psychology professor tell us?
A couple of catch-up notices: Did you miss seeing these earlier in the week?
"504 on 5-04"—David Bateman's coming up: Will you miss the live session?
Each of these posts was read at least 600-800 or more times. There are more to come.
Notes & comments
People with disabilities are at risk in the current US political environment. Some of the actions being promulgated by the current administration seem worse than others. Indeed, some of the recommendations featured prominently (e.g., removal of artificial elements from foods) may actually be beneficial, if not of great help. However, other changes—blocking funding of teacher training grants, changes in disciplinary policies, reductions in funding for mental health grants, modifications in government work on protecting civil rights—appear to have directly deleterious effects.
For those of us advocating on behalf of students with disabilities and their families, these developments are sources of considerable concern. I believe many of you DRs agreed with my earlier remarks about the importance of our advocacy in times like these. I think we must remain vigilant. We must continue to speak up.
And speaking up appears to be influential in some situations. Attorneys generals of 17 US states joined together to threaten § 504 protections in Texas v. Becerra, but after what one might call a “firestorm” of objections, the suit seems to have been dropped, or at least put on hold. It might be that the change in the plans of those 17 AGs might have been a product of parents’ and other advocates’ pushback. Did the AGs feel the heat? I surely hope so.
When the US comes out its current situation, we need to ensure that kids with disabilities are protected and have resources that help them have good futures. So, stay vigilant, Keep the faith.
Throughout the current and future times, please take care of yourselves and of the others in your lives. Prevent your colleagues from silly mistakes like playing on the high-speed roads. Eat healthily. Drive carefully. Make sure that folks buckle up. And, of course, teach your students well.
Peace & love,
JohnL
John Wills Lloyd, Ph.D.
Founder and Editor, Special Education Today
SET should not be confused with a product that uses the same name and is published by the Council for Exceptional Children. SET predated CEC’s publication by decades. Despite my appreciation for CEC, this product is not designed to promote that organization nor should the views expressed here be considered to represent the views or policies of that organization.
Footnote
As usual, I’m only counting posts to the main source, those that were published on the Web page at SpecialEducationToday.com. I dropped “notes,” which one sees when she logs into the Web site and clicks on “Notes.” I can find it in the second line at the top of the SET home page.