Special Education Today Newsletter 2(27)
The week’s news and info for 5 December 2022
Dear, dear Folx,
I’m sending you faithful e-mail peeps this current issue of the weekly newsletter for Special Education Today. It refers to articles published on the Web site this past week. Some folks who frequently visit the site will find some of the content in this issue of the newsletter to be familiar. Others may find new content. I hope both these classes of readers find the content worth reading!
In addition, I’m providing an updated status report for the site and the newsletter, a table of contents for the past week, and a bit of commentary at the end. Said another way: Here’s the same old stuff (but, can you believe that we’re coming up on 75 issues of SET?).
Status update
This previous week, there was little growth in the number of e-mail subscribers. We lost one and picked up two (I think). We are still , as a community, approaching 500 subscribers. That’s a lot of people who have surrendered their e-mail address to Substack so that they can get these newsletters (and other mailings).
I’m quite happy to report that a couple of folks became paying subscribers. Paying subscribers not only increase the proverbial bottom line, but they also help support the broader distribution of SET. Some readers simply don’t have the wherewithal to secure trustworthy information about special education.
I hope SET can provide trustworthy content to teachers, parents, and others in many parts of the world who are concerned about children or students with disabilities. I hope teachers, parents, policy makers, and others who cannot afford books, journals, conference presentations, and such, can have SET as a window to helpful information.
SET’s paying subscribers subsidize access of those teachers, parents, policy makers, advocates, and others. So, I express my appreciation to the people who have become paying subscribers. If we can get the number of paying subscribers high enough, I hope we can create a lasting community that helps kids (and their parents) around the world.
I especially want to thank Kim L., George S., Kathy M., and Aletta S. for joining with patron support (as well as several others who switched from free to patron status) and, especially, to Mike G. (who’s taken a leadership role). You folks are the ones who’ll make SET work for the much larger community of readers concerned about special education. I’m humbled by your expressions of faith in the enterprise. Thank you.
A special welcome to folks who accepted gift subscriptions recently. Natalie H. ad Andy F. (All y’all paid subscribers, please distribute gifts!)
As before, I think a lot of this growth can be attributed to members telling others about SET. Thank you! Y’all are rockstars who keep on contributing! Let me acknowledge, especially, the activities of Betsy T., Clay K., & Tina C. (aamong others) who promote SET on other social media. It’s almost like they are proselytizing!
I encourage readers to share the content. Of course, I embed “share” buttons in posts and hope you will use them. But, shoot, you can simply clip a URL and pass it along, too. Here’s one!
Flashes of the high beams
Here is a (likely incomplete) list of SET pals who interacted with the magazine between 27 Novembers 2022 and the time I’m writing this newsletter. Thanks to everyone, including Karen A., Jimmy the K., Larry M., Betsy T. (multiple times!), Jane B. (also a repeat offender), Joel M. (he’s an MVC), Angelique W. (another multiple offender), Laura McK. (been here for a long time), Vince W., and Clay K. (an offender with a long rap sheet). Your contributions warm the cold, cold cockles of my behavioristic heart!
And then there is this week’s Table of contents
Timeline: H 47th B’day, US IDEA law!—Isn’t this a great reason for celebration?
Timeline: HB Doug Cullinan—May I tip my hat to a very admired coleague?
V. Williams celebrated 47 years of IDEA—What would she like to see in the coming years?
SIAT monthly newsletter—Do you subscribe to the newsletter of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment?
Timeline: IDPD—When was that established?
The bandmate has trisomy—Did Down Syndrome restrain this muscian?
Commentary
Alert readers may have noticed that there’s been a relatively new pattern in the titles of articles or posts on SET. This past week, I posted three notes with the word “Timeline:” at the beginning of the posts’ titles. I did this because I plan to post nearly daily articles on SET that remind readers about historical events in special education.
I corresponded with SET Pals Mike G. and Tim L. (both of whom have written scholarly works about the history of special education) regarding my plan to provide posts about historic events. I interpret their replies as encouraging me to include such a feature in SET.
Soooo...away we go! Over the next year or two, I’m hoping to build a chronological data base of important events in special education. Posts on SET drawing from this data base will provide date-by-date reminders of those events. Check, for example, the recent posts with “Timeline:” at the beginning of the titles.
But, what is more, I want readers’ help in identifying important dates for the “Timeline:” posts. Let’s do some crowdsourcing!
On Monday 5 December 2022 at 7 AM Eastern US Time (GMW +4), I shall provide a discussion page on which readers can drop their ideas about what SET should include in the “Timelines:” series. Think, reflect, comment.
Some other sites have provided calendars regarding disability and health. Some of them are sweet. Check these three out:
Meriah Nicholds “Diability Awareness Calendar”ttps://www.meriahnichols.com/disability-awareness-calendar/
Now, here’s my concern about the available resources: They are mostly about advocacy and celebration. I think advocacy and celebration are worthwhile topics, but I want to promote a factual and historic perspective.
So go to SET on Monday (or any day thereafter) and click the link to the discussion about the history of special education and disabilities. You’ll be able to drop your recommendations about events we, the SET community, consider meritorious for inclusion in our history.
OK, here’re the usual admonitions: (a) Wear your seatbelts: Remember to affix them when you get into your car! (b) COVID: Get boosted, keep safe social distance, wash your hands, use masks, and protect your family and friends. (c) Be safe on Halloween, blue bucket or not. (d) Help people who are new to your community. And (e) please, teach your children well.
JohnL
SET Editor guy
Charlottesville
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. Despite my appreciation for CEC, this product is not designed to promote that organization or others.