When Advocating for Students With Disabilities, It’s OK to Be Wrong Sometimes But It’s Not OK to Be Quiet

I remember the first time I spoke up at a national conference in front of my colleagues. We were at a national meeting of a…

This New Report Is Fighting Charter School and Special Education Myths With Facts

To hear tell from charter opponents, students with disabilities and charters don’t mix. Their story about charters and special-needs students is simple: Charter schools don’t…

I Was Bullied as a Child With Special Needs. Here’s How You Can Protect Your Kid.

Bullying is a serious problem in schools and online because it has the potential to cause real and lasting harm to victims. Bullying is considered…

Dropping Special Education Guidance Requires a Little Explanation

The Trump administration recently rescinded 72 pieces of guidance related to special education and vocational rehabilitation services for children and adults with disabilities. Their explanation:…

4 Ways We Can Fund Personalized Learning to Create More Equitable Schools

Budget shortfalls in states are framing a new angle on educational equity conversations. It is no longer simply about what is right, but what is…

I Never Thought Gifted and Talented Kids Could Be At-Risk Too, Until My Son Said He Wanted to Drop Out of School

It’s almost the end of the summer and I realize that the professional development I have been in has been pretty fantastic, and pretty awful.…

Without the Office for Civil Rights, My High School Would Have Continued to Discriminate Against Students Like Me

You may have seen the news. On July 11, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos responded to a letter written by Senator Patty Murray, which questioned the…

Students With Reading Disabilities Deserve the Magic of Books Too

Exciting. Delightful. A joyful experience for the mind and soul, escaping into other worlds. This is the power of reading. Frustrated. Discouraged. Feeling like a…

Coffee Break: Denver Charter School Leader Bill Kurtz on Finding the Right Brew of Quality, Access and Integration

Denver’s DSST charter schools are one of the nation’s premiere secondary school networks. Led by longtime CEO Bill Kurtz, DSST has expanded steadily in Denver…

I Almost Didn’t Graduate High School Because My School Wouldn’t Change a Light Bulb

Recently, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said she believes local and state governments should be allowed to set their own rules when it comes to…