THE BRIDGE online

New York Times – ADD/ADHD

5035oldsauk — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:43:07 +0000

Here is a link to some very interesting articles about ADD/ADHD that have been added to the New York Times Health Blog. http://well. blogs.nytimes.com/tag/adhd

The Impact of Private LD Schools on American Education

5035oldsauk — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:54:13 +0000

Kathleen Burke-Fabrikant, Ed. D., is the Executive Director of the Royce Learning Center in Savannah, GA. Her essay, The Impact of Private LD School on American Education, is a quick and fascinating read. Below is the conclusion of her essay and you can read the rest of this article at http://www.isc-erh.com/Insights/FabrikantPaper.pdf.

Best estimates place the total number of independent LD schools in the US at less than three hundred fifty. Thus, with 90,000 public and 29,000 private schools nationwide, private LD schools represent less than one fourth of one percent of the schools serving pre-K to 12 students. Of the fifty-six million school age children, private LD schools probably serve less than 75,000, or about one seventh of one percent. It is, then, an extraordinary testament both to the dedication of those who have devoted their lives to building LD schools, and to the power of the ideas they have advocated regarding the education of children with learning differences, that their impact on the landscape of American education has been so profound.

Public Forum on Special Education in Wisconsin

5035oldsauk — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:06:46 +0000

Public schools’ resources for meeting the needs of children with learning disabilities continue to come under pressure. As reported recently in the Madison Metropolitan School District’s referendum “fact sheet,” for example, 157 full-time equivalent positions in special education have been cut in the district since 1993. To elicit input from the public on their experiences with and concerns regarding special education in Wisconsin, the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Education’s Council on Special Education held its “Public Forum on Special Education” on November 17. Principal Steve Lien attended the forum, and had this to report in the November 19, 2008 edition of the Walbridge Communique:

I would like to thank the parents who attended Monday evening’s forum held by the State Superintendent’s Council on Special Education. Chan Stroman, Lisa Krugner-Higby, Mitch Tyler and Board Director Lynn Broderick spoke to the Council on behalf of Walbridge. By the time the forum was over, the Council was well aware of our school’s effectiveness in the education of learning disabled students. In fact, we were congratulated for “having the correct educational model for our students.” Our parents also gave the Council the task of finding ways to seek equitable funding between public and private schools who serve special needs students.

Family dinner together

5035oldsauk — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:44:12 +0000

Dinner together is an excellent opportunity to not only be together but also to help children develop their way with words. Informal conversation means verbal interaction, which will certainly help your child increase oral language skills. More formal conversations at the dinner table like discussing the advantages and disadvantages of owning a pet or sharing the merits of community volunteer service will greatly improve language development and critical thinking skills.

Dinner together shouldn’t be just at Thanksgiving. Make it a family ritual!

From Principal Steve Lien, Walbridge Communique, November 5, 2008 edition.