Kids in the Middle: The Micro Politics of Special Education

by Marshall Strax, Carol Strax, Bruce S. Cooper PhD, emeritus professor a, Nel Noddings (Foreword by)

Overview

Kids in the Middle: The Micro-Politics of Special Education takes the reader on a fascinating journey through special education in the past, present, and future. On this journey, the micro-politics of special education are seen through the eyes and experiences of children with disabilities, their parents and advocates, adult educators, and school administrators. Supplementing these perspectives to develop an understanding of special education that goes beyond its administrative and political aspects, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), are scholars with expertise in special education law, administration, severe and profound disabilities, ethics, finance, teaching, and disability rights. Together, these voices explain the micro-political issues that affect how children with disabilities are educated.

Kids in the Middle promotes a new model of special education to help transform special education. Instead of perpetuating a system grounded in the concepts of promises, privilege, and power, this book considers how to build a system based on caring, compassion, and the common good, a system that will elevate the status of special education children who are lost in the middle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607098485
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	03/14/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	244
File size:	686 KB

About the Author

Marshall Strax, an advocate for people with disabilities, is a professor of education at the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ. His interests include the intersection of disabilities studies and special education, the politics of special education, and higher education and disability.

Carol Strax is an associate professor of education at Dominican College in Orangeburg, New York. A qualitative researcher, her interests include inclusive education, the use of service dogs with people with disabilities, and children’s literature.

Bruce S. Cooper, Ph.D., is professor of education leadership and policy at the Fordham University Graduate School of Education in New York City, and the former president of the Politics of Education Association. His interests focus on school politics, finance, and unionization. Cooper recently published a book with Sharon Conley, Keeping and Improving Today's School Leaders: Retaining and Sustaining the Best, that examines the process of preparing, encouraging, and retaining quality leaders at the school and district levels.

Table of Contents

Contributors

Foreword

Preface

Part I Politics of the Past: From Segregation to Integration

Chapter 1:Borderline: The Political Divide in Special Education
Marshall Strax, College of Saint Elizabeth

Chapter 2: Schooling Tommy in the Past: A Personal Perspective
Thomas E. Strax, UMDNJ-RWJ Medical School
Lisa Luciano, UMDNJ-RWJ Medical School
Anna Dunn, UMDNJ-RWJ Medical School

Chapter 3:Free At Last? Legislation for Children with Disabilities
Allan Osborne, Retired Principal, Snug Harbor Community School
Charles Russo, University of Dayton

Part II Politics of the Present: Law and Finance

Chapter 4:The Limits of Freedom: Legislation and Litigation in Special Education
Charles Russo, University of Dayton
Allan Osborne, Retired Principal, Snug Harbor Community School

Chapter 5: The Costs and Benefits of Special Education
Bruce S. Cooper, Fordham University

Chapter 6:Kid in the Middle: A Case Study of an Impartial Hearing
Carol Strax, Dominican College
Marshall Strax, College of Saint Elizabeth

Part III Politics of the Present: Reality on the Ground

Chapter 7: Common Confusions with Inclusion
David Connor, Hunter College

Chapter 8: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pay: Services for Children with Severe and Chronic Disabilities
Arnold Danzig, Arizona State University

Chapter 9: Schooling Tommy in the Present
Catherine Hall Rikhye, Retired Director, Office of Inclusive Education

Part IV Politics of the Future

Chapter 10:Voices From the Field: Students Speak Out
Carol Strax, Dominican College

Chapter 11:Voices From the Field: Parents Speak Out
Carol Strax, Dominican College

Chapter 12:Voices From the Field: Education Professionals
Carol Strax, Dominican College

Chapter 13:Schooling Tommy in the Future: The Ideal
Marshall Strax, College of Saint Elizabeth

What People are Saying About This

Lee S. Shulman

Kids in the Middle helps educators and parents negotiate the complexities of special education by taking the perspective of what is best for the individual child. Likewise, this book raises tough questions about the general utility of longstanding policies that often lose sight of the nuances of context and person.

Spencer J. Salend

Kids in the Middle: The Micro Politics of Special Education provides you with the opportunity to learn about special education from the experts, students, their families, and their educators.

Diane Ravitch

Kids in the Middlebrings fresh and insightful thinking to the complex issues of special education, which involves our nation's most vulnerable students.

Editorial Reviews

Kids in the Middle brings fresh and insightful thinking to the complex issues of special education, which involves our nation's most vulnerable students.

Diane Ravitch

Kids in the Middle helps educators and parents negotiate the complexities of special education by taking the perspective of what is best for the individual child. Likewise, this book raises tough questions about the general utility of longstanding policies that often lose sight of the nuances of context and person.

Lee S. Shulman

Kids in the Middle: The Micro Politics of Special Education provides you with the opportunity to learn about special education from the experts, students, their families, and their educators.

Spencer J. Salend