Blog

https://edsource.org/2017/parents-strongly-object-to-report-calling-for-local-funding-of-special-education/579265 Here's an interesting story--of attempts at reform. I've made a comment, as you can see. It's all become so complex--and we can't lose sight of the need to serve all students and to finally target the system that requires parents to be enforcers of the law. Your thoughts?

http://www.educationviews.org/miriam-kurtzig-freedman-special-education-2-0/ I hope you'll have a chance to check it out. All the best, Miriam

https://edexcellence.net/articles/dont-let-personalized-learning-become-the-processed-food-of-education Here's an excellent piece by my friend, Mike Petrilli. He's right to be concerned. It's been picked up by Diane Ravitch's blog. I urge you to read both. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/15c88039d0270b23?compose=15c87da9a56933d0 I agree with the concerns expressed by both Mike and Diane. To which I’d like to add the following. My question is about the motives we have and [...]

If you want to know more about my new book, Special Education 2.0, here is Dr. Green's very detailed review. It helps his readers decide whether they want to go out and get the book. http://www.drdouggreen.com/2017/special-education-2-0-breaking-taboos-to-build-a-new-education-law-by-miriam-kurtzig-freedman It's great to see Dr. Green's positive review. I appreciate it very much, especially as he was a school principal for many years and knows what is happening in schools and where [...]

https://edexcellence.net/events/more-than-overdue-special-ed-20-a-conversation-with-miriam-kurtzig-freedman If you missed the event at Fordham Institute in Washington on May 4, it's not too late! You can now watch it on line. The event went well. Many questions and answers and still-to-be determined answers. We had a large audience--both at Fordham and streaming live. It's on Twitter at #specialed2pt0. Join the conversation! And let's hope events like this get us talking and [...]

This is the unanimous Supreme Court decision about what standard for services schools need to provide to students with disabilities under the federal law, the IDEA. Here are some of my musings..... First, many headlines about this decision seemed to highlight a “win” for students with disabilities. For example, http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/03/22/521094752/the-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-a-special-education-student [...]

It'll be a conversation between Chester Finn and myself about my book, opening the long-overdue national conversation, dreaming big, and building a new second-generation special education law. Here's the notice! https://edexcellence.net/events/more-than-overdue-special-ed-20-a-conversation-with-miriam-kurtzig-freedman?utm_source=Fordham+Updates&utm_campaign=1b180d3e70-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d9e8246adf-1b180d3e70-71520013&mc_cid=1b180d3e70&mc_eid=c3cdf53c06

https://empireradionow.com/miriam-kurtzig-freedman-4-01-17-attorney/ Let me know what you think! Help spread the word about rebuilding (not just tweaking) special education and education for all students.

With the new education administration in Washington, I believe the need to rebuild special education is ever more urgent. Continuing its dysfunction helps feed the push for charters, choice, and vouchers. My new book, SPECIAL EDUCATION 2.0—Breaking Taboos to Build a NEW Education Law, breaks out of the special-education reform mold and invites us to start an honest national conversation without the many taboos that have thwarted innovation. The book is nonpartisan and [...]

Here's a piece that caught my attention. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/03/29/why-im-worried-about-the-future-of.html I'm especially interested in the numbers cited. After 25 years of movement, passion, and effort, we now educate some 3 million students in charter schools. Whether these schools are good or bad or great or so-so, that is around 5-6% of students. How does this "movement" ever scale to meet the needs of all students—some 50 million? As a passionate supporter [...]