Dear friends and colleagues,

Still shopping? Here’s an idea!

If you need some creative,
practical, and fun little gifts for friends or relatives who are educators, school administrators,  parents (or grandparents) of students with
disabilities, or anyone interested in school reform—particularly of special
education—or even for yourself—here they are!

These little flipbooks are written by me. It’s been gratifying that
they’ve been so well-received around the country. See these comments about…

IEP and Section 504 Team Meetings… and the Law

Parent
in Silicon Valley, California:    ‘Your IEP 
book was helpful to me, so thanks…It gets opened prior to any meeting I
have at the school.”

Massachusetts special
education director:   “I
attended your seminar yesterday and got this book. I have to tell you, I am
LOVING your little orange book. I read it last night. I cannot fully express
what a find it is for me. I want to buy it for my entire staff and all the
administrators. It is informative, it cuts to the chase, and it’s entertaining!
Who would ever think a book about special education law could be funny!

Kentucky mom:    “Miriam, many thanks for the IEP
Team Meetings book. The layout, the simplicity, and the explanations were
all great! Your book helped us achieve a better IEP for our daughter.”

Grades, Report Cards, etc… and the Law

Virginia Department of
Education administrator:  “I found your book lying on a co-worker’s
desk and thought I’d glance at it. Well, I couldn’t put it down! It’s a
wonderful, straightforward guide. How do I get a copy?”

Tennessee special
education director:  “I am
ordering more books. The book is wonderful.”

Fixing Special
Education–12 Steps to Transform a Broken System

David
Driscoll, former Massachusetts Commissioner of Education:  Attorney Miriam Freedman has provided a
wealth of information to parents, school people, and other interested
parties.  Special education laws and
rules can be very complex, but Miriam has boiled special education down to what
it should look like, in an easily readable format.  Hopefully, all parties will take heed and
students will be much better served.

Jerome
J. Schultz, Ph. D., Clinical Neuropsychologist, Harvard Medical School, and author
of  Nowhere to Hide:  Pay attention, Folks.  The Emperor IS Naked! This little book is
packed with truths about special education. 
Attorney Miriam Freedman has the experience and courage to tell it like
it is and to rationally explain how it SHOULD BE! This book is not anti-special
education. It’s pro-kids—all kids.  A
must-read for all trainees who are being spoon-fed the archaic dictates of
years past, and for policymakers at all levels.

Philip
K. Howard, Chair of Common Good:  Fixing
Special Education invites discussion and action and is a must-read
for anyone interested in improving special education  and restoring balance to school decision
making. I am happy that Ms. Freedman has shared her wide experience in this
compelling little book. I hope it starts an important national conversation.

Mark
LeBlanc, President, Small Business Success: 
Miriam Freedman shares candidly what you need to know and what needs to
be done in order to protect and serve the best of what our kids need.  Read carefully and get involved. Our future
depends on it.

Happy holidays and best wishes for a healthy and
peaceful 2012.  

Miriam

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-about-better-parents.html?_r=1

Finally, I’m beginning to detect a ‘movement.’ An honest view of what we need in schools besides good teachers. Here’s Thomas Friedman’s op-ed in the matter. We need good parents. While this discussion may be late to the party, it’s good that we are finally here.

Good parents, apparently, read to their children and talk with their children about school and encourage their children in their school work. So says, Thomas Friedman in his New York Times op-ed. All that is probably true, though I was not much of a story reader to my children and they seem to have thrived anyway…

There’s so much to parenting—feeding, clothing, enjoying, discussing, and putting children to bed at a reasonable hour. I don’t forget that principal of an excellent elementary school I visited. Yes, she said, the teachers are good, the school is nice, the children study, and all that works, but, “If only I could get the moms to put their children to bed at night.”

Tired children don’t do well in learning. Yes, that, too, is the role of good parents.

Mr. Friedman et al, welcome to the party!

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/school_law/2011/11/judge_posner_on_school_law_and.html

It’s amazing how personal his death is to so many of us
around the world. Really amazing.

I never met him but I’m one of millions who loves his story
and his inventions and feels the loss. I also loved seeing his house in Palo Alto that I walked
past several times. It’s not too big—looks like a French country home with
lots of olive trees around it, as I recall. Back to inventions…. I finally
broke down and bought an iPhone and love to text my kids and get photos! It has
enriched my days….

His passing reminds me of one of my favorite stories of my
mother and nephew, when he was a little boy. 
She would pick them up from school once a week. One day, he was hungry
and wanted to eat something. My mom told him she had an apple in her purse. He
rummaged through it but came up empty. She looked and sure enough there was a
nice green apple.. but he said, ” I was looking for an Apple!!”
She–of a different generation–had no clue! It was all so new then.

Steve Jobs changed our world, and even our language. He will
be missed.