I am a parent,who happens to also have 25 years experience in health and education research. I have always been a strong teacher advocate and supporter of public education, but have faced challenges as a parent of a bright child with special needs over the past 8 years that have dramatically altered my view of public education in America. I want to change things. I want to do whatever I can to bring focus of attention on the needs of the student. Whether through funding issues, lack of knowledge and understanding of learning and the brain, frustration, a broken system of one size fits all rule or all of these, I find myself no longer a part of a team, but being viewed as an intrusion when advocating for the needs of my child, no matter how respectfully, and no matter how much documentation of need I provide.
How can we change this very broken system of education?
My advice to young couples is becoming, don't have kids unless you're prepared to pay for private education through college and I don't want that to be my final word.
