Movie: Won't Back Down

Do you have a child in Special Education? Perhaps with dyslexia?

You'll love this movie. This is what we need around here. Parents with energy and desire to make our schools truly better and for the children.

Should schools be just about tenure and security and raises and unions for the teachers?

There are many good teachers. There are some great teachers. And there are too many teachers who should be kicked out of the system.

Be sure to see this movie: Won't Back Down.

Drive to Marietta? Rochester? Just to Brookfield?

If you haven't heard Kirk Martin and his son, Casey, recently, you may want to collect some friends and jump in the buggy on November 7 and truck on up to Brookfield, Wisconsin for a 7:00PM event.

No, you don't have to drive to Marietta, Georgia. Or to Rochester, Minnesota.

Brookfield is only 60 miles from Woodstock. That's Brookfield, Wisconsin (not Illinois). Kirk and Casey will be at the Wisconsin Hills Middle School, 18700 West Wisconsin Avenue, in Brookfield, Wisconsin (not Illinois (did I say that?)) on Thursday, November 7, from 7:00PM-9:00PM.

There is no charge. Arrive early for the best seats. And sit down in front; not way up in the nose-bleed section. How can Kirk pick on you, if you are way in the back? (He'll find a way.)

Got questions about raising difficult children? Or about having perfect children, but being a difficult parent? Bring your questions. Ask them!

Check out this page on www.celebratecalm.com to view the flyer for this event.

I first met Kirk, when Casey and he were in Woodstock about five-six years ago, and I have caught up with him at his events since then. 

So turn off the TV, gas up the buggy, and make an evening out of a nice drive and back. Take family, friends or neighbors. Heck, if 50 people wanted to go from McHenry County, we could get a bus!

Not done with SpecEd., after all

I thought I was done with Special Education. Maybe you're never done with it.

I became intimately familiar with Special Education after moving to Woodstock in 1996. My experience began at Dean St. School, and one of the smartest things I did, after taking an informal one-day class in Special Ed Advocacy at the Family Resource Center on Disabilities, was to hire a full-time advocate who had more than 15 years of hands-on experience.

He wasn't cheap, and he was worth it!

I learned about placement in-district, placement out-of-district, private therapeutic day schools, hospitalization, inclusion, exclusion, a teacher's rant (not intended for my eyes, of course), and the Age 18-to-21 Transition Program at McHenry County College.

All of which can be content for many stand-alone articles.

Thanks to this blog and another (www.WoodstockAdvocate.com), parents still find me.

Parents need support. They need it, and are entitled to it, from the school districts. They need support from others - family members, neighbors, friends, co-workers, the community.

There is support available. Watch here for new articles. Some will have what some consider "old" information. Be refreshed. Never give up!

Thanks to readers of this blog

I want to thank the readers of this blog and those who have commented on it. Because my son has "aged out" of Special Education, any further posts to this blog will be few and far in between, if at all.

Please enjoy the other blogs. I commend to your reading

www.celebratecalm.com

www.wrightslaw.com

Story tellers 7-12 wanted

Is your child a writer? How about your grandchild? Could she or he be a writer?

The Molly & Carter's Creative Writing Contest is looking for stories about the Titanic as seen through the eyes of pets.

Check out this website for details and prizes. All submissions by February 26.

www.titanicpigeonforge.com/writing_contest.php

Parent University - Feb. 2

From District 200's website:

Free half-day seminar offers excellent resources to parents

Parents in District 200 and surrounding communities will have a unique opportunity on Saturday, February 2nd to learn successful strategies for helping their children deal with the challenges confronting today’s youth.  District 200’s third annual Parent University will be held at Woodstock North High School from 8:00 a.m. to noon on the 2nd and is open to parents of students in elementary through high school.

The half-day seminar, which is presented at no cost to participants, will feature a keynote speaker and numerous workshops on topics including Parenting in the Millennium, bullying, alcohol and drug use, ADHD, and the Kyuki-Do Martial Arts Verbal Defense Program.  All workshops are conducted by experts in their fields.  The day will also feature opportunities to network with other parents and to learn about a variety of resource agencies in the area.  Once again this year, there will also be presentations in Spanish.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Feld, will kick off the event at 9:00 a.m. with a presentation titled “Parenting in the Millennium."  Dr. Feld is a child/adolescent psychiatrist who is community psychiatrist for Alexian Brothers Behavioral Hospital, and who maintains a private practice in Northbrook, Illinois.  He is considered an expert in ADHD and has done workshops for physicians across the United States on the topic, as well as more than 500 presentations on parenting in the millennium, medication issues for children and adolescents, and ADHD.

Every participant will be able to attend two workshops of their choosing. In addition to the workshop presentations, participants will also have the opportunity to meet and talk with representatives from a variety of service agencies in the area. These include McHenry County Department of Health, Volunteer McHenry County, Rosecrance Health Network, Gateway Foundation, D.A.R.E., The Mathers Clinic, PFLAG, Jailbrakers [sic] and many others including resources within District 200 schools.

A continental breakfast will be served and free child care will be provided to those who are interested.

For more information about Parent University, contact Julie Jennett, D200 Special Services Coordinator, at (815) 337-6038 or visit the Parent University webpage. Woodstock North High School is located at 3000 Raffel Road.

Woodstock Parents - speak out

To all parents of Woodstock District 200 Schools (and any other schools):

What have you heard about improvement in safety for your children at their schools?

Anything?

Sheriff Joe Arpaio didn't wait for school boards to act. He took action and put patrols around the schools in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Your school board here in Woodstock (Ill.) didn't even meet after the Sandy Hook shooting. Did ... not ... even ... meet!

You elected men and women from the District 200 territory to be in charge. Are they? What are they doing?

The Superintendent was not at the January 8 school board meeting. I did not hear any report about safety.

In fact, I didn't hear much. I think they used to have microphones in which to mumble, but there were no microphones. The audience has to sit back of the 50-yard line, far away from the Board. If they are going to speak in low tones, the room should be seat so that the audience is within hearing distance. It was possible to see lips moving and heads nodding, and even a few words now and then.

And then the meeting was over.