How Parents Can Support Special Education at Home
Introduction Supporting your child’s special education at home is one of the most powerful ways to improve their progress, confidence, and independence. While schools provide structured support, your home environment can reinforce learning, build critical life skills, and create a consistent path toward success. If you are a parent navigating special education, here’s a clear, […]
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Secrecy killed the Common Core
An excerpt from The Politics of Education K-12, available on Amazon. by Lonnie Palmer One of the many things that contributed to the turmoil during the initial rollout of the Common Core-based testing was the secrecy. Teachers were unable to review even sample tests, which contributed to teacher, student and parent fears. What exactly are […]
Public School Unions: How They Impact School Budgets and Students
An excerpt from The Politics of Education K-12 by Lonnie Palmer Why FDR Opposed Public Union Negotiations When I started teaching in 1970, I learned that Franklin D. Roosevelt did not support public union negotiations for salaries and benefits. This was surprising to me because FDR supported private unions and helped create the National Labor […]
The well-funded but debilitating barnacle on public schools
An excerpt from The Politics of Education K-12 by Lonnie Palmer Soon after becoming a teacher in 1970, I remember reading that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the famous Democrat and depression era and WWII president, did not believe in public union negotiations for salary and benefits.[i] This confused me. Weren’t the Democrats supporters of unions? Didn’t […]
How the “Learning Disability” Label Impacts Public Schools – The Politics of Education K-12
An excerpt from “The Politics of Education K-12” by Lonnie Palmer The Rise of Special Education as an Industry Shortly after the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was implemented, public schools across the United States experienced a significant increase in special education services. Principals and teachers, seeking to serve severely disabled students, formed consortiums […]
How Special Education Affects Public Schools – The Politics of Education K-12
An excerpt from The Politics of Education K-12. by Lonnie Palmer The Rise of Special Education After PL 94-142 Special education in public schools has evolved significantly since the late 1970s, following the introduction of PL 94-142 and the new category of “learning disabled.” Initially intended to support students with genuine learning challenges, the category […]
Special Education: Good Intentions, Bad Results in Public Schools
An excerpt from The Politics of Education K-12, available on Amazon. by Lonnie Palmer Shortly after I started my career as an educator, the federal government enacted Public Law 94-142[i], the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, which became widely known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA for short. The law was created […]
School Board Leadership: Why Politicians Shouldn’t Run Schools
An excerpt from The Politics of Education K-12, available on Amazon by Lonnie Palmer School board leadership often determines the success or failure of a public school district. Yet too often, politics and personal agendas overtake sound leadership, creating dysfunction that hurts students, teachers, and communities. In New York State and many other states, turnout […]
Should we abandon bubble sheet assessments?
An excerpt from “The Politics of Education K-12,” available on Amazon. by Lonnie Palmer Authentic assessment in education is crucial for building confident, capable students beyond test scores. Yet in a world obsessed with standardized testing, we risk missing what truly matters in learning. The bubble sheet test proponents frequently miss a key point in […]