Cathy A. Rodrigues, LCSW, ACSW, CMCStrategic Design & Research, Inc. 430 North Milwaukee AvenueSuite 5  Lincolnshire, IL 60069847-276-2662 phone847-276-2699 faxCathy@CathyRodrigues.comwww.CathyRodrigues.comwww.parentingthespecialneedschild.comI am a social worker with a deep passion to help mothers with children with medically complex conditions gain strength, support and resources to be the best parent they can be.

My name is Crystal Wiskerchen.  My talent is modeling, soccer, gymnastics and most rewarding; volunteering.  I want to represent one of those children that make a difference in the world and to be a positive role model.  I understand that it is o.k. to be different and embrace situations with an open heart and mind.  I have been a positive influence for a couple of years now and would like to tell you about my experiences and how they touched me.

When officials at P.S. 123, an ordinary neighborhood school in Harlem, were forced to call the police this month to keep a charter school from taking over its classrooms, I was reminded how charter schools make it harder for neighborhood schools to succeed. Some time ago, I visited P.S. 42 in the Bronx, just a block away from a charter school, the Carl C. Icahn Charter School. Both schools serve poor children, and neither school has an entrance exam.

I hear four things consistently in the American national media when people are speaking about education. These are calls for “higher standards,” “charter schools,” “merit pay,” and “alternative teacher certification.” And all four, from PBS to The New York Times to the Secretary of Education , are promoted as panaceas for all which ails our schools. “Higher standards” sounds so good. Who would want “lower standards”? Arne Duncan wants a ” race to the top .” “Charter Schools,” the “market solution,” will bring competitive fervor to education.

By John Rohde For 36 years now, the Special Olympics have tugged at the heart of former Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer. That’s more than half of his 71 years on earth. The amazement Switzer felt at the outset of his relationship has not wavered. His heartfelt association with Special Olympics Oklahoma has long been appreciated. Further appreciation came Tuesday night when the Oklahoma Knights of Columbus presented Switzer with its 2009 John F. Kennedy Community Service Award.

Hey everyone, No new audio with this post.  It is a blog only update to let you know that the Question Booklets for Volume 4 are now available.  If you’re new to the A.T.TIPCAST and you’re not sure what that is, you can find out more by checking out the special episode about professional development posted back in May. The Resources: Download these files to make your own staff development workshop out of the A.T.TIPSCAST! All Files For Volumes 1 – 4: 1.

Subject Matter: Math Grades: Kindergarten through Fifth Grade Well Designed Online Supplemental Curriculum There are many supplemental programs to reinforce content material. For elementary students, it is essential they have a strong foundation in math. Yet, students don’t learn in one fashion. My son is a visual learner. He’s good in Math, but when he started word problems, he had a difficult time in elementary school. With Aha!Math, Learning.com provides multiple avenues to tackle a wide variety of math topics.

COLUMBUS — An Ohio man has his wedding band back — and is back in his wife’s good graces — after the ring accidentally wound up in the till at a Texas tollbooth. Rodger Moore of Columbus went to Texas for a family wedding nearly two weeks ago. He Tips For Buying Wedding Rings COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus man’s wedding ring has been returned after it accidentally slipped off his finger and into the basket at a Texas toll booth.

10 Ways to Balance the Budget Without Tax Hikes Contrary to the Governor’s rhetoric, there are a plethora of reforms and spending cuts that can balance the budget without firing our police, evicting our elderly, or dumbing down our kids. Below we offer our ten ways to balance the state budget, this year and the years to come, without raising taxes .   1.      Eliminate corporate welfare . The Governor’s latest General Fund budget contains over $410 million in corporate welfare.

I used to wear a button that said, ‘Health care is a right not a privilege’. I never expected to see Congress wearing it too. WASHINGTON – House Democratic leaders, pledging to meet the president’s goal of health care legislation before their August break, are offering a $1.5 trillion plan that for the first time would make health care a right and a responsibility for all Americans. Left to pick up most of the tab were medical providers, employers and the wealthy.

Muncie’s newest Elementary school will be named the “Muncie Community Schools High Performance Academy.” The school will house forty percent of the students from the former Garfield Elementary school, and two special education classes. The new school’s name was picked from a selection of 96 suggested names.

Autism remains one of the most misunderstood conditions that a child could deal with. Those that do have a vague understanding of the condition will often assume that it only exists in its severe form. In actuality, autism comes in many forms including a less impactful but no less serious manner. This variant of autism could be called a form of mild autism. When a child suffers from mild autism, the impact is still severe because it will dramatically impact the way the child can engage in his life activities.

Spelling is the most difficult skill for the right brain but it is the most important. More time should be given to spelling and building a reading and writing vocabulary than any other learning skills. The Dyslexia Victoria Online Approach to learning to spell is through “drawing” words and understanding them in wholes, not in their separate parts or separate letters or phonic sounds.

Someone who gave me mayo advice a while back said that there was nothing that compared to real, fresh, honest mayo.Boy, was she right.I have attempted to make mayo before, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally cracked the code. I have tried several different recipes both online and even the one found in my beat up Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that has navigated my kitchen with me for years.I have always failed. It didn’t matter how many times I tried, my mayonnaise never  wanted to thickenen properly.

By: Terresa Monroe-Hamilton Hat Tip: Garry Hamilton One needs look no further than the following list to see why California is broke and going under. The following is from Casey Research - “ Statehouses in the Poorhouses ” (go about half way down the page): David again. I can well remember the sense of incredulousness I felt back in 2005 when watching state governments, flush with tax loot as a result of booming real estate and investment markets, passing lavish new spending programs.

Jill asked: I am needing examples of a low, mid, and high tech to use for a student with a learning disability in writing.

I had the pleasure of speaking to 2,500 educators on July 13, 2009, at the AFT’s educational issues conference in Washington, D.C. Here’s a portion of my speech: Some of the best-kept secrets regarding American public education are the success stories. Teachers have lots of know-how when it comes to improving teaching and learning, but we don’t hear nearly enough about the many schools where this know-how and hard work are producing dramatic improvements.

Seven years after Los Angeles school officials fired a special education teacher for sexual harassment, a judge has approved the firing of Matthew Kim, reports the LA Times. Kim “was accused of touching co-workers’ breasts and making improper advances toward students.” All told, the Los Angeles Unified School District has spent nearly $2 million, including Kim’s pay and benefits while he was barred from the classroom. Known as a “housed” employee, he and about 160 others reported every day to administrative offices, where they were assigned no work.

Residents of Pinal County who aspire to careers as special education and elementary education teachers now have a convenient path to a bachelor’s degree and Arizona certification, thanks to a cooperative program between Central Arizona College and Arizona State University. The program enables students to turn their two-year associate’s degree from CAC into a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree and dual teacher certification in elementary and special education through ASU’s College of Teacher Education and Leadership (CTEL) without leaving Pinal County.

Residents of Pinal County who aspire to careers as special education and elementary education teachers now have a convenient path to a bachelor’s degree and Arizona certification, thanks to a cooperative program between Central Arizona College and Arizona State University. The program enables students to turn their two-year associate’s degree from CAC into a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree and dual teacher certification in elementary and special education through ASU’s College of Teacher Education and Leadership (CTEL) without leaving Pinal County.