Why is the Word "Retard" Still OK?

Soeren Palumbo is a senior honors student at Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois, and big brother to Olivia. During Writer's Week (in March 2007), he gave the following speech to a gymnasium full of his high school peers and faculty and received a standing ovation. It's well worth the read...

Soeren's Speech

Power to the Pies

Today provided a very nice exclamation point to the end of a hectic week. The kids, Amy and I headed to Carter Mountain Orchard to pick some apples and enjoy the great weather. We had our fill of warm apple doughnuts and apple slushees, and headed home with a half bushel of Red Delicious apples, a half bushel of Golden Delicious apples, several pumpkins, and a few gourds.

Let the apple pie making commence!

Thankful Thursday

It's been quite a week - really high highs followed by really low lows. Let's see if I can find ten things for which I am thankful...

• At the very top of the list - Ashley doesn't have to have brain surgery right now


• That Ashley slept all night last night. I can't remember a night like that since the day I adopted her over 10 years ago


• That Dancing With The Stars is back on TV


• The really good hamburgers I made for dinner tonight


• That the bus problem experienced yesterday was solved today


• That this Saturday we're going apple picking


• Dr. Ted Williams, Ashley's gastroenterologist, and the fact that he was available on very short notice yesterday


• Henrico County Fire Fighters - they came to Ashley's rescue once again yesterday after an incident at school, transporting her to the ER, and keeping her calm and happy the whole way there


• Shoe shops that can repair a favorite pair of shoes and not charge a fortune in the process


• My son, Chip. Each day brings another facet to this special kid and his many talents.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

I decided that it might be fun to check out the mission statements of some of the larger school districts around my state. I checked Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Richmond City, Charles City County, Hanover County, Goochland County, Powhatan County, and New Kent County. I also took a stroll eastward in my state to check out Virginia Beach City Schools, and Norfolk City Schools. And finally, I searched for a mission statement from the Virginia Department of Education. Listed below are my findings. Any text in red is either a comment from me or a highlighting of a school district statement I find particularly interesting. My next research project will involve finding some sort of measure as to whether or not the school districts met their missions. And, if there is any parent who thinks their school districts have, I have a some wonderful ocean front property in Arizona I would like you to see.

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Henrico County Schools
Mission Statement
In Henrico County Public Schools, we believe that:
• we can teach every child
• every child can learn
• knowledge is power
• student success requires a shared responsibility by students, teachers,
parents, and community
• every child deserves respect
• every child is unique and has a right to be
• every child can contribute to society
• children will meet our expectations
• given the knowledge and opportunity, children can shape their own futures
• the process of schooling must change to be effective in the 21st century

The mission of Henrico County Public Schools is to provide a nationally
recognized educational program and staff to develop 21st-century citizens
who can achieve full development of their potential and, as critical
thinkers and lifelong learners, exhibit through their character and values a
commitment to their community and the nation, as well as personal integrity
which will enable them to meet the challenges of change.

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Chesterfield County Schools
Vision Statement:
In 2012, we envision that every Chesterfield school will be a thriving, dynamic and inspiring educational environment that produces self-directed learners and stimulates citizens of all ages to trust in, invest in, and benefit from public education.

Mission Statement:
The mission of the CCPS is to work in partnership with students, families and the community to ensure that each student acquires the knowledge, skills and core values necessary to achieve personal success and to enrich the community.

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Hanover County Schools (I couldn’t find a mission statement online for this school district. That could mean one does not exist, or it is just not posted online.) The following quote is on the bottom of every one of their web pages, however.

"Hanover County Public Schools is a student-centered, community driven school district that assures a quality education for success in a changing world."

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Richmond City Schools (Again, I couldn’t find a mission statement online for this school district. That could mean one does not exist, or it is just not posted online.) The following quote is on the top of every one of their web pages, however.

Richmond “The Capital Choice in Education” (As long as you are not a school board member trying to remember where your office is this week.)

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Goochland County Schools (Again, I couldn’t find a mission statement online for this school district. That could mean one does not exist, or it is just not posted online.) The following quote is on the top of every one of their web pages, however.

Goochland “Working Together for a Quality Education”

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Powhatan County Schools – I couldn’t find a mission statement. And, there was no catchy little quote posted on any of their web pages.

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Charles City County Public Schools (Again, I couldn’t find a mission statement online for this school district. That could mean one does not exist, or it is just not posted online.)

The following quote is on the top of every one of their web pages, however. – “Demanding excellence because we care”

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New Kent County Public Schools - I couldn’t find a mission statement. And, there was no catchy little quote posted on any of their web pages.

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Norfolk City Schools

There was nothing labeled as their mission statement, but the following is posted on every web page:

“On the journey to world class” Norfolk Public Schools offers a rich and rigourous learning environment where all children can reach their full potential as citizens and leaders. We create a safe place where students experience nurturing relationships, and want to learn.

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Virginia Beach City Schools

Mission Statement
The mission of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, in partnership with our entire community, is to ensure that each student is empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the Challenges of the future.

Goal Areas
The School Board has established a framework for the future of our schools. There are seven goal areas:
1. Expanded Instructional Opportunities Through Data Driven Curriculum
2. Safe Schools and Effective, Well-Disciplined Environment
3. Effective, Efficient Use of Resources to Create Quality Educational Opportunities
4. Technology Integrated into Our Curriculum and Instruction
5. Recognition of Our Diversity - Respect for All People
6. Quality Work Force: Trained and Accountable for Performance
7. Meaningful Involvement of Community, Parents, and Partners

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Virginia Department of Education
MISSION:
The mission of the Department of Education is to lead and facilitate the development and implementation of a quality public education system that meets the needs of students and assists them in becoming educated, productive, and responsible citizens. (At least they don't say "meet the needs of ALL students".)

VISION:
The vision of the Department of Education, in cooperation with the Board of Education, local school boards, and other partners, is to create an excellent statewide system of public education that equips all students with the knowledge and skills to excel in postsecondary education and careers and to become capable, responsible, and self-reliant citizens. (Oops, they slipped up and said ALL STUDENTS here!)

School Bus Drivers Gone Wild

No, they didn’t pull up their uniform shirts to reveal their bare breasts or display their beer chugging skills. But what they have done is every bit as bizarre. Each of the three incidents listed below happened in my school district over the course of 32 hours.

Yesterday, a middle school bus driver rammed into the back of a car stopped at an intersection. This happened in broad daylight on the morning bus run. Several people in the car were hurt and were transported to the hospital. Fortunately, none of the children on the bus were hurt. The bus driver was charged by the police with reckless driving, so while we don’t know the whole story, it’s probably a safe bet that the bus driver was at fault.

Also yesterday morning, a bus delivering a child to my daughter’s middle school, pulled into the bus lane at the school, told the student to get off the bus, and then pulled away. Doesn’t sound too unusual until you find out that the bus was a ‘special’ transportation bus, and the student is diagnosed with autism – not mild autism either. This is not a student who speaks and one who seems to ‘hold it together’ best when life is safe and predictable. Needless to say, this student did not ‘hold it together’ yesterday morning. Now in this particular case, I do have to wonder where the teacher and aide who are supposed to meet the bus each morning were. So, while the blame for creating a bad situation for a student with special needs can be spread around, the bus driver absolutely should not have driven off and left the child standing alone.

And then this afternoon, I got to experience one of these rogue bus events first hand. My daughter’s aide was not available to meet her school bus this afternoon. I left work early so I could be home to meet the bus. Right on time, the bus (a short bus, by the way) came roaring up my subdivision street, and then with its brakes squealing, it came to a stop in front of my driveway. As some of my readers may know, my first career was as a police officer. Were I still in law enforcement, that bus driver would have gotten a summons for speeding.

The driver opened the bus doors, and both the driver and the aide stayed in their seats and said nothing. Since I have been chastised in the past for being a parent and getting on the school bus, I just stood at the door, also not saying anything. I guess the aide got uncomfortable with the silence, or else the spirits of bus aides past told her to get her lazy posterior in gear, because she stood up and handed me my daughter’s backpack and white cane. I stood there holding both things and waited for the aide to assist my daughter off the bus. Silly me….

Again the aide and driver did nothing. Finally the aide was again moved by the spirits and stood up, went to stand next to my daughter and…well, that was it. She just stood there. Since my daughter is deafblind, she probably didn’t even realize the aide was there. Finally the aide reached down and started pulling on my daughter’s arms, which caused my daughter to just resist. Finally, I suggested the aide speak loudly and tell my daughter that ‘Mom’ was waiting for her. The aide ignored my suggestion and instead reached to my daughter’s leg and tried to get her to turn out toward the bus aisle. I couldn’t stand it any longer. I got on the bus, signed to my daughter that it was time to go in our home, and immediately she started to stand.

I did notice that my daughter had a bit of a glazed look in her eye, and that she was a little unsteady. I asked ‘Did she have a seizure?’ The aide answered with “She ain’t had no seizure.” In a less than polite tone of voice, I asked if the aide knew what my daughter’s seizures looked like (seizures can look very, very different from person to person). Again the aide said “She ain’t had no seizure on the bus!” Okey dokey then. I took that as my cue to just leave.

Did someone put a crazy chemical in the bus exhaust system? Did the bus drivers and aides meet for a little spiked coffee before the morning bus runs? Is my school district so desperate for bus drivers that one need only be breathing to qualify for this job of ensuring the safety of thousands of students each school day? I don’t know the answer, but I just hope that the drivers and aides don’t start ripping their shirts off tomorrow morning.

All My Children

A major network soap opera has decided to include a storyline about a deaf toddler. Although I am not a viewer of All My Children, I applaud their writers and producers for undertaking this educational and inclusive approach. Read what inspired this story:

Major Soap Opera Includes Storyline on Deafness

A Very Good Day

Today is a very good day. Today Ashley saw her neurosurgeon, and he has decided to not do brain surgery right now.

Ashley was diagnosed with two brain tumors this past June. Her seizures, which had been controlled for years with medication, began coming at an alarming rate. The neurologist prescribed higher doses of medication and added in additional meds, but still the seizures didn’t stop. He then ordered an MRI, and that is how the tumors were identified.

Last week, three months after the first MRI, Ashley had another one. This new MRI revealed three tumors, not two, but also showed that the two identified in June had not grown at all. The neurosurgeon feels the third tumor was just missed on the June MRI. As he stated in June, he does not feel the seizures are a result of the tumors. The neurologist disagreed initially, and I haven’t spoken with him since the latest MRI.

So, based on the information from the latest MRI, the neurosurgeon does not want to do surgery right now. He would like to wait six months and then do another MRI. He did say, of course, that if we had any concerns in the meantime, to call him. I really like this doctor, and I trust him with my child’s life. So, if he thinks it is safe to wait, we will wait. But still we are left with few answers.

Ashley is on three seizure medications now, and yet she still has 3-5 seizures a week. That is, of course, better than the 5-7 she was having each day. The neurosurgeon has suggested to the neurologist that an EEG be done. I haven’t heard if we will do that or not, but if it will help, I’m all for it. And still, even though none of the doctors agree with me, I think hormones may be playing a role in the seizure increase also.

So, while we still have some answers to find, I can finally breathe normally again knowing that brain surgery is not imminent. Heck, I might even be able to sleep tonight!