tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post2130786872363670385..comments2023-10-21T06:18:41.537-05:00Comments on Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords: The Broken PlacesRobert Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15462451435441751837noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-80330185239507689082009-04-23T01:06:00.000-05:002009-04-23T01:06:00.000-05:00Okay, that was just obnoxious. I'm going to call ...Okay, that was just obnoxious. I'm going to call time of death on comments for this post.Robert Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462451435441751837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-21837828042758873882009-04-22T22:49:00.000-05:002009-04-22T22:49:00.000-05:00Rob, did you write this blog post just to make all...<I>Rob, did you write this blog post just to make all these self-absorbed Austinites apoplectic? Are you poking the beehive with a stick? </I><BR><BR>You know, I did actually have a larger point, but it's been lost on a lot of people. I think it's just getting silly now.<br /><br />To be honest, if I could write this entry all over again, I wouldn't have even mentioned Austin.Robert Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462451435441751837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-53113563274607729672009-04-22T22:39:00.000-05:002009-04-22T22:39:00.000-05:00I've traveled all over the country over the years,...I've traveled all over the country over the years, and I've never been to a town as in love with itself as Austin, Texas. Rob, did you write this blog post just to make all these self-absorbed Austinites apoplectic? Are you poking the beehive with a stick?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-59660280705873405232009-04-22T21:35:00.000-05:002009-04-22T21:35:00.000-05:00Glad you found your way with your kid. Sorry it wa...Glad you found your way with your kid. Sorry it wasn't in Austin. (Or the not Austin of Manor.) I swore I'd never comment on your blog again after being (in my pea-brained childless cloud of self-important opinion) misunderstood. However, I just have to say that I took FOUR (4) kids aged 8, 6, 2, and 2 to that toy store and that Big Top Candy store on SoCo and we were warmly welcomed. Sure I spent most of my time taking the great nephews and niece to Phil's Ice House and places with play scapes and ice cream, but if some of your readers think we aren't kid-friendly maybe it's true but you can thread your way through it for a visit even if the schools suck. Kite festival is also case in point. Flame away, folks, but that's my experience. No, I don't have kids in school. You are the expert there.Linda Ballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12417535881100246975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-67380947752577710212009-04-22T13:32:00.000-05:002009-04-22T13:32:00.000-05:00I really think that schools become what we (parent...I really think that schools become what we (parents, teachers, community) put into them. And if I'm right about that, then I can see how people can have very different opinions of the same school. What is a great fit for one family can be stiffling and miserable for others. A teacher who was outstanding one year can be burned out the next. A program that was failing one semester can become invigorated when a new family moves in and brings fresh ideas and enthusiasm. Schools aren't static. They change with each person who walks into them.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10167975377269696346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-60075835810052098242009-04-22T10:58:00.000-05:002009-04-22T10:58:00.000-05:00Just had to say thank you for a great post. I chec...Just had to say thank you for a great post. I check your blog from time to time and just started reading your book. My daughter Megan is 8, non-verbal, without a diagnosis even after many tests and specialists. She uses a Dynavox V AAC device. Anyway, I grew up in Ft Worth, and lived in Plano when I was single and loved the area. We now live out of state. I'm glad to know that Plano is doing such a great job. If we ever end up back in Texas, I know where we want to live! Thanks again for everything you do to educate. I also love reading about Schuyler.Carol Askewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18284034658571161374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-57368334628840270052009-04-22T10:46:00.000-05:002009-04-22T10:46:00.000-05:00Hetha--yup. Don't like paying taxes....to fing ba...Hetha--yup. Don't like paying taxes....to fing bad. You know what the reason so many of us are educated is taxes. So if you don't like it....you are right....move on. Education isn't cheap. Quality education costs more. And 7,000 dollars (the typical amount paid in most states) isnt' enough to educate a special needs child. Oh, and just since I am on my high horse.....where are the priorities? A new football stadium obviously has a larger impact on the life of our children....much more than a good education ever will. Please.Olivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13335539767084579228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-20822344614577358022009-04-22T10:37:00.000-05:002009-04-22T10:37:00.000-05:00I get all hacked off every time I think of this su...I get all hacked off every time I think of this subject, both because of my background as a public school teacher (from an impoverished area) and a parent to a child with a whole host of special needs. i don't think funding education should be a choice that shows up on a ballot. If you want to live here and enjoy our freedoms then you should be ready to pony up. Don't like it? Move to a third world country fuckers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-62168296918439079442009-04-21T20:25:00.000-05:002009-04-21T20:25:00.000-05:00You can call my town crappy and non family friendl...You can call my town crappy and non family friendly all you want. Chuck E Cheese is probably the high end of child entertainment here. Thankfully I don't have kids at this point so I don't have to delve into the evils of its school systems just yet. But we are really close to Columbus, OH, which apparently is one of the most gay-friendly cities in the U.S. Cool. Who knew?<br /><br />By the way - totally cute picture of you and Schuyler. And Jasper. I'm glad those two ended up such close friends.Sarah Wnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-48819447401536793152009-04-21T16:44:00.000-05:002009-04-21T16:44:00.000-05:00But, see, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE WRONG in most of wh...But, see, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE WRONG in most of what you said.<br /><br />Yes, no excuses from schools!<br /><br />Yes, give children a chance a accomplish all that they can!<br /><br />You betcha, get that little girl <br />best AAC device money can buy!<br /><br />Yessiree, if someone starts teaching my 6th grade "mentally retarded" daughter to start sewing wallets, I'm gonna go ballistic.<br /><br />And, dammit, AISD needs to much better!<br /><br />The Oakland link was interesting, but I don't think you can compare education programs (or outcomes) across states very well. As state-controlled programs, there are just too many confounding variables across those settings.<br /><br />My primary objection was that you are way off-base in assessing Austin as "non-child friendly" because it has some crappy schools and a snobby shopping district. You conflated a few really different things there. Then you were dismissive of any postings to the contrary, including the (mostly) positive series from the Statesman writer. Yes, I know it's your blog.<br /><br />This is a real problem, and it needs an honest discussion. Schools that are crappy in special education are often crappy in other ways. You shepherds have some of your own battles, but we are all fighting the same Orcs.<br /><br /><I>I think you're wrong, as you think I'm wrong. I guess that's where we're going to leave this.</I>See what I did? I didn't leave it. I am indeed bold.Jeaninehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09058722514482075560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-23125643203134265042009-04-21T16:40:00.000-05:002009-04-21T16:40:00.000-05:00Schuyler was never enrolled in Austin ISD schools ...Schuyler was never enrolled in Austin ISD schools at all right? You guys were zoned to another area ditrict. Or am I mistaken?robynczhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07491819229968081861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-89884160318252509262009-04-21T16:02:00.000-05:002009-04-21T16:02:00.000-05:00Is Plano much better than Austin for special needs...<I>Is Plano much better than Austin for special needs education? Probably. It also has 1/3 the percentage of economically disadvantaged students and has three times the percentage of white students. I think that is the “no shit, Sherlock” axiom at work there. And I’m enough of a pinko liberal to point that out.</I><BR><BR>And here's where I'm (respectfully) calling bullshit. This is the program I visited in Oakland, the one I specifically cited in my entry. It's one of the best special education/AAC programs in the country, and many (perhaps even most) of the kids are from very economically disadvantaged situations, much more so than Austin. A large number of them come from homes where the only English being spoken is coming out of their speech devices, if the kids are even able to take them home at all<br /><br />Again, it's about making excuses, and about deciding what you want the kids to accomplish, not what you've already decided they can't.<br /><br /><A HREF="http://rhs.ousd.ca.campusgrid.net/home/Directories/TACLE" REL="nofollow">The TACLE Program at Redwood Heights Elementary School in Oakland, CA</A>Robert Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462451435441751837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-26113183459380825492009-04-21T15:50:00.000-05:002009-04-21T15:50:00.000-05:00Yet you’ve managed to completely alienate me. Well...<I>Yet you’ve managed to completely alienate me. </I><BR><BR>Well, I'm genuinely sad that you feel that way. What I did was disagree with you. And I'm not sure that I did so in "Angry Dad" mode, either.<br /><br />I think you're wrong, as you think I'm wrong. I guess that's where we're going to leave this.Robert Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462451435441751837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-77382882753535304222009-04-21T15:41:00.000-05:002009-04-21T15:41:00.000-05:00… all because I said something you didn't like abo...<I>… all because I said something you didn't like about your town.</I>Wow. What a completely patronizing way to respond to what I said.<br /><br />You are right the article shows a mother’s anger and frustration. But it also featured sentences like this: <br /><br /><I>Meredith's world, largely created by Principal Janie Ruiz and teacher Bonnie O'Reilly and a classroom of energizing fifth-graders, is defined by a seamless culture of inclusion where kids with disabilities and kids without disabilities learn side by side.</I> <br /><br />And <A HREF="http://www.statesman.com/search/content/life/stories/other/02/052305adifferentroad.html" REL="nofollow">another article</A> says this:<br /><br /><I> Each morning, Meredith spends about an hour in a typical first-grade classroom before returning to her Life Skills classroom for a tailored academic program, called an Individual Education Plan. She has learned buckets of new things in her special ed classroom, but, knowing her teachers and therapists, I never had any doubts that she'd grow in knowledge.</I>Is Plano much better than Austin for special needs education? Probably. It also has 1/3 the percentage of economically disadvantaged students and has three times the percentage of white students. I think that is the “no shit, Sherlock” axiom at work there. And I’m enough of a pinko liberal to point that out.<br /><br />For the record I called “bullshit” on your limited experience with Austin being a basis for saying the city is not a good place for raising children. Some limited experience, ignoring any evidence to the contrary, and issuing a blanket generalization is right out of the Fox News school, and I thought more of you than that.<br /><br />And I’m a fan, Rob. I’ve read your blog for a decade, bought your book (hardcover, no less) and, as a parent, have followed many of your links to special needs websites to learn more about some of the issues. Yet you’ve managed to completely alienate me. <br /><br />“Angry Dad” mode may work well for advocating for your daughter, but if you want to be an effective activist for your cause and get others on your side, maybe rethink your approach.Jeaninehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09058722514482075560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-54202158383143941202009-04-21T14:32:00.000-05:002009-04-21T14:32:00.000-05:00Really, really thought-provoking post and comments...Really, really thought-provoking post and comments. We live in San Antonio. My kids are neuro-typical (ages 5 and 2), and my son attends a accelerated private school for a number of reasons. For one thing, I am a college professor, and I find that the students are often quite unprepared for college. My Ph.D. is from UT, and I've often wished we lived in Austin. <br /><br />My sister-in-law lived in Austin, but moved to a suburban area so her daughter could attend in the Lake Travis district, which has resulted in a hour commute for her, but she wasn't pleased with her daughter's Austin district.<br /><br />A friend has a 3-year old who isn't yet talking much, and no one knows why. Her daughter is doing a lot of speech therapy through a local school district, but my friend feels constant frustration at the ill-fitting labels that have to be applied even when they aren't accurate.<br /><br />I really want to believe in public schools, but I see so many problems now that we are "opting out." My husband and I both had wonderful public school experiences. Based on anecdotal evidence, it actually seems like the special education system here is doing a better job than the "regular" (for lack of a better word) classroom settings. The system is truly broken, and the repercussions for college success, etc. are huge.<br /><br />LauraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-40195711078248818512009-04-21T13:06:00.000-05:002009-04-21T13:06:00.000-05:00Hah! Punky Brewster meets Aadams family.
She's P...Hah! Punky Brewster meets Aadams family. <br />She's Punky Wednesday. Don't mess with her!Meghanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06303980747012215968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-53702035147259238902009-04-21T12:28:00.000-05:002009-04-21T12:28:00.000-05:00Thanks, as you know finding the right place is dif...Thanks, as you know finding the right place is difficult. With what you have said about schools in Austin I rethink where we might end up. Being from Dallas I know that the community is large...I worry more for my children than myself. I don't care if someone likes my life choices. What I care about is my children suffering at the hands or voices of others because of them. And of course....like you....I want my child to have the best education. Not the best possible....the best. And like you as long as I can make it happen....I will. But, it is a sad world when you have to consider emotional well being in addition to educational. Like you (I assume) I could never see my family in Plano....but I have learned many times over you really can never say never. Thanks, MichelleOlivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13335539767084579228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-21545569678133817362009-04-21T12:22:00.000-05:002009-04-21T12:22:00.000-05:00Dallas and Austin (and Houston) all have reputatio...Dallas and Austin (and Houston) all have reputations for being gay-friendly cities. I suspect all three have very different cultures within their gay communities. Austin is a town that would seem to be an easy answer as far as general acceptance by the general population, as opposed to Dallas, where you have a very strong and well-established gay community but also no shortage of good ol' boy bigotry lurking at every turn.<br /><br />Having said that, here are two things that might surprise you about Dallas:<br /><br />1) In 2007, <I>The Advocate</I> listed Dallas among its first ever list of Ten Best Places to Live for Gays and Lesbians. Here's the full list, in alphabetical order:<br /><br />Columbus, OH<br />Dallas, TX<br />Ferndale, MI<br />Ithaca, NY<br />Lexington, KY<br />Missoula, MT<br />Portland, OR<br />San Diego, CA<br />Santa Fe, NM<br />Tucson, AZ<br /><br />(Dallas isn't the only surprising city on that list, I must say.)<br /><br />2) In 2004, Dallas County elected an openly lesbian Hispanic Democrat, <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupe_Valdez" REL="nofollow">Lupe Valdez</A>, as sheriff. She won re-election in 2008.<br /><br />So I'd say either city would be a safe bet, depending on your feelings about the specific culture of the community.Robert Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462451435441751837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-55637081174175546042009-04-21T12:04:00.000-05:002009-04-21T12:04:00.000-05:00Fuck that....is right.Fuck that....is right.Olivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13335539767084579228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-1507159100767009722009-04-21T11:57:00.000-05:002009-04-21T11:57:00.000-05:00I read your blog as often as you post and just wan...I read your blog as often as you post and just want to say that my eyes were watering as I read (failure to blink or something). I am a special education teacher, mother, and wife. We are actually planning to return to Texas (which we left awhile ago) in the near future. The plan was Austin....primarily we feel like we need an open minded community for our out of the closet family. I orgiinally lived in the Dallas metro area so I understand your feelings on religion, values, etc. My question is (after telling you how fabulous your blog is) do you think the Dallas metro area would be a better choice for an out of the closet family. I know....off topic. Need someone other than my family and friends to answer truthfully. :) MichelleOlivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13335539767084579228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-10372173948631918902009-04-21T10:42:00.000-05:002009-04-21T10:42:00.000-05:00Wow, interesting stuff to think about. We spent a...Wow, interesting stuff to think about. We spent all of 2008 in Richardson, never thought we'd ever live in Texas after New York, but I'm glad we did, it was an eye-opener... and I learned that most of my preconceptions of "Dallas" and "Texas" were just flat-out wrong. <br /><br />I'm curious about how you think the Plano school district will work for Schuyler as she gets older. I know the high schools have some pretty big problems with drugs and such, right? I have to confess, my experience of the high school girls in Plano was pretty much limited to watching them drive their Hummers and BMW's to the mall to buy $500 sunglasses, so I guess I haven't let go of all my prejudices yet. :) Do you think Schuyler will find a place for her as she progresses through school, or do you anticipate another move?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-35302445190760862282009-04-21T00:26:00.000-05:002009-04-21T00:26:00.000-05:00But maybe someone has another approach for their k...<I>But maybe someone has another approach for their kid that works for them. Are they not worth listening to?</I><BR><BR>If you want me to understand, then show me something better. Show me how it works for her. <br /><br />You're right, I don't know how you respond to that, any more than I know how her situation sits with her. But when you hold her up as someone who thinks that her kid's school is a great place for special education, and the example you give reads as anything but a happy or especially encouraging result, then I have to make my conclusions based on what you give me.<br /><br />I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm really not. But if that piece doesn't represent her situation accurately, then please, show one that does. Because that piece, standing on its own merits, doesn't seem to show a parent happy about her child in an "outstanding" program.<br /><br />What I saw in that article was a frustrated mom making the best of a bad situation. And THAT is a story that is all too familiar to me, and thousands of parents like me.<br /><br />Incidentally, the only thing you've said that I truly take issue with is the suggestion that I am intolerant of how another special needs parent advocates for their child. I'm hoping I'm being overly sensitive and misreading you, because that's a pretty bold thing to suggest to someone who is dedicating a significant part of his life to advocating for families, and LISTENING to them, all because I said something you didn't like about your town.<br /><br />You have no idea how many of these parents I hear from every week, or how many of them have shown up at book signings just to cry. Every single one of them takes something out of me; every single one of them breaks my heart. And more than a few of them live in Austin or the surrounding area.<br /><br />And if it's okay with you, I think that's all I have to say about that. I do sincerely appreciate you writing and sharing your opinion.Robert Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15462451435441751837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-49785481192631169362009-04-20T23:33:00.000-05:002009-04-20T23:33:00.000-05:00I followed the link. I read the article. And perha...<I>I followed the link. I read the article. And perhaps it's because I have a child with a disability that I read it very, very differently than you did.</I>With all due respect, you have no idea how *I* read that article, Rob. <br /><br />The thought of sending a sixth grader to vocational education because of her special ed status made my stomach hurt. <br /><br />But maybe I'm wrong. If this author is not waving her fists in fury here, maybe I just need to settle down and listen.<br /><br />This author has written articles for years about her daughter's experiences in AISD. I've read them all, and mixed in with a lot of disappointment, setbacks, and just plain anger, she has, mostly, written about an amazing and transformative place for her daughter that she has chosen with her eyes wide open.<br /><br />I don't "get" what she's going through, obviously. But I am willing to give her credit for being a thoughtful parent and take her perspective seriously. Meredith isn't Schuyler -- her options, I believe, are a lot different.<br /><br />I would never suggest to not be a fighter for your kid. But maybe someone has another approach for their kid that works for them. Are they not worth listening to?<br /><br />Anyway, I just wanted to share another viewpoint about Austin schools.Jeaninehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09058722514482075560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-29816955638751858712009-04-20T23:01:00.000-05:002009-04-20T23:01:00.000-05:00Hi there...thanks again for posting another motiva...Hi there...thanks again for posting another motivator. We have been having a down time lately as we just found out that the organisation that is supposed to be helping us with speech and OT hasn't provided us with anywhere near the support that was promised but have just taken their employees out for seafood buffet in a 5 star hotel, with 'excess' funds that had to be spent before june 30.....Squeaky wheel? Uh uh....hear me ROAR!Melissa Luxmoorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04595400956383862969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22878815.post-85727240417064199822009-04-20T22:53:00.000-05:002009-04-20T22:53:00.000-05:00Maybe your mom would write a post about her weeken...Maybe your mom would write a post about her weekend?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com