Joanne Jacobs
Swim Team
Swim Team, a documentary, about three young men with autism who compete as the Jersey Hammerheads, will premiere on PBS’ POV tomorrow...
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Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 1, 2017
- 1 min
Here’s how schools inflate grad rates
Public school officials are “using fraudulent methods to inflate graduation rates,” writes Bernard Gassaway in Education Week. He saw it...
Joanne Jacobs
- Sep 1, 2017
- 1 min
Many state grad rates will fall, due to ESSA rule
Graduation rates have been increasing across the country, but many states will have to report lower graduation rates under the new...
Joanne Jacobs
- Aug 30, 2017
- 3 min
Speech codes discriminate against ‘neurodiverse’ students
College students with autism and other “neurodiverse” conditions could use the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to overturn speech...
Joanne Jacobs
- Aug 30, 2017
- 1 min
What if everyone gets extra time on SAT?
Many more students are getting extra time to complete the SAT, primarily due to learning disability diagnoses. Is the SAT still valid?,...
Joanne Jacobs
- Aug 26, 2017
- 1 min
‘Atypical’ draws cheers, boos
Atypical, a new Netflix show about a family that includes a high school boy with autism, is drawing mixed reviews, writes Mark Walsh on...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jul 7, 2017
- 2 min
Billionaires, here’s how to fund education
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan will spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to fund “whole-child...
Joanne Jacobs
- Jun 19, 2017
- 2 min
Why I changed my mind about vouchers
Robin Lake, director of University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Education, used to oppose vouchers, she writes on U.S. News. A...
Joanne Jacobs
- May 26, 2017
- 1 min
College for all includes low-IQ adults
Colleges are providing a “path to higher education” for the intellectually disabled, writes Hayley Glatter in The Atlantic. For example,...
Joanne Jacobs
- May 14, 2017
- 1 min
Fidget spinners: Do they help or distract?
Fidget spinners — handheld, multi-pronged tops — are supposed to help hyperactive and anxious kids stay focused. Some teachers say...
Joanne Jacobs
- Apr 28, 2017
- 2 min
Good education works for special-needs kids
“High-quality generation education can lead to remarkable progress for special education students,” conclude Elizabeth Setren and Nora...
Joanne Jacobs
- Apr 16, 2017
- 1 min
Julia moves to Sesame Street
Julia, a Muppet on the autism spectrum, has made her debut on Sesame Street. Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Big Bird learn to play a little...
Joanne Jacobs
- Mar 24, 2017
- 2 min
Special ed vouchers help some, but not all
Many states offer vouchers for students with disabilities, writes Christina Samuels on Ed Week. “Many parents who accept those options...
Joanne Jacobs
- Mar 24, 2017
- 2 min
After the disability ruling, what will change?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guarantees students with disabilities the chance to make “appropriately ambitious”...
Joanne Jacobs
- Mar 9, 2017
- 1 min
Let all kids get a ‘gifted’ education
The U.S. expects less of students than many countries in Asia and Europe, writes Alina Adams on New York School Talk. Why not accelerate...
Joanne Jacobs
- Mar 6, 2017
- 2 min
Choice wars
New America’s Kevin Carey lamented “dismal voucher results” in the New York Times, which followed with an editorial calling choice an...
Joanne Jacobs
- Mar 5, 2017
- 2 min
Decoding the world, through Disney movies
Life, Animated didn’t win the Oscar for best documentary (blame O.J. Simpson), but the movie about Disney and autism is well worth...
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