I am a public-school teacher and have been for the past 13 years. So much has changed in the world of education during my time in the classroom. Programs have come and gone, we have dabbled in the art of online teaching, social media has made everything more complicated, and we have increased our safety… Read More Paraeducators: The Unsung Heroes of Public Schools
I had been focusing so much on my soon-to-be Kindergartener that I almost forgot about my soon-to-be second grader’s testing for gifted and talented services. In the rush this morning, I found a sealed envelope in my older daughter’s backpack. In it, I found the form letter explaining that my child is not eligible for services.… Read More Disappointment and Acceptance: My Kid Was Rejected for Gifted and Talented Services, Again.
It’s been a while since I’ve written anything directly pertaining to the work I do with families of children with disabilities. I am a special education attorney who represents parents trying to obtain an appropriate educational program, known as an IEP which is short for Individualized Education Program, for their children with disabilities. This past… Read More Two Great Resources for Connecticut Parents of Children with Special Educational Needs
It is school conference and report card time and with 3 children in the public school system, there are a lot of numbers coming at me. Reading test scores, math test scores, and everything in between. Some of these numbers have been listed as “above average” and some have been listed as “below average”. There… Read More Common Core, DRA, MAP, Standardized Testing: What it All Means to Me
Parent-teacher conferences were scheduled for the end of November this year. Even though it was a crisp fall day, I soaked through my blouse before I walked through the front door of school. No matter how organized I feel, these meetings are the most stressful part of parenting school-aged children. One of the most influential moments in my life… Read More Parent-Teacher Conference
Time to give thanks! I know how fortunate and blessed I am, and give thanks every day in my mind to whatever higher power has brought me this amazing life. But sometimes it’s good to say it out loud. I am thankful for (in no particular order): Healthy children who have grown up to be… Read More So grateful
Please try not to eat your friends’ lunch. Thank you for opening up and telling me that is what you did the other day. I know your friend’s rainbow yogurt is staring you in the face saying “eat me” and the person sitting across from you is happily devouring a tempting bowl of mac ‘n… Read More Advice to My Daughter: How to Enjoy School
My four and almost three-year old are obsessed with body parts. They are inquisitive about bodily functions, they want to understand how and why people are different shapes and sizes; we have had lengthy conversations about why Mom pees sitting down and Dad pees standing up. My daughters can properly identify their body parts. The… Read More Vagina is Not a Bad Word
So I’m about two months into the solo law practice, work-at-home mom gig. I have some billable work as well as a couple upcoming seminars (one of which is tomorrow – eek!), and things are actually happening for me, which is really great. And at the same time, a bit challenging. Everything is sort of… Read More Start Small, Stay Small? Solopreneur Moms and the Benefits of a Home Law Office
Earlier this week, Jen blogged about her apprehension toward her son starting kindergarten—a whole eighteen months from now—due to his severe allergy to peanuts, which can trigger a life-threatening condition known as anaphylaxis. For the uninitiated, an anaphylactic reaction is a true emergency that requires immediate action to save a child’s life, due to its… Read More Need to Know: Planning for Kindergarten with a Food Allergy
CT Working Moms 