Links to Make You Think

An analysis of special education issues in New Jersey. I know, it's not Michigan, but what I found especially interesting is just how variable the percentage of students diagnosed with special eduction needs is, state to state. Why?

From National Public Radio's On Point, a discussion of the ramifications of laying off so many teachers nationwide.

Tonight, while watching the Tigers game on the television, I saw an ad for Cornerstone Schools. I was curious, so I checked it out. Cornerstone Schools is a private school with a Christ-centered mission (their words, not mine) in Detroit. That's all well and good, but they have spun off two charter schools. Read this article, and you--like me--will likely worry about the division between church and state in charter schools. I don't really get it, and I don't really believe there's much separation going on here.

I generally like Kym Worthy, but jail time for missing parent-teacher conferences? Come on! Don't we have enough people in jail as it is? Let's start with offering more opportunities for parent-teacher conferences, okay?

And, as usual, Sharon Parks of the Michigan League for Human Services has a stellar blog post--in part about foster care--focused on the state budget. Is state government unraveling?

Fostering and Adopting

This month--May--is National Foster Care Month. And I think that's why the Michigan League For Human Services has been tweeting away, referring people to the AdoptUsKids website. And that is how I found myself at the MARE (Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange) website.

And that is where I got seriously depressed. And fascinated. And more depressed.

On the MARE website, children's photos are posted, along with descriptions. I have tried to paste in a description. Twice. And Failed.

So I will just ask you to compare these two descriptions:

1. Angel and Tabby

2. Michael

The photo listings must work. But it makes me feel ill that we compare kids and pets, and in saying that, I mean no disrespect to the pets. 

I've linked to the foster parenting adventures blog, and

I'm interested in your experiences as a foster parent (or adoptive parent through the foster system).