What Mothers Say about Special Education: From the 1960s to the Present (Palgrave Studies in Urban Education)

This book is an alternative account of special education from the cross-generational perspective of 15 mothers whose children labelled learning dis/abled (LD) attended public schools during the last four decades. This book is an alternative account of special education from the cross-generational perspective of 15 mothers whose children labeled learning dis/abled (LD) attended public schools during the last four decades This Book Documents The Experiences Of 15 Mothers Whose Children Labeled Learning Disabled Attended Public Schools During The Last Four Decades. Despite The Right Of Parents To Participate In Educational Decision-making, These Mothers Describe The Challenge Of Exercising That Right. In Candid And Compelling Narratives, Mothers Speak To The Language Of Experts, Conflicts In Shared Decision-making, Devaluation Of Mother Knowledge, And The Influence Of Race, Class, And Gender. The Constancy Of Issues Suggests That This Landmark Legislation May, In Fact, Have Engendered Minimal Changes In The Lives Of Mothers And Their Children. Setting The Stage : Context And Method -- From Past To Present : American Culture, Public Schools, And Parents -- The Early Years : First Generation Mothers -- The Implementation Years : Second Generation Mothers -- The Maintenance Years : Third Generation Mothers -- Mothers Speaking To Mothers : A Cross-generational Conversation -- Special Education As Ethical Practice. Jan W. Valle. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [233]-242) And Index. "This book documents the experiences of 15 mothers whose children labeled learning disabled attended public schools during the last four decades. Despite the right of parents to participate in educational decision-making, these mothers describe the challenge of exercising that right. In candid and compelling narratives, mothers speak to the language of experts, conflicts in shared decision-making, devaluation of "mother knowledge," and the influence of race, class, and gender. The constancy of issues suggests that this landmark legislation may, in fact, have engendered minimal changes in the lives of mothers and their children."--BOOK JACKET Front Matter....Pages i-xvii Setting the Stage: Context and Method....Pages 1-17 From Past to Present: American Culture, Public Schools, and Parents....Pages 19-51 The Early Years: First Generation Mothers....Pages 53-97 The Implementation Years: Second Generation Mothers....Pages 99-141 The Maintenance Years: Third Generation Mothers....Pages 143-182 Mothers Speaking to Mothers: A Cross-Generational Conversation....Pages 183-197 Special Education as Ethical Practice....Pages 199-223 Back Matter....Pages 225-248