Time to Head Back to School and to Rethink Education

Johnny Collett and Kim Richey met with special educators and teachers at Hiawatha’s Essex Westford.Kim Richey chats with a student at Strong Foundations Charter SchoolKim Richey observed individualization strategies at work at Hugh Cole Elementary School.Johnny Collett and Kim Richey with students from Baxter Academy for Science and TechnologyJohnny Collett and Kim Richey meeting with teachers at the Baxter Academy for Technology and ScienceJohnny Collett and Kim Richey observe a lesson at Birch Meadow Elementary of Reading Public SchoolsJohnny Collett and Kim Richey visiting a classroom at Hanover Elementary School at Meriden Public Schools.Johnny Collett and Kim Richey participate in a round table discussion at St. Johnsbury Academy.Johnny Collett sat with children at Little One’s University.Johnny Collett and Kim Richey meeting with teachers, administrators, a parent and a board member at St. George Municipal School Unit.Group picture from the visit RSEC Academy in New Hampshire.

By Johnny Collett, OSERS Assistant Secretary


OSERS Deputy Assistant Secretary Kim Richey and I spent the week of September 10 traveling as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s 2018 Back-to-School Tour. During the week, ED leaders toured the country to get a closer, first-hand look at how schools are meeting the unique needs of students.

Kim and I spent the week in New England visiting traditional public, private/independent, and public charter schools to meet students and educators and to learn how these schools provide supports and services to students with disabilities.

We were encouraged by how these schools are rethinking education to ensure nothing limits their students from being prepared for what comes next in life―whether it is continuing their education, transitioning to a work environment, both, or whatever is their next right step.

We heard from diverse education stakeholders at each school. They provided us with great information, and it was incredibly helpful to benefit from their unique perspectives and experiences. We were reminded again, that those closest to the child really do know best about their education, and that the best ideas and innovations to ensure the success of children come from them, and not from Washington.

Read More

Posted by
Assistant Secretary Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services U.S. Department of Education

“Voices from the Field” Interview with Briana Harris, Tennessee Early Educator

Briana Harris

Briana Harris, lead teacher at the Cambridge Early Learning Center

Briana Harris is from Henderson, Tennessee, and currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a lead teacher at Cambridge Early Learning Center, which is part of the Metro Nashville Public Schools system. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Tennessee at Martin. She began her early learning career in Nashville as an educational assistant and interim teacher at the Martha O’Bryan Center. She is passionate about early childhood education, her family, and her three dogs!

Read More

Briana Harris (thumbnail)
Posted by
Briana Harris Lead Teacher Cambridge Early Learning Center Nashville, Tennessee

Rethinking Special Education

Douglas, an 11-year-old 6th grader from Massachusetts, has dyslexia and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He struggled in school from kindergarten through 4th grade, feeling frustrated in a learning environment that did not meet his individual needs and caused him to question his ability to succeed.

Douglas recently wrote President Trump and asked, “How can you as our president help kids like me get the right tools so they don’t get left behind?”

I met with Douglas and his parents on behalf of the president and the U.S. Department of Education this spring when his family visited Washington. We discussed his previous struggles and frustrations as well as his parents’ determination to get Douglas the help he needed to succeed in school.

We must rethink special education in America for students like Douglas. “Rethink” means everyone questions everything to ensure nothing limits any student from being prepared for what comes next. That begins with acknowledging the unique needs of each child and then finding the best ways to prepare each individual for successful careers and a meaningful life.

Read More

Posted by
Assistant Secretary Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services United States Department of Education