Author Archive
Our view: Schools need to stop segregating children with disabilities. The Opinion of the RGJ Editorial Board
The Washoe County School District needs to stop segregating children with disabilities. Research shows that students with disabilities do better when included in the school in their neighborhood, with their siblings and in the same seat they would have with or without a disability. This is called inclusion. In Washoe…
Our view: Nevada should end adjusted diplomas
The Opinion of the RGJ Editorial Board. Nevada’s education system sets up students with disabilities for failure. A principal issue driving this is the availability of “adjusted diplomas.” These glorified … click here for the full story
Ask the RGJ: How many Washoe students are both disabled and gifted?
How many students in the Washoe County School District who are identified as disabled are also considered gifted? • Short answer: About 145. Full question After the Ask the RGJ column on how much the district spends for special education vs. the gifted and talented program, Carol Eastwick wrote in…
Parents voice struggles with special education in Washoe schools
Parents commonly buy a home based on the quality of the neighborhood school. Lisa Hickman has an added concern dictating her move: Where to find a Washoe County public school that can teach more than basic life skills to her children with disabilities, like brushing their teeth. She wants them…
Ask the RGJ: How many students have what disabilities in Washoe County?
How many students have which disabilities in the Washoe County School District? • Short answer: The largest category for Washoe students is something called a “specific learning disability” (explained below), followed by speech impairment, health impairment, autism, developmental delays and other disabilities. Full question Lee Archer writes, “Disabilities range from ……
Fighting for a spot in honors classes
When a teacher singled Savvy Guidas out for not singing her part in a Christmas song, the 14-year-old tried to hold back tears. “But I just ran out of the class and cried,” Savvy said. Savvy, diagnosed with slow processing and social anxiety, is one of thousands of students identified in the…
Ask RGJ: How much is spent on special education? Gifted?
Special ed funding vs. gifted? • Question: “How much does the Washoe County School District spend on special education compared with its gifted and talented program?” a reader asked. • Short answer: The district’s latest budget spends $73.2 million on special education and $7.8 million on gifted and talented programs, according…
Picollo School: A valuable option for students with disabilities or an institution past its time?
Schools like Marvin Picollo for medically fragile and severely disabled students are becoming less common nationwide. It would be hard to find a more excited high school graduate than Sabrina Ashley Carral. She smiled and raised … click here for the rest of the story
Connor Fogal’s education was defined by his body, not his brain Connor Fogal lives with what ifs.
Connor Fogal’s education was defined by his body, not his brain Connor Fogal lives with what ifs. “Where would I be if I graduated high school like everyone else?”… click here for the rest of the story
Before he got a B in history, he was taught how to brush his teeth . Why Zach Hanham is among the thousands of Washoe County students with a disability who don’t graduate.
When Zach Hanham was a high school freshman, he sat in a classroom as a teacher explained tooth brushing. Back and forth. Up and down. “I really wanted to be part of high school,” said the now 19-year-old who dreamed of the typical teen experience. “I already knew how to…