What if...
...way back, when the original P.L. 94-142 was being drafted, it would have been possible to have looked thirty or forty years into the future to the 2005-06 school year?  What if they had known then what we know now?  What would those heroic pioneers have done differently as they were struggling to conceptualize, develop, and implement a new national program to help students who experience difficulties with reading, writing, and/or math?  They could not have predicted the future, but,

What if...
...they knew then the most important factor for student success would ultimately be found to be educators working with students?  Could they have known how ineffective education could become when professional educators ended up spending all day in meetings, rather than working directly with students?

What if...
...they knew the eventual excessive paperwork burdens associated with special education would consume and destroy dedicated, lifelong, professional educators to the point they would just up and quit?

What if...
...they had known psychologists and other special educators would ultimately be expected to perform as lawyers rather than educators?  That special educators would regularly attend inservices and workshops related to compliance with laws instead of perfecting the arts and sciences necessary to provide powerful and effective educational interventions?  That professionals would spend almost all their time worrying they would get sued rather than being able to celebrate student successes?  What if they would have known that?

What if...
...it would have been somehow possible to realize the deadly toll of labeling students?  That excessive labeling would eventually disable America itself?

What if...
...they would have been able to predict that scientific practitioners would never be able to find a reliable and valid way to assess and diagnose learning disabilities?

What if...
...they would have known that forty years later, no one really knows what a learning disability is?

What if...
...they could have understood that the civil rights of students could have been adequately addressed and protected through the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973?  That reasonable accommodations could have easily addressed the needs of students with disabilities, just like in the real world?

What if...
...they had known there would be no such thing as "local control" and education would eventually be run from an ivory tower in Washington?  That the "experts" in education would not be the student, parent, or professional educator, but rather, a [Republican or Democratic] president backing powerful special interest groups?  Who could have ever predicted that?  What if those original pioneers had known their special education program would end up such a disaster?  What would they have done?  Would they have stopped right then?

What if...
...they could have predicted the future and seen the day when children were systematically called "AD/HD" or other horrible names and placed on "magic pills" solely to make individuals within the pharmaceutical industry rich and powerful?  What if those heroic pioneers had been able to understand the full ramifications of that?  At least they had an excuse -- they couldn't predict the future.  We, in the present day, don't have an excuse any more.  We know what's going on.  And we're either part of the problem or part of the solution.

What if...
...they would have understood that education in and of itself is pure and not some kind of legislated rocket science?  That, at it's purist level, education is an educator and a student working together... that it doesn't take 800,000 laws, regulations, rules, lawyers, advocates, bosses, experts, and layer-upon-layer of red tape and beauracracy and meetings and forms?  It really doesn't!  I wish those original pioneers and each subsequent generation would have foreseen that.  I hope we understand that now.  I know I do.

What if...
...they could have proposed basic and effective strategies for student success, rather than just a myriad of laws resulting in a bloated yet underfunded governmental system which [tries to] mandate philosophies?  What if they could have understood that special education would become all about making money off of the innocent?  That it would become all about power, greed, money, control, and social stratification?

What if...
...we had a "second chance," just like in the movies -- and we could go back and do it all over again, knowing then what we know now?  Well, we unfortunately can't do that.  But...

What if...
...we realize now that we are the pioneers for those who in thirty years will be trying to heroically serve students?  What if we know changes need to occur and we don't make the necessary changes?  What will that mean for students -- the backbone of our country?  What will that mean for America?  What if we are not courageous?  What if we don't stand up now and do what's right?  Well, I can't predict the future any better than the original pioneers did, but we now have information available to us they didn't.

What if, knowing what we know now...
...we quit labeling students?

What if, knowing what we know now...
...we heroically worked with students in direct instruction or other direct educational, psychological, and/or mental health activities?  If the student needs help with math, we would help them with math.  If the student is struggling with a psychological issue, we could just help them with that issue.  That would be our job.  What if we just did that?  What if we finally realized that any time spent not working with students is wasted time in education.  Out of a forty hour work week, how much time do you actually spend working with students?

What if, knowing what we know now...
...we decided we would only hold a meeting if/when necessary and useful?  What if school psychologists and other professional educators stepped out of special education because of the obvious conflict of interest -- are we to be lawyers, or scientists?  We just can't do our jobs any more the way things are.

What if, knowing what we know now...
...we now had one form instead of ninety-five.  What if true paperwork reduction could become a reality?

What if, knowing what we know now...
...we finally admitted there is no such thing as a learning disability?

What if, knowing what we know now...
...we protected the civil rights of students through the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, just like everywhere else in the world except in the magical fantasyland of public education?  What if we just cut our losses and got out of the special education game all together?  What if we just cut our losses and got out of Iraq?  What if we disinvented special education?  Some pioneering people all got together one day in the past and invented special education... it seems to me it would be just as easy to disinvent it.  No one would lose their jobs... education always needs great professionals who will provide outstanding services for students.

What if, knowing what we know now...
...we just treated students with respect and dignity?  What if we could provide them with opportunities to make informed decisions regarding their lives and learn from the natural and logical consequences of their actions, just like in real life?  What if we provided a variety of meaningful educational opportunities for them so they would want to attend school instead of passing more laws to make them attend so they are not left behind?  What if we quit using education to invent criminals?  What if we could EMPOWER students instead of disabling them?  What if we provided a meaningful curriculum?  What if we just did that starting now?

What if, knowing what we know now...
...school psychologists could work with all students and assume the role of professional educator, rather than being a mere pawn assigned the dirty work of disabling students to fulfill political and religious agendas and to make others rich and powerful?  What if that could happen?  It would mean there would have to be real local control -- true professional judgment.  Could that ever happen?  Only if we have the courage to pioneer such efforts.  It would take a lot of courage and heroism.  No one should lose their jobs, but some might lose their lives.  There is big money involved in this special education business.

What if, knowing what we know now...
...we understood that it's time for an EDUCATIONAL REVOLUTION... a peaceful, nonviolent revolution, of course.  Playing the game, contacting senators and congress isn't working, working within the system isn't working, passing more and more laws isn't working, reauthorizing the same old law every seven years isn't working, not much seems to be working as far as I can tell.  It's not that we're not trying.  It's just that the system doesn't work.

What if, knowing what we know now...
...we disinvented the concept of learning disability?  Is there anybody who truly believes s/he knows what a learning disability is?  Is there anybody aside from a neuropsychologist who truly believes s/he can accurately assess it?  Is there anybody who truly believes the concept of SLD -- other than being a method to obtain [underfunded] services -- is in any way helpful for students?  If so, try to explain it all to me, but understand I'm a scientist and I'm a skeptic... you're going to have to provide a better explanation than you have so far.

What if, knowing what we know now...
...that we remember that our present woes and difficulties are not because we're not trying.  But, are we heroically trying -- or just dejectedly going through the motions?  Showing up every day to just dejectedly be a lawyer and slap labels on kids is not why I got into education.  Are we heroes if we continue to mindlessly show up every day, slap labels on children, and go to lunch?  Are we really heroes?  I say, "No."  I say we are heroes if we stand up and do what's right for children and America now.  That's what this revolution is all about.

What if, knowing what we know now...
...your little one year-old child becomes an educator some day?  Thirty years from now s/he will be working in the system we pioneer here and now.  What are you going to do?  I'm telling my story and ranting and raving and writing on the internet and making resources such as this and I try to provide input into the paperwork reduction act and I write my senators and congresspersons and the USDE and CSDE... still, everyone seemingly thinks I'm just a complainer.  Maybe I am.  No one is going to change a thing just because some shrink in Bakersfield is complaining... it's going to take a humanistic movement with a lot (thousands/millions) of people having the courage to stand up and do what's right.

What if, knowing what we know now....
...we did the right thing now?  The right thing for students?  The right thing for schools?  The right thing for America?  Please consider joining this [peaceful, nonviolent] educational revolution. 

What if...
...you were scared to use the word, "revolution?"  That's okay.  You have my permission to be scared and nervous.  I am too.  But the future of America is more important than my/our nervousness.  It's important to understand the concept of revolution.  Revolution is merely quick change governed by nature.  Evolution is slow change over a long period of time.  Evolution is always followed by revolution... whether we want it or not. 

What if...
...my rationale hasn't convinced you?  I hope you see the need for revolutionary change as I do, but if not, I guess things will just keep going on the way they are... for awhile longer.

What if...
...we believed what we tell students?  We tell students they can change the world for the better.  We tell students they are important.  Well, I'm telling you that you can change the world for the better and you are important.  I'm telling you the zeitgeist dictates that it is our job to do this now.  This will no doubt be one of the most important things we will ever do. 

What if...
...we don't do this now?  Well, you are very bright.  Take a few moments and consider what will happen if we don't stand up now.  I'm serious.  Think about it.  This is important.  You may need to think about it for more than a few moments.  I've been thinking about it for the past ten or more years.  If you are new to the field and we don't make a few necessary changes, for the next twenty-five years you will be systematically disabling students so the rich can get richer.  You will remain a pawn... not a scientist.  Think for a moment how some past governments in world history have sometimes used science as a means to obtain its desired ends.  Will you ever be able to look at yourself in the mirror?   Here's the bottom line:  the revolution will occur whether we want it to or not:  nature always corrects nurture; if we act now, we can nurture nature to a certain degree; if not, nature will take it's course -- let the chips fall where they may.

Thank you..
...for all you do for students whether you agree or disagree with what is presented herein.  Thank you for considering the topics and information presented here. 

You are probably wondering what now?

On the page linked below, the KOG Educational Revolution is articulated on November 15th, 2005.  Everyone will be able to participate in this revolution in his or her role.  Everyone will of course be provided with the opportunity to provide input, suggestions, and success stories.  None of us can single-handedly change the world, but millions of us in a grass-roots, peaceful, nonviolent revolution can, and that's what it's going to take.  You, in whatever role you hold (psychologist, special educator, administrator, support staff, teacher, parent, student, lawyer, citizen, or any other) will be provided with the opportunity to proudly and heroically start fighting for outstanding services for students as per the terms of the revolution.  You will also have a forum to discuss all aspects of this revolution.  Feel free (in fact, you are encouraged) to discuss this document with your peers or others.  Feel free to share your ideas in the KASP Discussion Group -- or e-mail me -- many more great ideas are needed.  Be sure to spread the word about this document... and the impending grass roots, peaceful, KOG Revolution, to everyone you know.
 

KOG REVOLUTION NOW!

The revolution is articulated on the page linked below on November 15th, 2005.  Read the terms before joining of course.  It's pretty straightforward.  It's logical.  It's utilitarian.  It's heroic.  It's the right thing to do now.  The children are suffering now.  America is suffering.  And you and I are too.

Click here to start the KOG Revolution