The Evolution of Special Education in Iowa As Told Through the Voices of Those Who Created It By Jeff Grimes and Jim Stumme 2016 The Evolution of Special Education in Iowa: As Told Through the Voices of Those Who Created It ii For Sharon Kurns who worked a lifetime helping others succeed iii Copying and Distribution The Evolution of Special Education in Iowa – As Told Through the Voices of Those Who Created It was written as a not-for-profit, free document. Readers are welcome to make copies. However, it is important to understand that the participants agreed to have their stories shared within the framework of this document, and likewise, many of the pictures and graphics were approved based on the context in which they are included. Thus, this document is to be viewed in its entirety, not as separate unconnected parts. The culture of caring in Iowa for enhancing special education services is to be celebrated as a whole across time and people. iv Contents Foreword .................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgments ....................................................................................... viii Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Decades Before the 1960s ............................................................................ 14 Decade of the 1960s ................................................................................... 25 Decade of the 1970s ................................................................................... 38 Decade of the 1980s ................................................................................... 77 Decade of the 1990s ................................................................................. 113 Decade of 2000s ...................................................................................... 153 Decade of 2010-15 ................................................................................... 188 Continuation of New Beginnings .................................................................. 231 Afterword ................................................................................................. 235 Appendix A Participants in Conversations .................................................... 236 Appendix B Image Credits .......................................................................... 252 v Foreword You are about to read a piece of history. It is a story with shared ownership because it is an Iowa experience and the reader, most likely, has a direct connection to the state. Why read history? Author Michael Crichton’s viewpoint on this topic is enlightening, “If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree.” The tree described here is the growth of special education in Iowa. It is an amazing story that reveals the progress up to the point of this writing, December 2015. The need for continued improvement does not end with the last period or exclamation point in this text. Others will continue the ongoing saga by acting on their commitment to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities. This writing is about discovering what was and considering what will be. The authors learned an enormous amount working on this publication and we hope the reader will do the same. For us, it was tantamount to the findings of the Hubble telescope when the optics were pointed at a black hole, a place where before it was assumed there was nothing, a void. The Hubble findings were the absolute opposite. There were hundreds of galaxies that were previously unknown. How much more is there to discover? The iconic photo called Pillars of Creation came from that exploration. In this writing, you too will find pillars of creation in Image of Deep Space education and stories of those whose work and love of humanity made it possible to have a system serving children, youth and adults with special needs in Iowa. We are indebted to those who engaged in conversations with the authors. Over a three-year period there were 130 conversations. We greatly value the sharing of information and the enduring passion of the parents and professionals who spent time with us. Most of all, we appreciate the sustained effort of all who are committed to helping children with disabilities and their families. In this book readers will meet many dedicated parents and professionals who helped improve services for individuals with disabilities in Iowa. Every effort was made to provide a balanced accounting of the evolution of special education in Iowa through many voices and convergent data sources. Clearly it was not possible to include everyone who contributed to this effort. It took a multitude of people to make the vi system better. We are grateful to all those who have played a role in improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. As a perspective on history, the material in this document is organized in time segments. Following the introduction, the time prior to the 1960s is discussed followed by a chapter devoted to every decade from the 1960s to the present. The last chapter is about the importance of continuing the evolution of special education services. The point is made time and again that progress has occurred because of the deep commitment of parents and professionals working together with dynamic legislators and attorneys who passionately championed the rights of the disabled. The authors benefited from hearing others’ stories, organizing the ideas and writing this text. We hope the reader will enjoy and benefit from what is offered here. J.G. and J.S. vii Acknowledgments Conversations with the Voices of Experience. One hundred and thirty Iowans participated in conversations in preparing this document. Photos and a brief description of each person is in Appendix A. The authors wholeheartedly appreciate the time and stories provided by these individuals and even more gratitude for their enduring passion that enhanced the lives of children with disabilities and their families. Randy Allison Phyllis Hansell Greg Robinson Jennifer Andersen David Happe Wendy Robinson Jim Autry Tom Harkin Myron Rodee Larry Bartlett Bill Hedlund Gary Ross-Reynolds Anne Berthelsen Nicole Hendrix Nicole Ryan Bill Boettcher Jessica Holley Beth Rydberg Jill Brink Amanda Honnold Deb Samson Sarah Brown Connor Hood Rick Samson Jan Campbell Sue Hoss Ann Santos Sean Casey Penny Hudson Julie Schendel Maria Cashman Marty Ikeda Jeananne Hagen Schild Jerry Caster Anna Ing Maureen Schletzbaum Jim Clark Bruce Jensen Stephanie Schmitz Joan Turner Clary Tom Jeschke Gus Silzer Kerri Clopton Linda Johnson Denny Sinclair Emmy Coder Stephaney Jones-Vo Nicole Skaar Melinda Collins Clark Kauffman Carl Smith Harold Connolly David King Mary Stevens Paula Connolly Nathan Kirstein Jim Stoycheff Mary Covey Fritz Krueger MaryAnn Strawhacker Roxanne Cumings Gunsung Lee Jessica Stumme Deb Moon Davis John Lee Curt Sytsma Darrell Dierks Marvin Lewis Deb Thomas Pat Dierks Nicole Linstig David Tilly Jennifer Downs Joy Lyons Joe Ulman Jim Doyle Thomas Mayes Toni Van Cleve Mark Draper Linda McAtee Vernon Vance Dennis Dykstra Pam Megill Samantha Vancel Stewart Ehly Jenny Merk Paula Vincent Jim Flansburg Lana Michelson Jen Waterman Jeremy Ford Kristin Miller Mary Watkins Molly Freie Ginna Moreano Heidi Webber Angelisa Braaksma Fynaardt Deb Mountsier Doug West Amy Garrett Eric Neessen Cheryl Wetzel Brooke Gassman Brad Niebling Shaun Wilkinson Kathryn Gerken Nathan Noble Barry Wilson Robert Gibson Robin Olberding Dee Ann Wilson Larry Gile Wendy Parker Dave Wood Jim Gorman Sally Pederson Rhea Wright Chuck Grassley Chad Pinkston Nai-Jiin Yang Bonnie Green Sylvia Piper Cindy Yelick Jerry Gruba Gene Pratt Sue Young Barb Guy David Quinn Alyson Halley Dan Reschly viii Reviewers. We are indebted to the eight reviewers who poured over the initial drafts and made valuable suggestions that helped refine the final version. They represent a wide range of experiences in education, administration, higher education, legal, and field-based practice. Appreciation is expressed to reviewers: Roxanne Cumings, Dennis Dykstra, Sue Grimes, Fritz Krueger, Marvin Lewis, Lana Michelson, Dan Reschly, and Vicki Stumme. Technical Editing. With great gratitude we acknowledge the extraordinary assistance of Nancy Brees who reviewed the final document with a watchful eye for appropriate grammar and spelling considerations. Her skills and good sense are valued as is her ever-present willingness to help. Data Sources. Sometimes it takes data to tell the story in the form of graphs, charts or tables. We are appreciative for the assistance of John Lee at the Iowa Department of Education with data and Dan Reschly for his assistance with legal consideration in IDEA and guidance related to this work. Graphic Design and Consultation. We recognize the unique professional technical assistance provided by Susan Schrader, Director of Resources and Library Services at Heartland AEA, who offered guidance and support in the process of turning the text into print and the web-based version for Internet distribution. Further, Jan Morgan, Graphic Designer at Heartland AEA, and Emily Adickes provided valuable consultation and exhibited skills in the layout of the manuscript, font selection and graphic presentation of this work. Visual Images. We acknowledge the able assistance of Martha Condon, an AEA regional director, who provided valuable support