Special Education Myth Busting — from gettingsmart.com by Karla Phillips-Krivicka

Key Points

  • At least 85% of students with disabilities can learn and achieve on grade level.
  • 14% of all U.S. students have a disability.

No belief is more damaging in education than the misperception that children with disabilities cannot really succeed and shouldn’t be challenged to reach the same high standards as all children.

Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education 


From DSC:
One of our kids — actually, who is no longer a kid anymore — was born with Mosaic Down Syndrome. Looking back on her K-12 years, first through fifth grade went very well — which my wife and I were very grateful for. (We didn’t know what each year would bring and whether she would be able to move on to the next grade.)

But sixth and seventh grades were very rough. At the end of seventh grade, we decided to homeschool our daughter. The system she was in — like so many school systems across the nation — was meant to address the 80% of students who are neither gifted nor have special needs. The quickly-moving trains leave at such and such a time and then stop at such and such a time. One better keep up. This traditional system is a one-size-fits-all approach, and it’s something we do for administrative purposes — it’s not for the benefit of the kids within K-12 schools.

K-12 education in America is a like a quickly moving train that stops for no one.

After a few years of both homeschooling and Christian education, it turned out that our daughter was able to learn almost all of the subjects in high school. But she needed to learn ON HER TIMELINE…AT HER OWN PACE of learning. 

We’re proud of her. She has had a couple of jobs already and is doing quite well overall. Her motivation has been very low at times, which made homeschooling very tough. But, overall, I would agree with Karla Phillips-Krivicka’s key point that at least 85% of students with disabilities can learn and achieve at grade level. That’s been true for our daughter who has some special needs.

 

Is graduate employability a core university priority? — from timeshighereducation.com by Katherine Emms and Andrea Laczik
Universities, once judged primarily on the quality of their academic outcomes, are now also expected to prepare students for the workplace. Here’s how higher education is adapting to changing pressures

A clear, deliberate shift in priorities is under way. Embedding employability is central to an Edge Foundation report, carried out in collaboration with UCL’s Institute of Education, looking at how English universities are responding. In placing employability at the centre of their strategies – not just for professional courses but across all disciplines – the two universities that were analysed in this research show how they aim to prepare students for the labour market overall. Although the employability strategy is initialled by the universities’ senior leaders, the research showed that realising this employability strategy must be understood and executed by staff at all levels across departments. The complexity of offering insights into industry pathways and building relevant skills involves curricula development, student-centred teaching, careers support, partnership work and employer engagement.


Every student can benefit from an entrepreneurial mindset — from timeshighereducation.com by Nicolas Klotz
To develop the next generation of entrepreneurs, universities need to nurture the right mindset in students of all disciplines. Follow these tips to embed entrepreneurial education

This shift demands a radical rethink of how we approach entrepreneurial mindset in higher education. Not as a specialism for a niche group of business students but as a core competency that every student, in every discipline, can benefit from.

At my university, we’ve spent the past several years re-engineering how we embed entrepreneurship into daily student life and learning.

What we’ve learned could help other institutions, especially smaller or resource-constrained ones, adapt to this new landscape.

The first step is recognising that entrepreneurship is not only about launching start-ups for profit. It’s about nurturing a mindset that values initiative, problem-solving, resilience and creative risk-taking. Employers increasingly want these traits, whether the student is applying for a traditional job or proposing their own venture.


Build foundations for university-industry partnerships in 90 days— from timeshighereducation.com by Raul Villamarin Rodriguez and Hemachandran K
Graduate employability could be transformed through systematic integration of industry partnerships. This practical guide offers a framework for change in Indian universities

The most effective transformation strategy for Indian universities lies in systematic industry integration that moves beyond superficial partnerships and towards deep curriculum collaboration. Rather than hoping market alignment will occur naturally, institutions must reverse-engineer academic programmes from verified industry needs.

Our six-month implementation at Woxsen University demonstrates this framework’s practical effectiveness, achieving more than 130 industry partnerships, 100 per cent faculty participation in transformation training, and 75 per cent of students receiving industry-validated credentials with significantly improved employment outcomes.


 

How Do You Teach Computer Science in the A.I. Era? — from nytimes.com by Steve Lohr; with thanks to Ryan Craig for this resource
Universities across the country are scrambling to understand the implications of generative A.I.’s transformation of technology.

The future of computer science education, Dr. Maher said, is likely to focus less on coding and more on computational thinking and A.I. literacy. Computational thinking involves breaking down problems into smaller tasks, developing step-by-step solutions and using data to reach evidence-based conclusions.

A.I. literacy is an understanding — at varying depths for students at different levels — of how A.I. works, how to use it responsibly and how it is affecting society. Nurturing informed skepticism, she said, should be a goal.

At Carnegie Mellon, as faculty members prepare for their gathering, Dr. Cortina said his own view was that the coursework should include instruction in the traditional basics of computing and A.I. principles, followed by plenty of hands-on experience designing software using the new tools.

“We think that’s where it’s going,” he said. “But do we need a more profound change in the curriculum?”

 

Jeremiah 32:17

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

In that day you will say:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Psalm 18:30

As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.

Romans 11:33-36

Doxology
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

 

Adulting and Career Exploration — from the-job.beehiiv.com by Paul Fain
Junior Achievement helps high school grads learn life skills and gain work experience while figuring out what comes next.

Bridging the Gap Between School and Careers
Junior Achievement has stepped into the blur space between high school and what comes next. The nonprofit’s 5th Year program gives young adults a structured year to live on a college campus and explore careers, gain work experience, and build life skills.

An initial cohort of 24 students graduated this May from a trial run of the program based in Toledo, Ohio. Each participant held two internships—one in the fall and one in the spring. They also visited 60 employers across the metro area. Represented industries included law, engineering, construction, accounting, healthcare, higher education, and nonprofit organizations.

The program is focused on helping students find a clear path forward, by guiding them to match their interests and abilities with in-demand careers and local job opportunities.

“We’re giving them the space to just pause,” he says. “To discover, to explore, to grow personally, to grow socially.”

 

Microschools’ Diversity of Educational Models — from microschoolingcenter.org by Don Soifer

The microschooling sector’s robust diversity of educational approaches is often described by the families who choose it as among its most appealing attributes. The wide range of approaches offered, and the many ways different approaches are combined within different microschooling models, offer families options usually not currently available in the communities they live.

And while many of these approaches, like project-based learning, are popular across all of American education, within the smaller, more personalized and responsive context of a microschool, educators are able to take advantage of their flexibility to delve more deeply into the possibilities of each than they were in the more rigid structures of most traditional schools.

According to 2025 research published by the National Microschooling Center, microschool leaders reported that project-based learning is the most popular educational approach used (72 percent). Respondents were asked to indicate all that apply, so microschools typically indicated incorporating multiple approaches.

 

 
 

Multiple Countries Just Issued Travel Warnings for the U.S. — from mensjournal.com by Rachel Dillin
In a rare reversal, several of America’s closest allies are now warning their citizens about traveling to the U.S., and it could impact your next trip.

For years, the U.S. has issued cautionary travel advisories to citizens heading overseas. But in a surprising twist, the roles have flipped. Several countries, including longtime allies like Australia, Canada, and the U.K., are now warning their citizens about traveling to the United States, according to Yahoo.

Australia updated its advisory in June, flagging gun violence, civil protests, and unpredictable immigration enforcement. While its guidance remains at Level 1 (“exercise normal safety precautions”), Australian officials urged travelers to stay alert in crowded places like malls, transit hubs, and public venues. They also warned about the Visa Waiver Program, noting that U.S. authorities can deny entry without explanation.

From DSC:
I’ve not heard of a travel warning against the U.S. in my lifetime. Thanks Trump. Making America Great Again. Sure thing….

 

Some serious timing and teamwork here!

 

 

Photos by Charly Broyez and Laurent Kronental Celebrate Architecture Ahead of Its Time — from thisiscolossal.com by Charly Broyez, Laurent Kronental, and Kate Mothes

 

Get yourself unstuck: overthinking is boring and perfectionism is a trap — from timeshighereducation.com by David Thompson
The work looks flawless, the student seems fine. But underneath, perfectionism is doing damage. David Thompson unpacks what educators can do to help high-performing students navigate the pressure to succeed and move from stuck to started

That’s why I encourage imperfection, messiness and play and build these ideas into how I teach.

These moments don’t come from big breakthroughs. They come from removing pressure and replacing it with permission.

 

In Iowa, Trump Begins Task of Selling His Bill to the American Public — from nytimes.com by Tyler Pager
President Trump has spent days cajoling Republicans to support his spending bill. He will also have to sell it to a skeptical public as Democrats focus on all the ways it helps the wealthy.

President Trump took a victory lap on Thursday night after the House passed his sprawling domestic policy bill, which he muscled through Congress even as many in his party fear it will leave them vulnerable to political attacks ahead of next year’s midterm elections. (From DSC: Which it likely will do just that, and very possibly way beyond the midterm elections also.)

Just 29 percent of voters support the legislation, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. Roughly two-thirds of Republicans supported the bill in that poll, a relatively low figure from the president’s own party for his signature legislation, and independents opposed it overwhelmingly.


From DSC:
Did you get that? Just ***29%*** of voters supported the legislation. But it passed anyway. I’m left thinking…so much for democracy. And I’m also disheartened by the caving of the other two branches of our government. The lack of leadership is staggering. But I guess when you remove all leaders that oppose your way of thinking, you have only Yes men/followers and Yes women/followers left. It’s taken years for the Republican Party to carefully orchestrate the ownership of those other branches. (BTW, I celebrate the handful of Republican leaders in the Senate like Sen. Thom Tillis and in the House who did not cave to Trump and Johnson, but instead voted with their own hearts and minds. They showed true strength of conviction and courage. It will likely cost them, but they can look in the mirror and feel good about themselves and what they’ve done.)

Look out Republicans (and I’ve voted for both Republican and Democrat Presidents in the past). Perhaps July 4th, 2025 will mark the downfall of the Republican Party in America. Time will tell. But I’m hopeful that we can find more common ground.

Regardless, it says a lot about who we, as Americans, are these days — that he’s even in the presidency. I highly doubt he would have been there even a generation or two ago. We’re a nation in decline. It’s been hard to watch this through the years. I’m no saint, but I’m also not the President.

Speaking of matters of faith…I can’t help but wonder what the LORD is doing in this. Is He humbling America or is it something far worse…? He’s justified in whatever He has decided to do. Americans have been dissing Him for decades, while refusing to give Him the credit due His Name. Time will tell my friends…time will tell.


Also see:

The House passed a sweeping bill to extend tax cuts and slash social safety net programs. The budget office reported the measure would increase U.S. national debt by at least $3.4 trillion over a decade.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Also see:

To get his bill over the line in time for a self-imposed Friday deadline, Trump pressured Republican lawmakers to set aside their concerns about the political consequences of yanking benefits from voters while adding trillions to the federal deficit.


 

In A Mega Deal, Clio Buys vLex for $1 Billion, Merging AI, Research and Practice Management — from lawnext.com by Bob Ambrogi

In a landmark deal that will undoubtedly reshape the legal tech landscape, law practice management company Clio has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the AI and legal research company vLex for $1 billion in cash and stock.

The companies say that the acquisition will “establish a new category of intelligent legal technology at the intersection of the business and practice of law, empowering legal professionals to seamlessly manage, research, and execute legal work within a unified system.”

 
© 2025 | Daniel Christian