ERIC ED566530: The Evolution of Special Education in Iowa: As Told through the Voices of Those Who Created It

2016·10.5 MB·English

by  ERIC

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 in creating digital images for
selected graphics. Additionally, concerted effort was made to supplement the text
with images drawn from Internet website sources. We believe that all images
accessed and included in this document were in the public domain, purchased, or
used with permission to be used in this text. Appendix B cites the sources of images
used in the text. We extend our gratitude to all who made their images available.
Their good work and cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Website Distribution. Appreciation is expressed to all who consented to make this
web-based publication available on their websites.

Family Support. We also convey our deep gratitude to our spouses, Sue Grimes
and Vicki Stumme, who exhibited extraordinary patience in the face of the protracted
period of time required to write this document. Sue and Vicki have put up with a lot
of shenanigans over the years, including the writing of this text. They were heard to
utter on more than one occasion, “When is this project going to be completed?” In
truth, the authors frequently asked each other the same question. At last there is an
answer: it’s done.

JG and JS

ix
Introduction

The largest tree in the world, by volume, is the General Sherman, which is a giant
redwood in the Sequoia National Park in California. People travel from all over the
world to marvel at the majestic size and miracle of growth of the coastal redwoods.
The seeds of these mammoths are miniscule; yet they contain great potential. It
takes hundreds of years for this tree to attain full size. To plant the seed of a coastal
redwood is to invest in the future – an investment of great possibility.

What follows are many success stories told by the people who created the special
education service delivery system in Iowa. Like all sustainable and large-scale
changes, the efforts exerted were substantial and unrelenting. In most cases they
took a very long time to reach full implementation and some are still in process of
reaching fruition. Some realities of the past may surprise you, but through
perseverance and strength of character they were overcome. Like planting the tiny
redwood seeds, the seeds of special education innovation were, and are, an
investment in the future—the future of children with disabilities.

Every year Iowa’s landscape passes through four distinctly different seasons. Clearly
change is a natural part of life as witnessed in seasonal alterations, and equally vivid
are the differences across time in people, culture, and educational systems. The
writing of this brief history is focused on the evolution of special education in Iowa.
While there have been individuals with significant physical, learning, sensory and
cognitive challenges across time, the advent of an educational system to support
these learners is a relatively new phenomena.

Consider the topic of change depicted in three pairs of photos taken across the
decades. The hair density has obviously altered, as least for the males, but there are
less visible shifts in professional roles. What did not change for these individuals is a
deep abiding passion for human services. That remains a constant. The pairs of
contrasting photos provide a visual portrayal of personal change. Similarly, as shown
later, special education services in Iowa have dramatically changed across the
decades.
In 1975 Gary Ross-
Reynolds moved to Iowa
after graduating with a
doctoral degree in school
psychology from Fordham
University in New York City.
In Iowa he was a school
psychologist, then
supervisor of school
psychology before leaving
Iowa to join the Faculty of
Nicholls State University in
Gary Ross-Reynolds 1975 and 2012
1