Absurdities and Realities of Special Education
Absurdities and Realities of Special Education: The University of Vermont Center for Digital Initiatives Collection is a complete set of all of the cartoons created by Michael Giangreco with the assistance of the artist Kevin Ruelle. This includes a total of 335 cartoons from four previously published books and searchable CD that went "out of print" in 2019 and a few newer cartoons. Michael Giangreco created the original ideas, text, and sketches for each cartoon and Kevin Ruelle redrew the sketches.
The cartoons in the first three books all were originally in black and white. That was a conscious decision, both for aesthetic and practical reasons. The cartoons were designed to be easily copied on to overhead transparencies for display in classes, workshops, and other learning environments. A group called Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) requested permission to use one of the cartoons on the cover of their magazine and subsequently colorized it. Prompted by Giangreco’s colleagues associated with ALLFIE, Giangreco and Ruelle began to colorize the rest of the images. In this complete digital collection, we have included a total of 335 different digital images; including the 315 different cartoons from the four earlier books, 12 cartoons that were on the CD only, and eight that were not included in any of the previously published books or CD.
Cartoons from the early books have found their way on to the pages of many newsletters disseminated by schools, parent groups, disability advocacy organizations, and professional associations. They have appeared in books, manuals, and journals; a few were even published in a law journal. The cartoons have been used extensively as projected slides or within learning activities in college classes, at conferences, in workshops, and at other meetings. Parents have framed cartoons that closely reflected their own experiences and hung them in their homes or offices. Other parents have used them in meetings with professionals to help get their points across. They have been given as gifts to people who "get it" and handed out as door prizes. The Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights used them as part of "Disability Awareness Day" at the Vermont legislature. The cartoons can be used in innumerable creative ways.
Showing 1 - 9 of 9 Records
Frequent Includer Program
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The Cartoon shows a male teacher sitting at a desk with two parents standing on the other side of the desk in front of him. The teacher is saying "So, I can earn 20,000 points for each student with a disability I include in a regular class?" The father says "That's right! Redeemable for items in our catalogue." The tag line reads "Desperate parents resort to establishing their own 'frequent Includer Program.'"
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
High Standards
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody (administrator) standing on a chair reaching up to the top shelf of a book shelf. The labels on the shelves say Reports, Journals, and the top shelf he is reaching toward says Standards. It looks like he may fall. The tag lines reads "Mr. Moody complies with his district's promise to maintain high standards."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Adjustment Problem
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: This cartoon has two panels stacked vertically; they shows a man who is a school administrator calling Mrs. Jones from the school. The top panel is split in half. On the left half there is the administrator from the school on the phone saying, "Mrs. Jones we're having a problem at school. Sarah, Buzz, Roy, and Val seem to be having difficulty getting along with your daughter." On the right half of the panel Mrs. Jones says into the phone, "I'm so surprised! I thought she was getting along so well with her classmates!" The panel on the bottom is split the same as above and the administrator is saying "She is! Sarah, Buzz, Roy and Val are Adults." Mrs. Jones has a thought bubble with gray in it and she has a frown on her face. The tag line reads, "Adjustment Problems: 'Usually the adults, rarely the kids.'"
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Meet the Standards
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody (administrator) standing with a line of students behind him and a couple with a baby, Mr. and Mrs. Standard, in front of them. Mr. Moody says "Suzy, I'd like you to meet Mr. Standard, his wife, Mrs. Standard and their little baby Standard- They're new in town." The tag line reads "Confused by a state education directive, Mr. Moody arranges for every student in his school to meet the Standards."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Whine Cellar
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody and a woman going down the stairs into the cellar. There are wood barrels in the foreground of the frame and one of the barrels has a mouse and cheese on it. Mr. Moody says "Let's talk down here." The tag line reads "Mr. Moody escorts a disgruntled employee to the school's newly established Whine Cellar."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Whole Language
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody sitting at a desk with papers and a phone on it. He is on the phone and says, "You're darn right I'm in favor of a whole language! Those partial language approaches are completely inadequate." The tag line reads "Mr. Moody left the district in-service on teaching reading before they discussed the importance of combining literature and phonics."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Thick Skin
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a man, with a tattoo of a blue anchor on his arm. He is leaning his arm on a table and gritting his teeth, as another person pinches his bicep with calipers. The tag line reads "After a successful interview, Harry undergoes a final screening to see if his skin is thick enough to be offered an administrative position."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Oasis
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a hand holding the door open to a public bathroom. Under the bathroom stall are legs with pants down. The person holding the door says "Mr. Moody, are you OK? You've been in there for an hour!" Mr. Moody responds, "You can't make me come out! Can you have my lunch sent in here?" The tag line reads "After a stressful morning, Principal Moody is reluctant to relinquish the only oasis of peace and solitude he can find."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Mediation
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody sitting cross legged on the floor with his eyes closed. There is a person in the left corner of the frame saying, "What are you doing? We're supposed to be preparing for our meeting." Mr. Moody responds "I am! I was told I had to go through meditation before due process." The tag line reads "Mediation breakdown #31:Luckily, Mr. Moody's misunderstanding helped him to feel calm and centered."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants