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.

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3 2000 1 1999
Miniature of A Tale of Two Schools
A Tale of Two Schools
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    • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
    • Date Created: 1999
    • Description: The cartoon has two panels, top and bottom. The top panel shows two people across a table from each other. The person to the right has two large stacks of books next to him. The person to the left says, "Are we ready to include students with more severe disabilities in regular class?." The second person says, "As soon as I finish reading these books on inclusion and draft our long-range plan... We should be ready in 7 or 8 years." The bottom panel has two people facing each other, both holding a piece of paper. The person on the left says, "I'm sure glad we got started including and supporting all our students in regular classes." The person to the right says, "Me too! I know we'll learn things along the way from our success and mistakes." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "A tale of two schools."
    • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
    Miniature of Trial by Fire
    Trial by Fire
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      • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
      • Date Created: 2000
      • Description: The cartoon shows the door to the principal's office with a sign that reads, "Do not disturb. Interview in progress." Just in front of the door is a ring of fire and in front of the ring of fire are burning coals on the floor. A woman is standing by the coals holding a file. There are three people sitting at a table waiting and one woman, looking nervous and making the sound "Gulp!" as she walks toward the coals with her shoes in her hand. The woman holding the file says, "Right this way! The principal will see you now." The tag line reads, "Prospective employees go through a trial by fire to help determine their suitability for the realities of public school."
      • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
      Miniature of This is a Test
      This is a Test
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        • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
        • Date Created: 2000
        • Description: The cartoon shows a classroom with students at desks and a teacher at the front of the class. In the upper right corner is a loud speaker announcing, "This is a test! For the next 16 years we will be conducting a test of the Emergency Educational System. In case of an actual educational emergency, you would have been directed where to go to school in your area." The tag line reads, "Remember, this is only a test!"
        • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
        Miniature of No Dumping!
        No Dumping!
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          • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
          • Date Created: 2000
          • Description: The cartoon shows a large red circle with a diagonal slash across an image of a dump truck that is dumping kids with disabilities at the front door of a school. The sign on the truck says, "We Haul That's All" The woman at the front of the school is yelling, "Hey Wait!" and the truck driver says back to her, "Sorry, supports not included in cost of delivery." The tag lines reads, "NO DUMPING!"
          • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks