THE MAGIC FEATHER: The Truth About Special Education

by William & Loft Granger Grange ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 30, 1986

The parents of children relegated to special education classes will find this book both disturbing and helpful. Questionable measuring devices are debunked and the scientific basis of much diagnostic testing is challenged. The authors were thrust into the world of special ed. because they found their child was tabbed an imbecile by the school system; he is soon to graduate from college. The story of how they tried to get people to believe what they knew to be true is a maddening tale of pseudoscience, bureaucracy and the pettiness of educators. Had the Grangers succumbed to the system, their child would have been shuffled off to a sterile, vacuous holding pen called Special Ed. The rapid growth in this program has gone far beyond what the Congress envisioned when it funded the operation. The authors discuss the political, social and racial implications of this vast endeavor. They also provide helpful descriptions of the commonly used tests and include a reading list for further study. The anger and indignation here is genuine and its analysis incisive. The authors have given us another reason to be concerned about the public-school bureaucracy.

Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1986

Categories: NONFICTION