Education Matters

Call me “Ed Matters.” I am a professional educator, literacy tutor, and education advocate for students with mental health concerns and other disabilities. My background includes three years’ teaching experience; a B.A. in English; an M.A. in Instruction; an A.A.S. in legal studies; volunteer work in the legal and public service arena; a brief stint in higher education administration; professional development in the areas of mental health and disabilities, including training in LSCI and CPI, involvement with MACMH as a family catalyst, and training from Heather Forbes (Beyond Consequences) and Bryan Post (BC and Post Institute). I am also a member of my local district’s PBIS committee.

I try to stay informed regarding legal issues affecting education and have completed coursework in school law; I keep abreast of issues regarding children’s mental health in general, especially concerning pediatric bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorders, and I am informed regarding PBIS and mental health issues in the school. As I am located in Minnesota, I am most familiar with what is happening in my state and am most certainly not an expert on everything. There will likely be a “Midwestern flavor” to the blog with most information coming from surrounding states.

While my primary focus here will be regarding promising practices for schools especially in the areas of mental health, PBIS, and literacy–the areas in which I am most qualified to comment–I will provide some legal updates; links to interesting articles, and I am open to and will include discussion on a variety of topics involving education. The primary purpose is to inform; however, debate is encouraged, and I do have my own biases. I hope this space will become a well-visited and useful resource.

One disclaimer: While I have substantive legal training with extensive experience researching and writing legal briefs, I am not an attorney and cannot give legal advice. Any advice given is not intended to be construed as professional legal advice or a substitute for seeking counsel from a licensed attorney.

You can follow Ed on Twitter and his Blog.