Absurdities and Realities of Special Education
Collection Overview
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...
Show moreAbsurdities 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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Pages
- Title
- Swinging
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon has two panels offset stepwise. In the upper panel shows three friends standing at a swing set in the park. One friend says, "There are only two swings, and three of us!" Another of the friends says, "I have an idea!" In the lower panel the three friends have found a way to combine...
Show moreThis cartoon has two panels offset stepwise. In the upper panel shows three friends standing at a swing set in the park. One friend says, "There are only two swings, and three of us!" Another of the friends says, "I have an idea!" In the lower panel the three friends have found a way to combine the two swings so all three are swinging as they are all smiling and saying, "WHEEEEE!!" The tag line reads, "Friends apply lessons of creative problem solving to everyday life."
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- Title
- A Tale of Two Schools
- 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...
Show moreThe 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."
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- Title
- Teacher Shortage
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a woman in a red dress standing in a spotlight with film crew around her. She is holding an apple and a script. In the lower left corner a director is holding a clapboard and saying, "Quiet on the set. Teacher Recruitment - Take 3. ACTION!" The woman says, "I'm not a teacher,...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a woman in a red dress standing in a spotlight with film crew around her. She is holding an apple and a script. In the lower left corner a director is holding a clapboard and saying, "Quiet on the set. Teacher Recruitment - Take 3. ACTION!" The woman says, "I'm not a teacher, but I play one at school, you can too." The tag line reads, "Unemployed actors are recruited to fill the national teacher shortage."
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- Title
- Teaching Old Logs
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows Mr. Moody standing outside with an old dog sitting to his left with a ball in it's mouth and a stack of logs in front of him. He has his hand up in the air and is exclaiming "Stay!" directed to the logs. The dog is looking at him with a question mark in a thought bubble above...
Show moreThe cartoon shows Mr. Moody standing outside with an old dog sitting to his left with a ball in it's mouth and a stack of logs in front of him. He has his hand up in the air and is exclaiming "Stay!" directed to the logs. The dog is looking at him with a question mark in a thought bubble above his head. The tag line reads, "Knowing how hard it is to effect meaningful change in people, Mr. Moody decides to work his way up to it by teaching old logs new tricks."
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- Title
- Teaching Spectrum Disorder
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows two parents sitting holding hands across a table from two educators, a man and a woman. The father is saying, "What have you learned from your evaluation? Why is Sam having such difficulty learning?" To which the woman educator says, "The good news is that Sam doesn't have...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two parents sitting holding hands across a table from two educators, a man and a woman. The father is saying, "What have you learned from your evaluation? Why is Sam having such difficulty learning?" To which the woman educator says, "The good news is that Sam doesn't have learning disabilities! The bad news is his teacher has "Pervasive Developmental Teaching Delays." The tag line reads, "Sam's teacher is diagnosed with a 'Teaching Spectrum Disorder'."
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- Title
- Tenacious Advocate
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
A parent, (Mrs. Green) is seated a cross a table from her child's IEP team. Her arm is reaching behind her, aimed toward a life-sized cardboard replica of an advocate, who is holding up a document labeled IDEA. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Green resorts to bringing a life-sized...
Show moreA parent, (Mrs. Green) is seated a cross a table from her child's IEP team. Her arm is reaching behind her, aimed toward a life-sized cardboard replica of an advocate, who is holding up a document labeled IDEA. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Green resorts to bringing a life-sized cardboard replica of the county's most tenacious advocate to her child's IEP meeting. "Inspired by Marilyn Wessels"
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- Title
- Terrorless Learning
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
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The cartoon shows three children sitting at a table working together. In the foreground are a man and a woman. The man says, "Max seems to be interacting with the other kids so much better lately." The woman replies, "We've begun to understand his behavior. He has responded well to positive...
Show moreThe cartoon shows three children sitting at a table working together. In the foreground are a man and a woman. The man says, "Max seems to be interacting with the other kids so much better lately." The woman replies, "We've begun to understand his behavior. He has responded well to positive behavioral supports." The tag line reads, "Terrorless Learning."
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- Title
- Theatre of the Absurd
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows two actors on a stage in a parody of Romeo & Juliet's iconic balcony scene. With Juliet in the balcony and Romeo below on one knee looking upward, Juliet says, "Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou with the money to educate the children with special needs?" To which Romeo replies, ...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two actors on a stage in a parody of Romeo & Juliet's iconic balcony scene. With Juliet in the balcony and Romeo below on one knee looking upward, Juliet says, "Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou with the money to educate the children with special needs?" To which Romeo replies, "Juliet, It is I. But I have only half of the money. The rest has been spent to assess, classify, label, sort and segregate." The tag line reads, "Theatre of the absurd."
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- Title
- Theory of Relativity
- Date Created
- 2010-2013
- Description
-
This cartoon has four panels arranged in a square pattern. Each square is labeled for a different School (A, B, C & D) and shows a different person speaking for each school. In the middle of the cartoon (where the interior corners of the squares meet) is a small rectangle overlapping a bit on to...
Show moreThis cartoon has four panels arranged in a square pattern. Each square is labeled for a different School (A, B, C & D) and shows a different person speaking for each school. In the middle of the cartoon (where the interior corners of the squares meet) is a small rectangle overlapping a bit on to all four squares that says, "Ratio of parapros to students with disabilities." In School A the ratio of parapros is 1:2, in School B it is 1:4, in School C it is 1:6, and School D it is 1:10. Despite the different ratios, the different people associated with each school all say the exact same thing (that is repeated in each of the four squares), "We are just getting by with the parapro resources we have. We couldn't possibly function with any less." The tag line under the cartoon. reads, "The Other Theory of Relativity."
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- Title
- Thick Skin
- 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...
Show moreThe 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."
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- Title
- Thin Ice
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a person skating while carrying two very large stack of papers, three feet higher than his head, one in each arm. The image shows the skater on thin, cracking ice with open water on one side where two small fish watch in fear. The tag line reads, "If your caseload is too big,...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a person skating while carrying two very large stack of papers, three feet higher than his head, one in each arm. The image shows the skater on thin, cracking ice with open water on one side where two small fish watch in fear. The tag line reads, "If your caseload is too big, you are skating on thin ice."
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- Title
- This is a Test
- 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...
Show moreThe 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!"
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- Title
- Three Bears
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a Mama bear, a Papa bear, and a Baby bear sitting on Papa bear's lap. Mama bear is sitting on a stump knitting listening to Papa bear who is sitting in a chair reading to Baby bear. Papa bear reads out loud "When Goldilocks went to school, they gave her support services. The...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a Mama bear, a Papa bear, and a Baby bear sitting on Papa bear's lap. Mama bear is sitting on a stump knitting listening to Papa bear who is sitting in a chair reading to Baby bear. Papa bear reads out loud "When Goldilocks went to school, they gave her support services. The first set was too small and it didn't fit...the next set was too big and didn't fit...the next set was just right and it fit!" The tag line reads, "Support services that are 'only as special as necessary' fit just right!"
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- Title
- Three Faces of Beav
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon show a boy who is meant to be a parody of the classic character, Beaver Cleaver from the classic 1960s TV series "Let it to Beaver." He is shown with three faces, oriented left, center, and right, as a parody of the classic film, "The Three Faces of Eve." The left facing Beaver looks...
Show moreThe cartoon show a boy who is meant to be a parody of the classic character, Beaver Cleaver from the classic 1960s TV series "Let it to Beaver." He is shown with three faces, oriented left, center, and right, as a parody of the classic film, "The Three Faces of Eve." The left facing Beaver looks grumpy as he says, "Cut it out Lumpy! You know how bad you feel when people tease you!" Under this face is the label, "Advocate." The center facing Beaver is smiling and looking up while saying, "You know Eddie, for a sneaky guy, you can be pretty neat when you wanna be." Under this face is the label, "Looking for the good in everyone." The right facing Beaver is smiling and looking up while saying, "Golly Wally, I felt real proud to have you as my big brother when I saw how nice you were to that new kid." Under this face is the label, "Acknowledging others." The tag line reads, "The Three Faces of Beav."
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- Title
- Three Musketeers
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows the Three Musketeers standing in a circle with their swords up in the air crossing tips. Each sword has something different written on it, Values, Logic and Research. The three musketeers are exclaiming "All for one and one for all!!" The tagline reads "The Three Musketeers of...
Show moreThe cartoon shows the Three Musketeers standing in a circle with their swords up in the air crossing tips. Each sword has something different written on it, Values, Logic and Research. The three musketeers are exclaiming "All for one and one for all!!" The tagline reads "The Three Musketeers of good practice: Values, Logic and Research (in that order)."
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- Title
- The Three Rs
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a man dressed in a suit from the waist down as he is stomping on three large letters -- all Rs as he is pointing his finger at the letters saying, "Take that!" The tag line reads, "Stomping out the conditions that lead to the 3 bad Rs: Retention, Referral and Rejection." The tag...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a man dressed in a suit from the waist down as he is stomping on three large letters -- all Rs as he is pointing his finger at the letters saying, "Take that!" The tag line reads, "Stomping out the conditions that lead to the 3 bad Rs: Retention, Referral and Rejection." The tag line on the left reads, "Inspired by Joseph Lockavitch"
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- Title
- Tip of the Iceberg
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows the ship, the Titanic, coming from the left side of the panel running into an iceberg. Under the water is the sound "CRUNCH!" One of the shipmates says, "OOPS." The tip of the iceberg, above the waterline reads, "Para Ed Issues." Multiple parts of the iceberg below the surface...
Show moreThe cartoon shows the ship, the Titanic, coming from the left side of the panel running into an iceberg. Under the water is the sound "CRUNCH!" One of the shipmates says, "OOPS." The tip of the iceberg, above the waterline reads, "Para Ed Issues." Multiple parts of the iceberg below the surface of the water are labeled as: (a) Generic Services, (b) Teaching Formats, (c) Class Size, (d) Staff : Pupil Ratios, (e) Teacher Ownership, (f) Staff Training, (g) Special Ed Caseloads, (h) Paraeducator Roles, (i) Special Educator Roles, (j) and (k) Student Impact. The tag line reads, "Paraeducator Issues: Just the Tip of the iceberg."
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- Title
- Too Low a Criterion
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a state trooper standing in front of his car talking to a teacher on the roadside while a student with disability is on the ground in the middle of the street injured with his wheelchair mangled. The trooper asks, "What happened here?" The teacher says, "I guess we used too low...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a state trooper standing in front of his car talking to a teacher on the roadside while a student with disability is on the ground in the middle of the street injured with his wheelchair mangled. The trooper asks, "What happened here?" The teacher says, "I guess we used too low a criterion". The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Walker learns the hard way that sometimes 80% correct just isn't good enough."
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- Title
- The Top Right Corner
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a student pointing to a cup in the top right corner of a two-row, six item, display which shows (from left to right) a book, ball and cup on the top row and a pencil chair, and spoon on the bottom row. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After weeks of instruction, Susie...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a student pointing to a cup in the top right corner of a two-row, six item, display which shows (from left to right) a book, ball and cup on the top row and a pencil chair, and spoon on the bottom row. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After weeks of instruction, Susie learns that Cup means anything in the top right corner."
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- Title
- Treadmill Of Change
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows two men running on treadmills with a carrot on a stick tied to the front of the treadmills. There is a big yellow star on the wall and in the star it reads, "Vision: Great Services." The man on the treadmill on the right side of the panel is saying, "I don't get it! I can see...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two men running on treadmills with a carrot on a stick tied to the front of the treadmills. There is a big yellow star on the wall and in the star it reads, "Vision: Great Services." The man on the treadmill on the right side of the panel is saying, "I don't get it! I can see where we're headed, we have the skills, the incentives and resources. But nothing seems to change!" The man on the treadmill on the right side of the panel says, "We need a better action plan!" The tag line reads, "The treadmill of change." The tag line on the left reads, "Inspired by Tim Knoster."
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