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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- Title
- Cat and Mouse
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a school administrator wearing a cat mask sitting across the table from a mother of a child with a disability who is wearing Mickey Mouse ears. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After years of playing cat and mouse to develop an IEP, Casey's mother longs for a chance to be...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a school administrator wearing a cat mask sitting across the table from a mother of a child with a disability who is wearing Mickey Mouse ears. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After years of playing cat and mouse to develop an IEP, Casey's mother longs for a chance to be the cat for once!"
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- Title
- Dictionary of Special Ed Jargon
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a father sitting in an overstuffed arm chair with lamp on next to him while he reads a book titled, "Dictionary of Special Education Jargon." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mr. Green prepares for his child's IEP meeting."
- Title
- Elevating Vagueness to an Art Form
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows two special educators having a conversation. The first says, "Don't you think this goal is a bit vague? Mark will improve communication skills?" The second person says, "No. That way it can mean whatever you want it to and we'll never have to change the IEP -- I've used that...
Show moreThis cartoon shows two special educators having a conversation. The first says, "Don't you think this goal is a bit vague? Mark will improve communication skills?" The second person says, "No. That way it can mean whatever you want it to and we'll never have to change the IEP -- I've used that goal for Mark for the last five years!" The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Frank elevates vagueness to an art form."
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- Title
- Finding Filling Files Fulfilling
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a special educator holding several file folders as he stands in front of a four-drawer file cabinet and says, "Thank goodness we're finally done with the IEP. Now we can file it and do what we really want." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Fred finds filling file cabinets...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a special educator holding several file folders as he stands in front of a four-drawer file cabinet and says, "Thank goodness we're finally done with the IEP. Now we can file it and do what we really want." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Fred finds filling file cabinets a strangely fulfilling part of his job."
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- Title
- Home Reality
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
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The cartoon shows a man and woman sitting and looking exasperated and tired. The mans says to the woman, "We made it through another busy day. Work, dinner, the kids homework, dishes, laundry, bills paid, the kid's baths, bedtime stories…" and the woman responds, "Oh No! We forgot to do the 'home...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a man and woman sitting and looking exasperated and tired. The mans says to the woman, "We made it through another busy day. Work, dinner, the kids homework, dishes, laundry, bills paid, the kid's baths, bedtime stories…" and the woman responds, "Oh No! We forgot to do the 'home therapy program' and to work on 'IEP Goals'!" The tag line reads "Home programming collides with home reality!"
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- Title
- IEP that "Loooook Maaaaarvelous"
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a special educator who says, "Mrs. Small said you wanted to see me." as she is seated across the desk from an administrator. In a imitation of Billy Crystal's Fernando Lamas parody the administrator says, "I've been reviewing your IEPs. They look maaaarvelous. And as you know,...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a special educator who says, "Mrs. Small said you wanted to see me." as she is seated across the desk from an administrator. In a imitation of Billy Crystal's Fernando Lamas parody the administrator says, "I've been reviewing your IEPs. They look maaaarvelous. And as you know, it's better that they look good than be good." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Special Education Coordinator, Mr. Crossway, has watched too many old re-runs of Saturday Night Live."
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- Title
- Incredibly Excessive Paperwork
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
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The cartoon shows two people in an office surrounded by tons of paperwork. A Man says to Mrs. Snippett, "No. It's 'Individual Education Program'." Mrs. Snippett responds, "You're kidding!" The tag line reads "Mrs. Snippett had long thought I.E.P. stood for 'Incredibly Excessive Paperwork.'"
- Title
- Individualized Education
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows two special education colleagues in front of a computer monitor. As one person points to the screen she says, "Mrs. Worthy, I hope you like our new computerized individual education plans. They allow us to have all our students' goals be the same." The tag line under the...
Show moreThis cartoon shows two special education colleagues in front of a computer monitor. As one person points to the screen she says, "Mrs. Worthy, I hope you like our new computerized individual education plans. They allow us to have all our students' goals be the same." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Individualized Education: Mrs. Smithfield fails to notice the contradiction."
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- Title
- Mr. IEP
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
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The cartoon shows a coffee maker and instructions how to make an IEP with it. The cartoon says "Introducing…Mr. IEP 1. Insert student needs packet (shows putting coffee filter into the coffee maker) 2. Pour in 8 cups of possible IEP goals (shows water pouring into the back of the coffee maker) 3....
Show moreThe cartoon shows a coffee maker and instructions how to make an IEP with it. The cartoon says "Introducing…Mr. IEP 1. Insert student needs packet (shows putting coffee filter into the coffee maker) 2. Pour in 8 cups of possible IEP goals (shows water pouring into the back of the coffee maker) 3. Turn On Mr. IEP (shows where to turn on the coffee maker) Enjoy perfect IEPs every time!" The tag line reads "Special educators invent misguided automated approaches."
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- Title
- Option Paralysis
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
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The cartoon shows a principal of a school standing on the left side of the panel in an office with a woman in the lower right corner of the panel. There is a table and chairs and papers on the table. The principal holds a very long list and says "In planning your daughter's IEP, we'd like you to...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a principal of a school standing on the left side of the panel in an office with a woman in the lower right corner of the panel. There is a table and chairs and papers on the table. The principal holds a very long list and says "In planning your daughter's IEP, we'd like you to chose from this comprehensive list of 13,941 learning outcomes." The woman looks at the principal. She is overwhelmed and has with huge confused eyes. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Baker Experiences 'Option Paralysis'."
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- Title
- Outnumbered?
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a long table with a parent and his advocate seated at the near side (backs to the viewer). Across the table are ten professionals, each identified by a hat indicating their profession (e.g., OT, PT, SLP, Principal). One of the professionals says, "I'm not sure why Mr. Barth...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a long table with a parent and his advocate seated at the near side (backs to the viewer). Across the table are ten professionals, each identified by a hat indicating their profession (e.g., OT, PT, SLP, Principal). One of the professionals says, "I'm not sure why Mr. Barth always feels compelled to bring an advocate to the IEP meeting." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Outnumbered?"
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- Title
- Pants Down
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a special educator sitting at his desk writing and you can see that his pants are down around his ankles. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Rodney is caught with his pants down -- writing goals and objectives without family input."
- Title
- Recycling
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
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The cartoon shows two educators talking in front of a filing cabinet. The woman says "Tom's IEP is due soon. What should we do?" The man responds "No sweat. I've saved every IEP I've ever written over the past 15 years. Pick one and we'll go from there." The tag line reads, "Recycling Gone Bad."