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
- Achieve All the Standards
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows two school officials, a man on the left who is looking stressed and a woman to his right. The man is holding a huge stack of papers that rise from his waist to above his head. He is saying to the woman, "In order for students to achieve all the standards we'll have to extend the...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two school officials, a man on the left who is looking stressed and a woman to his right. The man is holding a huge stack of papers that rise from his waist to above his head. He is saying to the woman, "In order for students to achieve all the standards we'll have to extend the school day to 10 hours, the school year to 240 days, and the students will have to go to high school until age 24." The tag line reads, "School Officials Ponder Their Options: Adjust the standards, adjust the school program or adjust both."
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- Title
- Band-Aid Approach
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a woman with short blonde hair and purple dress on the left side of the panel. She is a teacher. She is holding a green binder talking to a person-sized Band-Aid who is a paraprofessional. The teacher says, "Here's the deal: we've got lots of kids, too many who need extra help,...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a woman with short blonde hair and purple dress on the left side of the panel. She is a teacher. She is holding a green binder talking to a person-sized Band-Aid who is a paraprofessional. The teacher says, "Here's the deal: we've got lots of kids, too many who need extra help, too much paperwork, not enough planning time, and extensive staff development needs. Thank goodness you're here! Our problems are solved!" The Band-Aid responds, "I'll do what I can, but I can only do so much." The tag line reads, "Band-Aid Approach: Are we expecting too much of instructional assistants?"
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- Title
- Career Development
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon has three panels diagonally across from the bottom right to the top left in a stepwise arrangement. Starting at the bottom right corner the panels has three people following three rulers. The caption at the top of this frame is, "Following the rules" There is an arrow pointing to the...
Show moreThe cartoon has three panels diagonally across from the bottom right to the top left in a stepwise arrangement. Starting at the bottom right corner the panels has three people following three rulers. The caption at the top of this frame is, "Following the rules" There is an arrow pointing to the next (middle) panel. That panel shows a man with an angry face bending a ruler. The caption at the top of this panel says, "Bending the rules." and has an arrow pointing to the top left corner panel that shows an older man breaking a ruler. The caption says. "Breaking the rules" In the lower right side of the panel is written, "Stages of Career Development" The tag line reads, "How professionals respond to rules that don't make sense."
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- Title
- Consumer Evaluation
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a classroom full of children and a teacher at the front of the class writing on the chalk board. On the back of the teacher's shirt is an advertisement with a truck with the logo and the text, "How's my teaching? Call 800-teach." The tag line reads, "Schools adopt consumer...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a classroom full of children and a teacher at the front of the class writing on the chalk board. On the back of the teacher's shirt is an advertisement with a truck with the logo and the text, "How's my teaching? Call 800-teach." The tag line reads, "Schools adopt consumer evaluation techniques form industry."
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- Title
- Crucial Test
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a scene inside the offices of the Acme Lie Detectors Service. Two men sitting at a table across from each other. One of the men is attached to a lie detector machine which is recoding his responses -- he has wires attached to his arm, is holding a glass of water, and looking...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a scene inside the offices of the Acme Lie Detectors Service. Two men sitting at a table across from each other. One of the men is attached to a lie detector machine which is recoding his responses -- he has wires attached to his arm, is holding a glass of water, and looking nervous. The tester from the agency in a lab coat is looking at a monitor and writing something on the display. He asks, "Do you like Children?" The tag line reads, "Prospective teachers of the future will need to pass this crucial test." A tag line on the left reads, "Inspired by Eileen Cichosky Kelly."
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- Title
- Do As I Say
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a full classroom of university students with a professor at the front of the class. A student asks, "Professor, I know you said we should be merging Regular Ed and Special Ed into one unified system. Can you explain how you pulled it off at the University level?" The professor...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a full classroom of university students with a professor at the front of the class. A student asks, "Professor, I know you said we should be merging Regular Ed and Special Ed into one unified system. Can you explain how you pulled it off at the University level?" The professor responds "Well, it's very challenging. We haven't actually been able to get the two sides to fully cooperate. But don't let our shortcomings hold you back." The tag line reads, "Do As I Say! Not As I Do!"
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- Title
- Dress Code
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows Mr. Moody dressed in a white suit from the 70's (he is in a classic pose like John Travolta in the Saturday Night Fever). He is dancing and a disco ball spinning colors reflecting around the room. The tag line reads, "Dress Code: Mr. Moody enacts a new policy: 'All faculty shall...
Show moreThe cartoon shows Mr. Moody dressed in a white suit from the 70's (he is in a classic pose like John Travolta in the Saturday Night Fever). He is dancing and a disco ball spinning colors reflecting around the room. The tag line reads, "Dress Code: Mr. Moody enacts a new policy: 'All faculty shall wear clothing consistent with the era that matches their educational practices.'"
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- Title
- Fish
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a seafood market with a fish monger selling fish to a woman with a shopping cart. The tag line reads, "Supported employment lesson #6: Give a person a fish and that person eats for a day. Teach a person to work and that person can buy fish any day!"
- Title
- Hard Questions
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a woman and a man talking. The man is on the left side of the panel and is saying to the woman, "In our school there are some teachers who lecture to middle-achieving students. Do you really think that will work for students with special needs?" The woman responds, "Probably not...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a woman and a man talking. The man is on the left side of the panel and is saying to the woman, "In our school there are some teachers who lecture to middle-achieving students. Do you really think that will work for students with special needs?" The woman responds, "Probably not. But ask yourself, 'Does that kind of teaching work for many other students?' Let's figure out how we can teach all the kids." The tag line under the image reads, "Answering questions with questions."
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- Title
- Hardening of the Attitudes
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows an overweight, middle-aged man in his underwear sitting on an examining table in his doctor's office. The doctor is standing in front of him listening to the man's heart with a stethoscope. The man says to the doctor, "What is Doc? I can take it!" The doctor replies, "I'm afraid...
Show moreThe cartoon shows an overweight, middle-aged man in his underwear sitting on an examining table in his doctor's office. The doctor is standing in front of him listening to the man's heart with a stethoscope. The man says to the doctor, "What is Doc? I can take it!" The doctor replies, "I'm afraid you have a common affliction among veteran educators...Attituderial Asclerosis." The tag line reads, "Harry is diagnosed with hardening of the attitudes."
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- Title
- Helping hands
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows two teachers talking as they are looking at a shelf that has a gravy boat with two hands sticking up out of it. One woman says, "What's with the mannequin hands in the gravy boat?" The other responds, "They're to remind me of the distinction between my role as a teacher and my...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two teachers talking as they are looking at a shelf that has a gravy boat with two hands sticking up out of it. One woman says, "What's with the mannequin hands in the gravy boat?" The other responds, "They're to remind me of the distinction between my role as a teacher and my assistant's role." The tag line reads, "Classroom Assistants: Expect an extra pair of helping hands. The other great things they do are gravy."
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- Title
- It's a Jungle Out There!
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a sign in the front of a classroom room that says, "Welcome to first-year teacher orientation!" A group of first-year are teachers sitting at tables facing a man dressed in safari clothes, pith helmet, high boots, canteen on his shoulder, and a walking stick who is saying, ...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a sign in the front of a classroom room that says, "Welcome to first-year teacher orientation!" A group of first-year are teachers sitting at tables facing a man dressed in safari clothes, pith helmet, high boots, canteen on his shoulder, and a walking stick who is saying, "People, the jungle is a place of great beauty, but also presents many hazards for the uninitiated. You must learn to become one with the jungle and all its inhabitants." One of the new teachers is leaning over to the person next to him and saying, "Does he always dress in character and talk in metaphors?" The person replies, "I don't know, I'm just glad he didn't dress as Tarzan!" The tag line reads, "It's a jungle out there!"
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- Title
- Lesson League
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a classroom with a teacher standing at the chalkboard in front of a class of kids. One of the kids in the front row is holding up a tape recorder and asks, "Mrs. Johnson, is it OK if I tape today's lesson?" Mrs. Johnson replies, "This lesson is intended for the private use of my...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a classroom with a teacher standing at the chalkboard in front of a class of kids. One of the kids in the front row is holding up a tape recorder and asks, "Mrs. Johnson, is it OK if I tape today's lesson?" Mrs. Johnson replies, "This lesson is intended for the private use of my class. Any rebroadcast or other use of this lesson without the express written consent of the national teacher lesson league is strictly prohibited." The tag line reads, "Simple accommodations in the age of litigation."
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- Title
- One in a Million
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows two women talking. The woman in the lower right side of the panel is asking the other woman, "Can you tell me about Jody's disabilities?" The other woman in the left side of the panel, Mrs. Smith, responds "Let's just say she's "One in a million, Literally." The tag line reads, ...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two women talking. The woman in the lower right side of the panel is asking the other woman, "Can you tell me about Jody's disabilities?" The other woman in the left side of the panel, Mrs. Smith, responds "Let's just say she's "One in a million, Literally." The tag line reads, "Mrs. Smith always looks for the positive ways to describe the uniqueness of each student."
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- Title
- Rock and a Hard Place
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows an administrator, dressed in a suit, being squished between a brick wall and a giant boulder. There is a sign on the wall that says, "Board of Education" and three arms, coming in from the left side of the panel, pushing the boulder into the man. There is writing on each of the...
Show moreThe cartoon shows an administrator, dressed in a suit, being squished between a brick wall and a giant boulder. There is a sign on the wall that says, "Board of Education" and three arms, coming in from the left side of the panel, pushing the boulder into the man. There is writing on each of the three arms which read, "Parents," "Teachers," and "Advocates." The tag line reads, "School administrators often find themselves between a rock and a hard place."
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- Title
- Secret Wish
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a woman sitting on Santa's lap with a Christmas tree gifts in the background. There are children waiting in line to sit on Santa's lap too. Santa says, "You're a bit old for this, but go ahead and tell me your secret wish." The woman responds, "I'd like my child to have a...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a woman sitting on Santa's lap with a Christmas tree gifts in the background. There are children waiting in line to sit on Santa's lap too. Santa says, "You're a bit old for this, but go ahead and tell me your secret wish." The woman responds, "I'd like my child to have a teacher who is welcoming, inspires a love of learning, and sees the value in every child." The tag line reads, "Mary Beth's secret wish is shared by parents the world over." The tag line on the left reads, "Inspired by Mary Beth Doyle."
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- Title
- Slumberville
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a group of 5 people sitting in front of an audience at a curved table. The sign on the front of the table is labeled, "Slumberville School Board." The man on the far left side of the table says, "We need staff who can make decisions and accommodations on the spot for students...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a group of 5 people sitting in front of an audience at a curved table. The sign on the front of the table is labeled, "Slumberville School Board." The man on the far left side of the table says, "We need staff who can make decisions and accommodations on the spot for students with disabilities in regular classes." The woman next to him says, "...and they have to be adept at dealing with challenging behaviors." The man in the center says, "And they must be proficient in teaching core academics." The woman on his other side says, "...and life skills too!." The woman on the far right says, "...and we hope to accomplish this by hiring a small army of untrained paraprofessionals at $7.00 dollars and hour." The tag line reads, "If you need staff with the skills of teachers and special educators, maybe you need to hire teachers and special educators."
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- Title
- Teacher Shortage
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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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 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
- 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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