One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. – Mark 10:13-16

When it comes to education, too many people seem to be stuck in a Dickensian time warp where school is imagined and structured as a kind of industrial sausage-machine calibrated to churn out pre-determined “normal” citizens we can then plug into society with minimal disruption to the status-quo.

Such assembly lines typically weed out free-spirits, individuals, special needs and the non-conforming because they tend to gum up the works. It took 1975’s Public Law 94-142 (reauthorized as IDEA in 1990) to guarantee a free and appropriate education for all children regardless of exceptionality. But, rather than Vive la différence! the central thrust of ESE (Exceptional Student Education) sometimes felt focused on rounding off the sharp edges and teaching “different” children to stop rocking the boat and “fit in.”

For me, working as an ESE teacher in Georgia and Florida from 1980 through 2003, I increasingly understood my primary mission in terms of helping children engage with their potential as unique individuals.

And so I developed interventions designed to facilitate the kind of learning and growth where children could embrace what was possible. Not to “fit in” so much as to thrive. Even though the powers that be seemed more interested in churning out those standardized sausages.

When children get to experience school as a place where they are valued, equipped and encouraged to thrive – rather than “corrected” all day…

Derek Maul

Tour of Frankie Lemmon School:

So I was delighted Thursday morning when Rebekah and I were invited to take a tour and learn more about Raleigh’s Frankie Lemon School and Development Center.

What we found was a state of the art facility designed to take children exactly where and as they are and lovingly guide them into their best possible tomorrows.

It is obvious that the children, who represent a wildly disparate assortment of exceptionalities, could not have landed in a better learning environment.

As an educated observer I can say that the Frankie Lemmon School has zero interest in fostering production-line conformity. Instead, this positive, stimulating and encouraging oasis owns a contagious passion for the development of joyful, be all that you can be, individuals.

So here is a shout-out to Executive Director Marsha Hargette, School Director Rebecca Smith, and Director of Hospitality Inez Ribustello who generously shared an hour or so of their morning giving us the tour.

Oh, and one more thing. It is also evident that maximum cuteness seems to be the unnifying prerequisite exceptionality for attending the Frankie Lemmon School 🙂

Seriously, Rebekah and I were deeply impressed. Not only with the facility but by the obvious commitment of everyone involved to the essential mission of the school. And that mission is very much the care, nurture and empowerment of every exceptional student… without exception.

“Then Jesus took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.” – DEREK