“Poetry should be a matter of passion, not survival,” writes fellow Rochester, New York native, Philip Schultz. So should schooling. I work with a number of students who bravely face their learning disorders on a daily basis in classrooms and institutions where the ideal of differentiated instruction, the mantra of “all kinds of minds,” and the theory of multiple intelligences have not been fully realized. Institutional constraints (particularly large class size and reduced or non-existent funding for appropriate resources), lack of professional development around learning disorders, and systems reluctant to change all contribute to a climate of misunderstanding, resistance, and frustration for students, parents, and teachers. While media coverage around developmental and learning disorders, including increased visibility of individuals who have managed to succeed both in spite of and as a result of their disorders, may not necessarily result in changes to educational policy or classroom teaching practices, this kind of reporting is important in raising awareness and providing hope to individuals who struggle with cognitive challenges. My Dyslexia: A Poet’s Experience Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Philip Schultz,...
