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World Down Syndrome Day...What Have Socks Got To Do With It?
Happy World Down Syndrome Day! In honor of World Down Syndrome Day, or WDSD, sport your most colorful and creative socks on 3/21. But...
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Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Jan 6
- 4 min
The Problem with "Alternative Curriculum" and "Functional Skills"
Years ago, when I was a special education director transitioning a school district to a more inclusive service delivery model, I put out...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Dec 28, 2022
- 3 min
A Few of My Favorite Inclusive Things
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, inclusion documentaries and articles that were written… Okay, that might not be how the song...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Jun 27, 2022
- 4 min
Carry The Torch For Inclusion: Honoring the Legacy of Tom Hehir
In 2001, I entered the doors of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, armed with little more than an undergraduate degree,...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Jun 10, 2022
- 4 min
Inclusion Facilitators: The Unicorns of Special Education
Twenty years ago, I was privileged to begin my career as an inclusion facilitator at a public middle school in Massachusetts. Let that...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- May 16, 2022
- 3 min
How To Host An Inclusive School Theme Day
If you’ve ever resented spending what should be a perfectly boring Tuesday night scouring the dollar store for an elaborate school spirit...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Jan 16, 2022
- 3 min
Aspire To More Than Compliance (and stop worrying about getting sued)
Special education is perhaps the most litigated area of education due to the many rights parents and students are afforded under the law. ...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Dec 21, 2021
- 3 min
The Naughty and Nice List: What Was Santa Thinking???
Santa has made a lot of questionable decisions if you ask me. Let’s begin with the surveillance - “he sees you when you’re sleeping and...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Sep 11, 2021
- 2 min
Not That Mom. (A non-education, mom blog this time!)
Today I took my eight-year-old daughter to a friend’s house for a playdate. There was only one small problem. The playdate wasn’t...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Jul 12, 2021
- 3 min
Finding the Sweet Spot in the IEP
Over the years, I have seen my share of IEPs that are 50 pages, 60 pages, even 70+ pages long. I can best describe these documents...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- May 31, 2021
- 1 min
Co-Teaching: What Can Two Do Better Than One?
Co-teaching typically refers to a general education teacher and special educator working together to provide instruction to a group of...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Apr 27, 2021
- 3 min
Top Three Ways To Take The Joy Out of Learning
TEACHERS: READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO CRUSH YOUR STUDENTS' SOULS Did I catch your attention? Of course, no teacher sets out to design...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Apr 10, 2021
- 3 min
My inspiration
The word that evokes the greatest emotion in me is a name. Nina. Nina is my sister, my love, my strength, my Achilles heel, my purpose....
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Mar 25, 2021
- 4 min
Learning Loss - Yes, It's A Thing.
Back in May 2020 when we were only a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, an opinion piece in the Washington Post suggested a different...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Feb 17, 2021
- 2 min
What's Missing from the Equity Conversation?
I recently spoke with a school leader who shared how excited she was that her district’s efforts around cultural responsiveness were met...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Jan 18, 2021
- 3 min
Beyond MLK and Rosa Parks
In honor of Martin Luther King Day today, I searched my daughters’ bookshelves for a story to read with them. I realized, however, that...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Jan 8, 2021
- 2 min
Educating for the Crisis du Jour
In the wake of this week’s insurrection and breach of the capitol, administrative teams across the country gathered to discuss their...
Jenna Mancini Rufo
- Dec 31, 2020
- 4 min
Education in 2020: Everything Happens for a Reason? Nope.
I’m not one who subscribes to the “everything happens for a reason” philosophy. I just can’t conceive that all the horrors and...