I will be starting a monthly poll to engage the readers of this blog and start some discussion. Feel free to comment on this topic. I'm sure many of you have a lot to say. At the end of the month, I'll share and discuss results in a blog post. I'm curious to see how the readers of this blog feel about your own schools. You can find the poll in the sidebar. Thanks for participating!

The readers of School Psychologist Blog Files were asked in February to share their own experiences and to vote on a poll "How do you feel about the level of education the school provides your child." It's important to understand that everyone's experience is unique. The readers come from different states, different school systems, and different grade levels. Laws and standards vary somewhat between states. Within any state, there are schools that do a better job suiting the needs of children than others. Within any school system, there are those star schools, and the schools that need more attention. Even within the best schools, there are still going to be individuals who have negative experiences. Within the worst schools, there will be those who have positive experiences. Regardless of your school or your situation, I believe that the readers of this blog care deeply about their child's education and have strong emotions about the education (positive or negative.)

The most popular response was "I generally feel good about the level of education, but have some complaints." I was glad to see that many of you are mostly satisfied. I hope that continues throughout your children's school career. Stay involved, speak up when needed, and compliment those who deserve it.

There was a strong outcry from those who endorsed "I feel as if the school is not supportive and I feel as though I am constantly fighting for his or her rights." This was the second most popular answer. While many feel comfortable with their schools, there are many parents out there who have the unsettling feeling of sending their child to a place they do not feel good about. Many of the readers are feeling that getting appropriate services only comes with a fight. Some of you are not having good experiences. I hope that you are able to find some support and insight here from others.

A few of you feel very thankful for the high level of education that your child is receiving. I am thankful to hear that some of the parents here feel exceptionally good about their child's school. Know this is a blessing that many others do not have.

Feel free to share your comments about experiences and offer some insight to others who may have similar experiences.

As a School Psychologist- I attend numerous Special Education Meetings weekly. There are Child Study Meetings, where we discuss interventions and may decide to complete an evaluation. There are eligibility meetings, where we determine if a student is eligible for special education services. There are IEP meetings where we develop a plan for a student who is eligible for special education. Additionally, there are Manifestation Determination meetings, Functional Behavioral Assessments, Behavior Intervention Plans, and 504 Meetings.

Best-selling author Harville Hendrix weighs in on improving your relationships while in quarantine. Relationships are one of life’s most beautiful offerings. What may feel like a gift on some days...

I was recently asked if I thought the pandemic is a national trauma. The answer is a simple “Yes.” By the standards of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), the...

He shouldn't have fought back when the guy pointed the shot gun at him

Exercise like walking, swimming, and even dancing have been shown to be good for your memory, but the optimal intensity of that exercise has been unclear... until now

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

Neither approach is ideal. The best option is to temper your negative emotions by focusing on positive ones

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

Rigorous new studies should be able to settle the matter

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

So, Valentine's Day is two days away, but you know he isn't going to bring you any flowers. And instead of a cuddle and a kiss, you know she is going to dig up that old canard about your mother.

What do the war in Iraq, your Christmas shopping and this week's Thanksgiving dinner have in common?

Two sociologists and a mathematician recently conducted an experiment that provides an intriguing window into the presidential candidate selection that begins this week. Matthew Salganik, Duncan Watts and Peter Sheridan Dodds had a large group of people rate 48 songs. Based on these ratings, the...

With America divided right down the middle for the third presidential election in a row, most people would not be surprised to hear that Democratic and Republican partisans perceive a widening gap between their presidential choices. In 2004, for example, die-hards in both parties felt that the...

A few years ago, psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Thierry Devos showed the names of a number of celebrities to a group of volunteers and asked them to classify the well-known personalities as American or non-American. The list included television personality Connie Chung and tennis star Michael ...

After nearly two years of political jockeying for the presidency, hundreds of millions of dollars of advertising and wall-to-wall campaign coverage in the media, nearly half of all Americans eligible to cast ballots in the presidential election may not bother to vote. Turnout for primaries, as well...

If you’ve browsed your Twitter or Facebook page feeds in the last week, you have probably noticed that we changed…

You have mail! Inoreader now allows you to subscribe to Email Newsletters just as regular RSS feeds. By creating a…

When we announced our v13 update, we mentioned a new feature called Email Digests that we’ll explain further in this…

Have you ever tried to convince somebody to start using an RSS reader, only to hear back from them something…

Ever since we launched our Free COVID-19 Alerting System, we’ve been continuously asked how we made it. In this blog…

Did you know you can subscribe to YouTube channels and playlist in Inoreader? Simply paste the URL of the channel…

Every business begun before the Internet now faces the same challenge: How to transform to compete in a digital economy? This is the leadership challenge examined by BRITE founder and Columbia Business School faculty member David Rogers in his newest book, The Digital Transformation Playbook (April 5, 2016; Columbia Business School Publishing). In the book, […]

Five natural ways to boost the immune system.

→ Support PsyBlog for just $5 per month. Enables access to articles marked (M) and removes ads.

→ Explore PsyBlog's ebooks, all written by Dr Jeremy Dean:

• Accept Yourself: How to feel a profound sense of warmth and self-compassion
• The Anxiety Plan: 42 Strategies For Worry, Phobias, OCD and Panic
• Spark: 17 Steps That Will Boost Your Motivation For Anything
• Activate: How To Find Joy Again By Changing What You Do

Two-thirds of children report eating this food weekly.

→ Support PsyBlog for just $5 per month. Enables access to articles marked (M) and removes ads.

→ Explore PsyBlog's ebooks, all written by Dr Jeremy Dean:

• Accept Yourself: How to feel a profound sense of warmth and self-compassion
• The Anxiety Plan: 42 Strategies For Worry, Phobias, OCD and Panic
• Spark: 17 Steps That Will Boost Your Motivation For Anything
• Activate: How To Find Joy Again By Changing What You Do

For the study, 10 couples spent 45 minutes inside a brain scanner together in close physical contact.

→ Support PsyBlog for just $5 per month. Enables access to articles marked (M) and removes ads.

→ Explore PsyBlog's ebooks, all written by Dr Jeremy Dean:

• Accept Yourself: How to feel a profound sense of warmth and self-compassion
• The Anxiety Plan: 42 Strategies For Worry, Phobias, OCD and Panic
• Spark: 17 Steps That Will Boost Your Motivation For Anything
• Activate: How To Find Joy Again By Changing What You Do

These days, there is huge hype around cannabidiol (also known as CBD), and for good reason.  There are numerous health benefits that are linked to this non-psychoactive all-natural substance. Many people report that CBD has helped them to manage mental and emotional distress. But are those reports true? Can CBD help your mental health? In […]

As a practicing sex therapist, I often see two partners legitimately trying to bridge a satisfaction gap between each other, but they can’t seem to get the moves just right. If left unchecked, this can lead to resentment and conflict; however, couples who figure out how to speak to each other sexually (both verbally and nonverbally) have the highest success in terms of finding something that works for both of them. Making an environment conducive to this sort of positive growth requires a little bit of effort and the ability to listen. Drawing on my clinical experience, here are my top tips for increasing sexual satisfaction:

"Life's beauty is inseparable from its fragility," says psychologist Susan David. In a special virtual conversation, she shares wisdom on how to build resilience, courage and joy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Responding to listeners' questions from across the globe, she offers ways to talk to your children about their emotions, keep focus during the crisis and help those working on the front lines. (This virtual conversation is part of the TED Connects series, hosted by head of TED Chris Anderson and current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers. Recorded March 23, 2020)

What's your passion? Social entrepreneur Noeline Kirabo reflects on her work helping out-of-school young people in Uganda turn their passions into profitable businesses -- and shares the two questions you can ask yourself to begin doing the same.

To understand what makes marriages work, we need to talk about why they sometimes end, says family law professor Jeannie Suk Gersen. Follow along as she lays out three ways that thinking about marital decisions through the lens of divorce can help you better navigate togetherness from the beginning.

Curious how stuff works? Do a hands-on experiment at home, says physicist Nadya Mason. She shows how you can demystify the world around you by tapping into your scientific curiosity -- and performs a few onstage experiments of her own using magnets, dollar bills, dry ice and more.

When it comes to big life problems, we often stand at a crossroads: either believe we're powerless against great change, or we rise to meet the challenge. In an urgent call to action, political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac makes the case for adopting a mindset of "stubborn optimism" to confront climate change -- or whatever crisis may come our way -- and sustain the action needed to build a regenerative future. As he puts it: "Stubborn optimism can fill our lives with meaning and purpose."

Privacy isn't dead, but face surveillance technology might kill it, says civil rights advocate Kade Crockford. In an eye-opening talk, Kade outlines the startling reasons why this invasive technology -- powered by often-flawed facial recognition databases that track people without their knowledge -- poses unprecedented threats to your fundamental rights. Learn what can be done to ban government use before it's too late.

A short look at the science, pros and cons behind transcranial direct stimulation, or tCDS.

By Emily Reynolds. Participants whose self-esteem was based on financial success felt more lonely and disconnected from others.

Questioning his leadership? Geoff Schwartz will call you ridiculous.

Diabetes in pregnancy -- Treatment -- Popular works.