HB, JMK

Here’s wishing a happy birthday to James M. Kauffman, who was born on this day in 1940. Jim has been, depending on whom one asks, celebrated and reviled for his analyses of issues in the education of students with disabilities. He does not vascilate when expressing his views, but he states them only after thoroughly analyzing the topics about which he writes and speaks.

Jim has been a remarkably productive scholar. Among the many books, chapters, and articles he’s written, there are many worth mentioning. I’ll simply point to his book on educational reform, Education Deform: Bright People Sometimes Say Stupid Things About Education (publisher’s site), which is the publication that is the most accessible for lay readers. For those who want a more thorough list, see his vita.

As a perusal of that vita will show, Jim and I have worked together. We are, in fact, friends. Of course, that makes me biased (I’m among those who celebrate). But, we share more than profesisonal interests, as my choice of tags for this posts illustrates. I’m better off because I’ve known him.