Coach Bill / Dad, Entrepreneur Special Educator, American Political Scientist, Writer, Musician.

Is it the responsibility of the teacher or the student to pave the road for success in the education environment? What happens in the physical education class of twenty students whereby seven have above average gross-motor skills, ten are right on, and three seem to fall behind? In a school setting with a forty-five minute class duration, the impetus is for the teacher to ‘run’ the class as best as possible, rather than teach to the lowest common denominator. ‘Stragglers’ can tend to ‘fall behind,’ and soon enough class is over. This can repeat over and over again, week after week, semester after semester.  What happens to the three students after many classes is that they begin to develop a sense of failure which is confirmed by the teachers continued approach in orchestrating the class. Is the student at fault or is it the responsibility of the teacher to better integrate these three into the class? As a teacher of thirteen years and a father of three, I alwa...

How many dollars is a life worth? Can a skatepark make hard crime, like murder, plummet in a given geographic area? Recently, I read in a New York newspaper (with all the news that is fit to print) about the top most crime-ridden sectors of New York City. The article identified rape, murder and robbery as the main issues. How would a top-of-the-line skateboarding skatepark benefit Harlem, New York?  How about South Norwalk, Connecticut’s, Ryan Park, right next to Washington Village?  In California, Pennsylvania, and in many smart towns and cities across the country there are mega skateboarding park facilities, complete with night lighting and ample skateboarding space.  These allow a greater number of athletes to skateboard simultaneously, as well as provide a longer period of time where people with different schedules can use the park. The intensive-cognitive-physical strengthening, plus the low cost of purchasing safety ...

The more I practice serving others directly in the community the more my eyes acclimate to a different world that contrasts between empathy and evidences of apathy. My attitude as I initiate #OperationLovingkindness in Harlem, New York is one of humility. I begin by introducing myself and my purpose of bringing a revival of community and family in Harlem and then I begin to listen. I take stories from people who have shown selflessness, I bring energy and take smiles. John was sitting in a ‘walking-chair’ for seniors, just like the one my own grandfather had the last years of his life. John is a father of two, and grandfather of seven. It was about eleven o’clock in the morning when I began a conversation with him after seeing his pin-studded soldiers cap. I shared that my late-father served also and that I missed him. I then asked John if I could ask him some questions to write a part of his story on my blog and I requested to take his picture, to which he agr...

Being a teacher requires equal measures of ‘know-how,’ nurturing love and innovation, in order to stay relevant and effective in repeatedly producing successful educative outcomes. My graduate degree is in Special Education from Fairfield University and my bachelor’s is in Political Science from UMass-Boston affording me a special mix of insight for a Special Educator and Executive Function Skills Coach who works with children and adults with attentional deficits, behavioral concerns or identified as being on the autism spectrum. Does it give me somewhat of a special micro and macro lens at viewing and understanding my work? I believe so, though it does not mean I am always right. Just ask my ex-wife. Like the artists of old I have had three main families, or patrons for half a decade each of whom has been my base of financial support throughout my time in the U.S. northeast. A Muslim family, a Jewish family and a Christian family.. all with at least one child on the a...

Have you heard of the crab cage analogy? It's good. Basically when a crab enters a sea-floor cage laid by fishermen it may find some bait and it may see that it can easily get out still safely, but other crabs soon come to the scene and the cage quickly gets filled with crabs. Each time a crab tries to 'break out' instinctively, the other crabs try to claw it down. No crabs get out. They keep each other in check. I am a Special Educator on a mission. I busted out of the crab cage and I am not going back.  True leaders need to go through all kinds of failure first as they come closer and closer to success by their perseverance. I think and feel that this requires love. Love for what you do and why you are doing it. Currently, I am in an 'all-out' campaign for the heart of  parents with kids with autism, ADHD, and mild executive function skill deficits in Puerto Rico. The steam engine is pushing, the coal is being heaved into the fire, and the train horn is being blas...

Parents with children with severe special needs commonly mirror the emotional turmoil of soldiers with PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a term used to replace battle-hardened, 'shell-shocked' men coming from war. Just yesterday I was in a particular office with four mothers, and it being Puerto Rico, the conversation was loud and inclusive. By no means would I attempt to enter a conversation as a stranger on the U.S. mainland, but the culture is different here. People are warm, gregarious and a bit nosy... kind of like one big family...kind of.. So these Moms are talking about their children with autism, and one has tears welling-up in her eyes, the other is 'unloading' her thoughts and feelings after so many years of battling and advocating for her child, and another Mom (not all at the same time) is telling me and everyone in earshot how frustrating it is that just about every year her child has to get re-acquainted with a new set of Special Educators, a new s...

updated 2/7/16 An important metric parents and educators should experiment with integrating as part of a daily routine can singlehandedly address such issues as being a bully-target, being able to regulate and regain behavioral composure, realign and elongate your spine, change your mood, and tone a host of other executive function skills also. It is almost a silly metric that is hidden as an activity itself.  It is not a big deal, it costs nothing on a reaccuring basis, is easily practiced, and most certainly greatly underestimated.  This tool is daily posture exercise.  Directions: 1.  First roll your shouders up and back in a circle three to five x's. 2.  Second, jut your chest out and arch your back into a tense muscular hold with your shoulders outstretched back and away from your body. 3. Third, extend straight arms backward and away from your body.  4.  In this position, which is certainly a tough and tiring positio...

There is a howling in the streets.. In the streets of Puerto Rico there is a howling going on for the dire need of more and better special education services. Who is listening?  Just last week on a Puerto Rican television news broadcast, people were protesting outside the governor's mansion, wailing, shouting, and a'howling.  In a time of great need, public funds have been severely cut and this has happened just as autism rates skyrocket per capita when compared to mainland U.S.A. That is just one disability. Their are scores of children, adolescents, and young adults with severe neurological disabilities, physical disabilities, speaking, gross and fine motor deficits who need specialized education that is modified and adapted so that they can learn best. But as of now, many get it on a limited basis. Their just isn't enough of an industry to service all the special educational needs.   What can the government do? Is this necessarily bad in the long-term that funds have d...