Dr. Jane B. SchulzTop: Parasailing in celebration of her 80th birthday. Click here for her video discussing the writing of Grown Man Now. She speaks out on several other topics in the video interview series, "On the Record."
About the Author:
Dr. Jane B. Schulz
Jane B. Schulz, EdD, is an inspirational speaker, writer, educator and mother of four adults, one of whom has Down syndrome. She devoted her life to advocacy for children and adults with disabilities, is considered a pioneer in special education and civil rights, and continues her outreach with "Grown Man Now," a memoir of a special educator.
Professor Emerita of Western Carolina University, she earned her doctorate in Special Education at Auburn University in 1971. Her masters degree in Mental Retardation and Psychology, and her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and Special Education, are also from Auburn.
Dr. Schulz taught elementary and special education in public schools for five years and at Western Carolina University for more than twenty years. Advocate and educator, she received a number of awards, notably the Distinguished Service Award by the Exceptional Children’s Division of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in 2000; the Felix Barker Award by the NC Federation for Exceptional Children; the Distinguished Teacher Award and the Paul A. Reid Distinguished Service Award at Western Carolina University. State President for the Council for Exceptional Children, she was also active in The American Association on Mental Retardation (now The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities), the Association for Retarded Children (now ARC) and other mental health and advocacy organizations.
Academic books by Jane B. Schulz include "Mainstreaming Exceptional Students: A Guide for Classroom Teachers," considered a landmark text in the field. First and second editions were co-authored with Ann P. Turnbull (co-founder, co-director and distinguished professor at the Beach Center on Disability at the University of Kansas) under the title "Mainstreaming Handicapped Students...;" third and fourth editions were expanded in content to include all exceptional students.
Along with Dr. Schulz’s expertise as a teacher of children with disabilities and of college students preparing for careers in education, her textbook — "Parents and Professionals in Special Education" — also drew from her experiences as a mother of children who are gifted and another child with Down syndrome. This same diverse experience benefits Bridging the Family-Professional Gap, which she edited with Billy T. Ogletree, PhD and Martin A. Fischer, PhD of Western Carolina University.
Additional works by Schulz include book chapters, featured in multiple editions of the following books: Turnbull et al: "Cognitive Coping, Families & Disability" and "Parents Speak Out;" and Banks and Banks "Multicultural Education." Her numerous articles were published in professional journals, including: Teaching Exceptional Children, Education Quarterly, Speech Language and Hearing Journal, American Journal on Mental Retardation, Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, and The Education Digest.
She has delivered hundreds of presentations and workshops in half of the nation’s states. Her main topics are: Inclusion of Students with Disabilities, Teaching Techniques in Special Education, Building Communication Skills, Parent-Professional Collaboration, Celebrating Diversity, and Developing Positive Attitudes.
Dr. Schulz lives in Kingsport, Tennessee with her son. Billy Schulz often presents with her to administrators, teachers and other professionals, families of children with disabilities, churches, youth and civic groups. Audiences respond warmly and enthusiastically to their message of inspiration, optimism, courage and determination. Chronicled in GROWN MAN NOW, their lives, opinions and experiences are further expressed on their website, where readers may interact on their blog, view video interviews, and find solid information relating to adults with disabilities. Please visit grownmannow.com.
For more on her academic writing, click here.
Acknowledgements
From Grown Man Now:
Frequently, people tell me, “You have done a wonderful job in raising Billy.” I hasten to tell them that Billy’s development into such a fine man has resulted from the influence of a host of people. In addition to his loving and supportive family, we have had encouragement and affirmation from teachers, friends, employers, and sometimes from strangers who interact with him. I am deeply grateful to all the sensitive people who have contributed to his growth and to mine.
In writing this book I have also relied on input from family members and from friends. I appreciate those who have read the pre-publication copy and have made sensitive and validating suggestions and comments. They include Lisa Bloom, Embry Burrus, Beth Calvert, Gurney Chambers, Jos de Wit, Michael Dougherty, Michelle Estes, Beverly Jackson, Ann Overton, David Shapiro, Ann Turnbull, Nan Watkins, and David Westling. Thank you for your time and for your insight. I am also grateful to my editor, Betsy White, for her in-depth and enthusiastic appraisal of my work.
My children have made this book possible. John, while writing his own book, carefully read each of my chapters, provided immediate feedback, and explored publication issues for me. Tom gave me early and valuable advice, urged me to include my “gravel roads” and made succinct comments all along the way. Mary brought her dynamic writing, editing, and design skills to the task of bringing my mission to the public.
Billy was the inspiration for the book, my teaching, and much of my life.