Peering Into the Past to Get a Glimpse of the Future:

Summary

This history is based on my memories, UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire program descriptions and reports, WDPI publications, WDEC minutes, and ECSE materials. This report includes my knowledge about the State’s early history. In my opinion, the many activities, actions and accomplishments described here served as a foundation for subsequent developments in the intervention and education of young children with disabilities in Wisconsin. Some of these outcomes have influenced practice throughout the nation. These developments reflect the contributions of many people from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, teacher education programs, WDEC, and the State’s ECSE practitioners and administrators. Our achievements were products of collaborative practice. Not much was done accidentally or without purposeful thought about how people, organizations, agencies and programs could help achieve the goal of providing highly effective services for all young children (age’s birth-to-8) with disabilities and their families. In my view, the UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire ECSE teacher education programs and WDEC were instrumental in making Early Childhood Special Education what it is today in Wisconsin.

Our campus programs worked to improve regional intervention practices by working closely with teachers, related service personnel and administrators. We benefited because our students observed and worked with highly effective teachers; the agencies benefited because we provided access to up-to-date information about “best practice” and well prepared student volunteers to assist in classrooms. Perry Smith, a local Director of Special Education in Eau Claire liked to describe our relationship as “symbiotic”. Focusing on the State’s efforts on behalf of young children with disabilities was consistent with the Wisconsin Idea. This idea emphasized the importance of using the University System resources to strengthen the State’s resources and solve problems.

We knew that child development and learning were complex and that teaching children at-risk or with disabilities would never be a simple task. I do believe that we demonstrated that teacher preparation could be effective. We helped our graduates understand that they were well prepared entry level teachers who should remember that professional competence is never an absolute achievement, but is rather, something in the nature of a lasting commitment. I believe that we made real progress.

Finally, it has been an honor and privilege to work with so many very skilled, responsible, and dedicated professionals in these activities. Purposeful leadership and cooperative and collaborative actions made all of this possible. The activities and outcomes I have described should inspire all current and future early childhood special education professionals to work to improve early intervention/education for all children ages birth-to-8 in Wisconsin.

A special thanks to Cathy, my wife and primary source of support during my professional career; to Louise A. Mollinger, my life partner whose encouragement and assistance helped me complete this project; my son Eric who developed a DVD that contains a video taped interview and this written document; and to Steve Betchkal, the reporter who conceived and produced the In Person interview series for Eau Claire area WQOW Channel 18 TV viewers.

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References

Franks, D.J. (1976). Certification for special education early childhood teachers. WDPI Bureau Memorandum, 17, 14-15.

Franks, D.J. (1978). EC-EEN certification revisited. WDPI Bureau Memorandum, 19, 32-34.

Franks, D.J. (1980). Early childhood-handicapped, yes…, but….WDPI Bureau Memorandum, 21, 19-21.

Melcher, J.W. & Franks, D.J. (1978). Certification and training of teachers of young handicapped children-The Wisconsin Experience. WDPI Bureau Memorandum, 20, 32-34.

Appendix A:
More about the Author

DAVID J. FRANKS, Ph.D. Retired as Professor Emeritus from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2006 after serving in multiple capacities, including Chair of the Department of Special Education from 1991-1995 and coordinating the Early Childhood-Special Education Programs beginning in 1981. Prior to his work at UW-Eau Claire he served as developer and Coordinator of Early Childhood-Handicapped Teacher Education Programs at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater from 1973-1981. Before entering the field of teacher education he served as: Early Childhood Training Specialist and Outreach Planning & Development Coordinator for the Educational Technology Satellite Demonstration Project, Rocky Mountain Federation of States, Denver, Colorado; Interim Director of the Diagnostic Learning Center, St. Paul Public Schools, St. Paul, Minnesota,; and Speech Therapist for the Head Start Program; and Speech Therapist for children classified as multi-handicapped & mentally retarded services for the St. Paul Public Schools, St. Paul, Minnesota. His educational background included earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech Correction from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 1964, a Master of Arts Degree in Special Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1970 and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Special Education-Early Childhood Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1972.

He lists as important accomplishments: the development of innovative and highly effective undergraduate and graduate pre-service and continuing teacher education programs at the University of Wisconsin campuses at Whitewater and Eau Claire; his role in the State’s development of criterion-based Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) teacher certification and training; founding member and leadership roles in the Wisconsin Division on Early Childhood (WDEC); documentation of ethnic disparity in special education programs; promotion of across-disciplinary training; and many outcomes from collaborative activities with local and state professionals, agencies and groups. As part of his active role in WDEC, he served two terms as the division’s president. He served on many committees and boards. He directed several projects and served as a consultant to local, state and national groups and agencies. In addition to his role as Coordinator of and instructor in the ECSE teacher training programs at UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire, he was a member of the State’s Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction’s Advisory Council. He served on the Eau Claire Area Development and Training Center Board and the Eau Claire School District Strategic Planning and Four Year Old Kindergarten planning committees. He was founder and principle investigator of the Wisconsin Committee on Early Childhood for the Handicapped in 1973, developer and advocate for the adoption of the State’s ECSE teacher certification in the 70’s, member of the team that developed and implemented the State’s Birth-to-3 services in the 80’s, member of the team that designed and carried out research related to the effectiveness of the preschool placement options in the 90’s, writer of several state and federal grants, and a developer of a variety of service delivery, curricular and instruction practices throughout his 30-plus year career in higher education.

He received awards for his contributions to the education of children at-risk for failure in school and children with disabilities. These include the Outstanding Service Award for contributions to ECSE in Wisconsin from the Wisconsin Federation, Council for Exceptional Children Division on Early Childhood in 1978 and its Life Time Achievement Award in 1999. He was the recipient of the first annual Victor Contrucci Service Award from the Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Distinguished Service Award from the Eau Claire Association for Retarded Citizens in 2003 and was recognized by the Eau Claire Area School District for 20 years of service to the education of young children who are at-risk or disabled in 2000. He was selected by his colleagues as the UW-Eau Claire’s College of Education nominee for the WDPI Outstanding Teacher Educator Award in 1986 and was a recipient of the Eau Claire Foundation’s Friends of Luther Children’s Legacy Award in 2005. Later that year he was honored by the University of Wisconsin System as one of one hundred faculty members from the System whose work best represented the Wisconsin Idea.

[1] In Wisconsin the Department of Health and Social Services and county agencies were responsible for the intervention services for children ages birth-to-3.

[2] Such as Handicapped Children’s Early Education Act, Head Start, the Milwaukee Project, and the Portage Model Demonstration Project

[3] Chapter 115 of the State’s Statutes and parent advocacy

[4] Such as the Penfield Center, Curative Workshop, Waisman Center-Dane County and Public school special education, and County Birth-to-3 programs

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