speddie
n.— «Since this was the 80’s, kids who struggled in school were relegated to—and often sequestered in (including lunch)—the so-called “Sped” room and likewise referred to by teachers and kids as “speddies’”retards,” and other choice terms. I went to middle school in the 80’s and can still remember walking past the Special Education department and looking in, feeling incredibly uncomfortable.» —“A Heating Pad Strapped to My Head and Some Thoughts on Victimization” by Hinsley Ford The Oxygen Chronicles (Bangore, Maine) Aug. 25, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...
There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding — and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished...