{"product_id":"belchertown-state-school-katherine-benson-anderson-9781467105019","title":"Belchertown State School","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn the first decade of the 20th century, the state of Massachusetts established itself as a leader in the education of individuals with disabilities.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe third state school for the feebleminded was built in rural Belchertown, in the western part of the state. Opened in 1915, Belchertown State School would eventually encompass almost 900 acres of land and would become the largest employer in town. For nearly 60 years, the state school educated individuals with disabilities who were otherwise excluded from public education, training the \"residents\" to become independent members of their families and of society. The model was a success until reports of abuse and neglect began to surface, culminating in the landmark 1972 Ricci v.Greenblatt case, which ultimately led to the state school's closure in 1992.The state school's rich history, maintained and curated by the late Donald LaBrecque, chronicles the rise of special education and developmental services and the ultimate collapse of the state school system.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKatherine Anderson is a veteran special education teacher and has been researching and writing about state schools and other institutions for more than a decade. She is the president of the Belchertown State School Friends Association and is working to preserve the substantial archive of state school history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Katherine Benson Anderson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1467105015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781467105019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Arcadia Publishing (SC)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/03\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 128\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.30h x 6.50w x 0.30d","brand":"Katherine Benson Anderson","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48458539467007,"sku":"9781467105019","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_0d5d9b16-abd9-4201-862e-991229d9d04a.jpg?v=1777405064","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/belchertown-state-school-katherine-benson-anderson-9781467105019","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}