[November 5, 2008] – A Matter of Panache is the story of a school psychologist who was a passionate advocate for children with special needs–both before and after– the work-related auto accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury. It is a powerful look inside the happenings of two large school districts when her questions concerning the ethical and legal maneuverings of policy and procedure for serving children with special needs–and her outspoken advocacy for change– could suddenly be countered by the district’s questions regarding the effects of her head injury.
Panache is not just a memoir of one woman and her fight for her professional reputation and passion after a devastating injury. It is equally an adventure story and an engaging portrait of the funny, quirky, complicated, complex, angry, goofy, brilliant and loving kids she worked with as they learned to cope with the challenges brought on by Asperger’s syndrome, attention deficits, behavioral challenges, learning disabilities, brain injuries, and a host of other disorders:
— For nearly twenty years in the most remote regions of Alaska
— In the Mormon dominated culture and on the reservation lands of SE Utah, and
— In a middle school located on an army post in Colorado, during the height of the Iraq crisis.
A Matter of Panache is a timely book in an era when an estimated sixty percent of our returning soldiers suffer the effects of traumatic brain injury, and as the leader of the No Child Left Behind legislation is exiting and making room for a new kind of political leadership.
Reviewer Comments: Panache is a must read for anyone who cares about children, has or knows someone with a brain injury, and/or is invested in our educational system."
“Panache is at once an adventure story and a revealing report on the inside happenings within the walls of public education. Inspiring readers to laugh, cry, groan, rage and love, when the last page is turned, it is a story not soon forgotten.”
“I could not put this book down…” “A fearless writer…”
On November 18th, A Matter of Panache will be released to the public and available for purchase through any major online bookstore.
About Debra Sanders: Debra has been a Nationally Certified Educational Psychologist since 1985. She was awarded both the Alaska Educational Psychologist of the Year award and the University of Alaska KPC, Adjunct Faculty of the Year award. Recently, Panache was honored as a 2008 Next Generation Indie Finalist
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
ISBN: 978-978-1-4327-2816-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008932259
website: http://www.debrasanders.com