Edwin W. Martin Jr.

Edwin W. Martin Jr. (born September 3, 1931) is a policymaker in the area of education for people with disabilities.

He served as congressional committee staff and in the Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations.

Martin began his Washington career by serving as Director of the House of Representatives's ad-hoc Subcommittee on the Handicapped in 1966-67.

The subcommittee, Chaired by Rep. Hugh L. Carey of New York, drafted, and saw passed, the first Education of the Handicapped Act, Title VI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, (P.L. 89-750).

In 1967 Martin was invited to serve as Deputy Associate Commissioner and Deputy Director of the new Bureau of Education for the Handicapped (BEH) created by Title VI.

It was a competitive Civil Service appointment.

In 1969, Martin was promoted to Associate Commissioner and Director of the Bureau, and in 1977 advanced to Deputy Commissioner, remaining Bureau Chief.

During these years Martin played a key role in developing federal special education policy, drafting and advising the Congress on multiple pieces of legislation.

He was instrumental in drafting the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (1975).

In 1975, he was one of a small group of hill staff members and advocates for children who drafted what became P.L. 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, a landmark bill in which states promised to educate all their handicapped children to qualify for federal funding for such programming.

When the Department of Education was created in 1979–1980, Martin served as the first Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

Martin earned his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in Speech Pathology and Psychology.

Muhlenberg College, his undergraduate college, Emerson College and Long Island University's C.W. Post College have awarded him honorary degrees.

He served in that role until he was succeeded by President Reagan's appointee, Jean S. Tufts, in October 1981.

In 1981, Martin received the highest accolade of the Council for Exceptional Children, the J. E. Wallace Wallin Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Leaving the government in 1981, Martin became the President and CEO of three non-profit corporations serving children and adults with disabilities, The National Center for Disability Services on Long Island, New York.

The Center has since been renamed The Viscardi Center.

Martin's efforts won him invitations to become Lecturer in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Columbia University's Teachers College.

After retiring, Martin ran for, and won, election for the office of Mayor of Venice, Florida.

In 1990, the law became known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

President Carter appointed Martin to serve as the nation's first Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, to head the newly created Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).

He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate.

He served for one three-year term from 2007-2010.

He currently writes a blog opposing increased land development in the area, Inside Venice, Florida.

Martin remains an individual of strong influence in special education.

He wrote an email to professional friends July 29, 2017:

'Perspectives on Providing Special Education to Children'

I have had the good and interesting fortune to have taught preschool school, school-aged, and Post-secondary students with special education needs, including some graduate students and faculty members.

In association with other professionals I have worked, learned and taught with physicians, psychologists, social workers, speech pathologists and audiologists, some with disabilities, e.g., deafness, blindness, mental health, physical disabilities, ranging in extent of disability from mild to severe.

I am sharing my thoughts, particularly with those who feel only regular classroom placement is the ideal service delivery system, not because I think I have "the answer," but in hopes that by sharing, we might communicate with additional appreciation of differing views.

There is no way, it seems to me, one can follow the path, I have, without being struck by the unique characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, and the unique needs of individuals.

There are, of course, commonalities, but in the learning/therapy interaction, I found no one-fits-all model.

I have worked with individuals, small groups, and larger groups of a dozen or more, trying to achieve differing kinds of growth.

Early in my career I worked with adult individuals who had suffered loss of speech and language from stroke, gun shot, accident, etc. The embraced model of treatment, was one-on-one instruction with an emphasis on the physical formation of sounds and words.

It was called, in those days, "The Medical Model."

My great teacher/mentor, Ollie Backus, began working with groups at the University of Michigan and then at the University of Alabama.

With her support, I began having small groups, two or three usually participate in role playing of simple daily events, purchasing cigarettes or coffee, etc. using whatever speech or gestures came out, not attempting speech drills.

We, clients and staff, were pleased with the results.

The interpersonal context eliciting speech, not always accurate, but there was another gain, the clients felt less hopeless, they began to feel they could get by.

Working with others with similar, but unique, problems created a positive environment for learning.