What does inclusivity in K-12 education look like to you?
*As a seasoned educator, this question includes for me all student needs, gender and sexual orientation and diversity in children and adolescence, understanding ethnic and racial disparities in education, the entirety of the autism spectrum and effective behavioral interventions, as well as insuring that teachers are trained and prepared for all students with special needs in inclusive classrooms; increased training to create truly inclusive classrooms through evidence-based practices and hands-on strategies and be properly equipped to do so effectively at the teacher and para level as we support all learners. In a classroom there will never be a one sized fits all method. You must teach in all modalities, support all learners as they grow and change thought their year. Identify emotional and educational needs meeting each student where they are. We ABSOLUTLEY without question need more mental health resources for students, the staff we have are doing their best with the time they have, but their caseloads are immense. Students mental health is declining and we are losing far too many to dangerous coping behaviors, self harm, and most tragically suicide. We must support and love students and provide supports that meet their needs academically, emotionally, and socially. Parents do the best they can. They send their students to us because they trust that we are who we say we are and we will do what we promise to do. Keep them safe, educate them well, and support their individual needs to the best of our ability. To me, successful inclusive education happens primarily through accepting, understanding, and attending to student differences and diversity, which include physical, cognitive, academic, social, and emotional. This is not to say that students should never need to spend time out of regular education classes, because sometimes they do for a very particular purpose — for instance, for speech or occupational therapy. But the goal is this should be the exception. This question for many has a singular focus, this is what my years in education hands on with my students, working side by side with parents, sitting in hundreds of IEP meetings for students as a team of educators ensuring all students have what they need to learn. ALL student needs are important, all need a team approach from school and home working together to surround our students will all the support, guidance and acceptance needed to stand with our hearts bursting with pride as they graduate and move into successful adulthood. a. What is your definition of equity? b. Why is equity in education important to you? A. Educational Equality means that every child receives what they need to develop to their individual specific full academic, social, and emotional potential. Working towards equity in schools at each level from K-12 involves: Ensuring equally high outcomes for all participants in our educational system; removing the predictability of success or failures that currently correlates with any social or cultural factor; Interrupting inequitable practices, examining current procedures and they effectiveness, and creating inclusive multicultural school environments for adults and children. We must look at schools as a well operating machine with well developed policies and procedures for equity to occur. Staff and students must work collectively to achieve this. Staff buy in, student buy in and involvement is essential. B. Discovering and cultivating the unique gifts, talents and interests that every human possesses. While the terms “equity” and “equality” are often used interchangeably, there are notable differences between the two. “Equality” focuses on ensuring students are presented with the same educational opportunities throughout their scholastic career; however, this approach doesn’t take into consideration that even with those opportunities, different students will have different needs in order to succeed. This is where equity comes in. “Equity” focuses on taking those opportunities presented to students and infusing them with support and resources to turn the education system into a level playing field. This means that disadvantaged students will get the support they need to become equal to students who are not disadvantaged. It takes equality a step further by lifting students who may not have the same opportunities and ensuring they not only are presented with the same options, but that the differences are made up for these students. Why is Equity in Education Important to me? There are numerous reasons why equity in education is important, I could talk about this all day! Supporting the understanding that Public Education will always be provided. We can't throw up our hands and walk away from the students who have to be there. Not every parent can homeschool or afford private schools. It is essential that we create opportunity for underprivileged and underserved students so they are able to overcome disadvantages and find success Giving all students the opportunity to learn in the way that best supports their specific learning style Inspire students become more engaged in what they’re learning by ensuring they see people who are their same race, gender, ethnicity, and have a visible vested interest in their learning Granting students more access to the resources that can bolster their education Strengthening the connection between a student’s family and their teacher, fostering a more enriching educational environment at home, with a strong connection between school and home. Guiding students to success in their educational career, and beyond! Not all students will or should choose college and that is exactly the way it should be. Closing the opportunity and achievement gap by making students equal Improving a school district’s performance in metrics such as standardized testing (SIDE NOTE: WE MUST TRAIN TEACHERS on how to understand testing data and use it effectively to drive instruction. What work have you done OUTSIDE the context of the Carmel Clay schools that would prepare you to be an effective advocate for inclusivity and equity initiatives in CCS? All that you see above come from my years as a teacher. My first year out of college, I taught High School Language Arts and was the theater coach. I then moved into my favorite grade, First Grade! I did teach 5th grade for one year, but you will find teachers have a favorite age where they feel they thrive most!! I was honored to be Teacher of the Year at Oscar J Pope Elementary in Lakeland FL. I have been an Instructional Coach over PBS; RtI, and training teachers how to use test data to drive their instruction as well as involve students in their own tracking of their data to see their growth. I had a fully inclusive classroom the entire time I taught at OJP. I was blessed to grow as an educator with students who had a myriad of special needs and incredible staff that worked together to ensure all students where provided the supports and environment they needed to be successful. OJP was also in a very high poverty and high crime area, we were able to meet needs of students with a clothing closet, a thanksgiving food drive I spearheaded with a local church to provide for our local families. I was the executive director of a Preschool and daycare working with my incredible staff of over 100 to have a safe and educationally rich beginning for our students. I worked with my phenomenal Preschool team to write a curriculum for our 5 year old's knowing what they were facing as they entered Kindergarten in the public school system in Florida. We wanted them to feel incredible successful as they began their journey in school. In Indiana, I started my work in our beautiful state working with EmployIndy, Marion County's Workforce Development Board that works for the Governor. I was Assistant Director of the Business Development team. As we were working with employers on gaps in employee skills our team worked together to create Talent Bound. I loved bringing my educational background into the creation of this incredible program! We went to New York and modeled our program off of the incredible work being done there. If employers are looking for skilled workers with industry specific certifications, why not work intentionally with our schools to create pipelines of future talent? And that is what we did. Meaningful internships, impactful relationships with industry leaders so students are inspired and empowered to choose the career path that is right for them!! Is there anything else you want to share on your views on this topic? *I deeply appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my thoughts, we may agree and we may disagree, but that is what makes for a strong support system for our kiddos. Our students need passionate invested adults, teachers, and staff to love them for exactly who they are, protect them from things that are not age appropriate, keep them physically safe while at school and school activities. They must know that they are safe, loved, supported and heard. When a child is frustrated for whatever reason, their little brains, (and ours too) shut down. They can't learn and at that point they don't want to. Equity and Inclusion is critical. It is not a singular issue, but that of reaching, educating and supporting the whole child. As a child growing up in the Regan era, I remember clearly hearing all the time, that we were the great melting pot. But I always wanted to raise my hand and challenge that idea. Melting pot means we are not all able to keep our individuality and what is special about our cultures/families/beliefs. We don't want our students to feel like they are invisible or not incredibly special exactly the way they are. As their trusted adults, we must come together and toil the field, do the work so that they feel proud of themselves, their family, their city, their state, their country and their world. I am honored to have been a part and still a part of so many of my students lives, and want to bring my passion and abounding love for students to CCS. Thank you again for letting me pour my heart out.
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AuthorAll Blog posts are written by Lori Long Archives
October 2022
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