Who is in(cluded)?

It's National Inclusive Schools Week!

Awareness to Action: Moving Forward
"Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network (ISN).  Since its inception in 2001, Inclusive Schools Week has celebrated the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference and other factors. The Week also provides an important opportunity for educators, students and parents to discuss what else needs to be done in order to ensure that their schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children."

I work in a fully inclusive school, at least I like to think we are. When I look around my classes, I see a rich, inclusive community.   I was pulling books for the Inclusion Facilitator in my school and was pleased to see the suggested book list encompassed a broad spectrum of books and that in almost every book I pulled from the shelves one prominent theme emerged, that of being or having an ally. The role comes up frequently in the work we do surrounding bullying in schools.  I wonder whether this is something we can teach children or if it is something intrinsic in certain children's character. Whether they envision themselves being allies or not, every day I witness my students looking out for and protecting those whom they believe need protecting.  How can we help them protect even those who don't appear to need it?  Food for thought.

Have Flip, Will Travel! I will be hitting the hallways of my school to find out what my students think an inclusive school community looks like.  Stay tuned!

Here are three books I plan to read this week.


I'm Here by Peter H. Reynolds

Let's Talk about Race by Julius Lester

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell