Michael Bach with CACL President Zuhy Sayeed

Michael Bach Asks Critical Questions at CTF Conference

Nov '05 CACL Executive Vice President Michael Bach raised important points about the effort to create inclusive schools during the opening plenary session of the Canadian Teachers Federation Conference.

Focused on inclusive education in Canada, the CTF Conference followed up on the "National Summit on Inclusive Education", held in Ottawa in November 2004. The Conference saw more than 500 delegates examine many different aspects of the issue.

Michael Bach delivered a major challenge to those present and those in this field.

Click here for an adaptation and excerpt from talk.

Click here to download a complete copy of Michael Bach's remarks at the CTF conference.

Pioneers of Inclusion Movement attend CTF Conference

Donna and Emerson Coish are still interested in learning more about inclusive education. They both attended the recent CTF conference on inclusion in Ottawa.

The couple from Newfoundland & Labrador started finding ways to keep their special education students in the regular class more than 25 years ago in the school they worked in Labrador City.

They provided evidence that it was possible to break down the barriers of segregation when the examples available were few. Donna and Emerson spent their careers promoting inclusion and they also acted as volunteers with the Community Living Association in their province. Donna is now retired but Emerson is still active in the education field taking his knowledge and skills to Nunavut for a few years. All the best to them in their endeavours.

Ontario:  Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Wins National Inclusive Education Award

Community Living Ontario is pleased to announce that Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is the Ontario recipient of a National Education Award.

The Inclusive Education Award is given by the Canadian Association for Community Living to one individual or organization in each of Canada's 13 provinces and territories who has made positive contributions toward the goal of meaningful inclusion in the school system.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board was nominated by Community Living Ontario for its ground-breaking work in partnership with the Ontario association's Community Inclusion Project toward its inclusive education initiative, "Building an Inclusive Schools Culture".

"From the beginning of their involvement with our Community Inclusion Project two-and-a-half years ago, we have been impressed with how Kawartha Pine Ridge has committed itself to making inclusion a reality in its schools," says Community Living Ontario President Garry Cooke.

Kawartha Pine Ridge began its association with the Community Inclusion Project with 12 schools involved in putting together a "profile" to assess the degree of inclusion - both practices and attitudes - that existed within each school. The next step was to develop realistic action plans to both celebrate successes where they exist and to strengthen areas that can be improved. Since then, Kawartha Pine Ridge has expanded its initiative to include all 101 schools and learning centres in the district.

The key to "building an inclusive school culture" is to involve not only the academic side - teachers, students and education assistants in the classroom - but the entire school community, including everyone from administrators, secretaries and custodians to family members and volunteers.

A "culture of inclusion" exists where a group of stakeholders share a vision and are prepared to make inclusion a critical component of a healthy school.

"This is a lofty objective," says Mr. Cooke. "Clearly, Kawartha Pine Ridge is to be highly commended for being on a committed path toward reaching that goal."

Val Surbey presenting to Carol-Anne Browning

Manitoba:  Browning Recognized for Her Contribution

Carol-Anne Browning, Director of Student Services with the Manitoba Department of Education, Citizenship and Youth is being recognized by Community Living - Manitoba for her outstanding contribution to Inclusive Education in Manitoba.

December 5th - 9th is National Inclusive Education Week across Canada and the United States. Each Province has been asked by the Canadian Association for Community Living to recognize progressive and substantial contribution to the promotion of Inclusive Education.

"Carol-Anne has been the leader of the Manitoba team to prepare the schools and community for the implementation of Bill 13 - an amendment to the Public Schools Act about Appropriate Education," said Dale Kendel, Executive Director of Community Living - MB. Kendel continues "She has lead a team of officials in consultation, listening, debating issues and now implementation of standards to respond to Bill 13."

Val Surbey, President of Community Living - MB said "Carol-Anne has actively engaged students, families, teachers, administrators of schools in a process that promotes Inclusive Education in all schools in Manitoba. This process has been impressive" Surbey added.

"We are please to present this award in recognition of Carol-Anne's dedication and effort to Bill 13 and Inclusive Education."

NBACL Presents "National Inclusive Education Award"

Centennial Elementary School was the first school in what was then District 29 - now District 14 - to demonstrate that inclusive education can work.

The principal of the school (Mr. Lloyd Allaby - 1983-91) at the time provided strong and vigorous leadership to move from segregation to what was then called the integration of students with intellectual disabilities.

As an initiator and leader in this effort, the school took many forward steps that were required into unknown territory. These steps were taken cautiously and carefully to ensure successful outcomes for both students and teachers. There was an awareness that serious missteps could lead the entire effort into disrepute. This never happened. There were indeed ups and downs but the Centennial School - the staff, students and parents - have me the challenge and made inclusion work well for the students who have attended the school.

Since the early 1990's responsibility for inclusion has passed on to another set of leaders - (Mr. Robert MacNally, principal 1991-present) - who have met other challenges to keep the inclusion program alive and well. The school has always shown a willingness to do the extra things required for true success - rather than just getting by. As new issues and new programs have come along in the last decade, Mr. MacNally and the teachers at Centennial have maintained their focus on inclusion. They have done so with the knowledge that it I not just the student's with disabilities that benefit. They have always maintained that being an inclusive school has been a positive thing for every child who has attended. During the last 22 years several thousand children have passed through the school and have learned the lesson that "every child belongs" in a community school.

Since the beginning, the Centennial Elementary School in Woodstock has been a leader in many of the practices that make inclusion work. They were one of the first schools in NB to utilize the Method & Resource Teacher Model to support teachers with the challenges that flow from an inclusive approach to education. They also are noted for their commitment to team work and collaborative decision making. Their "school student services support team" has set a standard for effective practice in their district and in the province.

One of the things that is noteworthy is the number of teachers from Centennial School that have gone on to leadership positions in other schools. Staff members who have served as M&R teachers, and classroom teachers, as well, have been selected for leadership positions in other schools because of the skills and qualities they have acquired by being members of the Centennial Elementary School team.

Over the years, the Centennial Elementary School has played host to hundreds of visitors. In the early years the visitors were from other New Brunswick schools and school districts. Later they came from throughout the Maritime Provinces. During a few of these years, the demand for visits was sufficient that two "visiting days" per month were established to keep it in hand. The philosophy, positive beliefs and practices at CES, thus set a pattern for many schools in New Brunswick and beyond.

In the late 1980's and 1990's visitors not only came to CES from the Maritimes, and the USA, but from overseas countries such as China, New Zealand, Mexico, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, India, Austria, Iceland, Sweden and Finland among others. Some visitors came individually or in small groups, while others came in groups as large as 30. The most recent group were 20 school leaders from the Netherlands who visited in September 2005. The Centennial Elementary School was usually not the only school visited, but it was always the one school where inclusive practice and quality education for all was reliably present.

The school community, the principals - Mr. Allaby and Mr. MacNally, and the teachers who have worked at the Centennial Elementary School over the last 22 years, deserve recognition for their vision, their commitment and their accomplishments. They have contributed significantly to the success the New Brunswick education system has had with inclusive education.