Commentary on Inclusive Education

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G. Porter, Editor – www.inlcusiveeducation.ca

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Commentary

Superintendent Blogs Inclusive Education Canada’s Gordon Porter



A superintendent of schools has featured inclusive education advocate Gordon Porter in his blog called “SuperPals”. John McLaughlin writes about people he finds inspiring and interviews them for his blog. Here is some information about John – and the link to his blog.

Hello world, and welcome to SuperPals! I am the Superintendent of School District 15 in Dalhousie, New Brunswick, Canada, and the purpose of this project is to introduce you to some of the very fine people I’ve met over the years who are making a real difference in shaping Education for the new millennium. These people, who come from all corners of the world, work tirelessly to inspire our children and youth to be effective leaders in this 21st Century. Our paths have crossed at conferences and workshops, through collaborative projects, in courses I’ve taken, and even just by happy happenstance! In any case, I am proud to share their profiles with you, and to tell you — from my perspective — why they are truly among the most important educational leaders at work today.


But before that, here’s a little about me, and why I feel it is important to write this blog. I’ve been superintendent of our school district since 2003, and in that time I’ve come to appreciate the tremendous responsibility we have to educate our students for a world that is facing so many significant challenges. Our graduates must be problem solvers, critical thinkers, collaborators and strong global citizens, and we have an obligation to nurture those talents and traits while they are in our system.

http://superpals.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/superpal-3-gordon-porter/

National panel members share insights about making inclusion work
Partners present free webinar Feb. 28 February 2011 -- Natalie Hamilton


Educators who can make a positive impact on inclusion in Canada are tuned into a webinar hosted by Inclusive Education Canada, Community Living Ontario and the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL).

In celebration of February being Inclusive Education Month in Canada, the organizations presented School Inclusion: Critical Issue for Leaders on Monday, Feb. 28 from noon to 1:15 p.m.

“We thought it would be a good conclusion (to Inclusive Education Month) for a national panel to deal with some of the issues,” says Gordon Porter, director of Inclusive Education Canada.

The session targeted professionals who hold leadership positions from principals to resource teachers to others who are a responsible for inclusive education.

“It was focused on leadership and the critical issues in leadership that can make inclusive education a reality.”

Three speakers with distinct perspectives addressed issues facing school and district leaders in making inclusion both possible and successful. Each speaker gave a short presentation, discussed the topics and took questions from participants.

On the bill was Jody Carr, New Brunswick’s Education and Early Childhood Development minister, Bendina Miller, a former school district superintendent in British Columbia and president of CACL, and Calvin Fraser, secretary general of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation.

Carr will provided an update about what’s happening in the area of inclusive education at the provincial government level.

Miller shared her thoughts from the perspective of a retired senior educator.

Meanwhile, Fraser offered his insights about what’s necessary for inclusion from the standpoint of teachers. “He has a perspective from Canada’s teachers — the people who have to make it happen in the classrooms,” Porter says.

“It’s a small group but there were very interesting perspectives represented here.”

CACL executive vice-president Michael Bach facilitated the webinar.

The event was free and further events are being planned. Anyone with a computer, web access and speakers can take part.

Pondering the Obstacles to Inclusive Schools - Bendina Miller, President of CACL


I retired as Superintendent of Schools in BC’s Rocky Mountain School District in July 2010. In the months since, I’ve reflected on my 42 years in education and am struck by a number of questions. I had the good fortune of teaching students in grades 1 to 12 and in working in 4 provinces, both in school districts and with Ministries of Education.

Even before entering the profession I had a passion for inclusion and had the good fortune of working with and learning from colleagues and families who shared my passion. As such, I have been witness to outstanding educators, supported by dedicated families, who have enabled students to learn together and achieve tremendous success.

Thus, my questions –
• If we know that inclusion can mean success for all students then why don’t we include all students?
• Why do school districts continue to operate segregated schools, resource rooms and educational settings which exclude students who have been identified as having a disability?
• What can we do to make the difference?

While my questions may seem pessimistic, I continue to feel great optimism about achieving an inclusive future. That optimism is based on Canada’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Canada ratified the Convention on March 11, 2010 and with that ratification 10 provinces, 3 territories and the federal government have stated their support for the Convention which includes Article 24, The Right to Education.

In agreeing to the Convention Canada has a moral obligation to ‘ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning …. enabling persons with disabilities to participate in a free society.’ Article 24 goes on to set expectations that children with disabilities have the right to attend school in the communities in which they live and that reasonable accommodations must be provided to ensure effective education. In addition, the Convention states that measures must be taken to employ educators who have appropriate qualifications and that continuing professional training must be provided to ensure support for persons with disabilities.

So, with the powerful support of the UN Convention why do we still have school districts, supported by provincial/territorial governments, placing students in segregated environments?
One explanation could be that school districts and possibly governments aren’t even aware of the Convention and the moral obligation to inclusive education that it brings.
• I would suggest that we can make a difference by bringing the UN Convention - Article 24, to the attention of our governments, school districts and educators in our local schools.
• I would suggest that if inclusive education is a reality in our schools we could provide recognition that they are, in fact, meeting the expectations set out in the Convention.

If, on the other hand, inclusion has not been achieved it could support efforts to draw the district’s attention to the rights outlined in Article 24. I firmly believe that, together, we can make the difference. I also firmly believe that we can only make the difference by continuing to be strong, active advocates in sharing the power of the UN Convention with our community partners. It’s about shifting attitudes and building confidence that inclusive education is a right and that with the appropriate supports it is successful and results in improved education for all students.

Message from an Inclusive Education Enthusiast


I received your flyer about inclusive education month from a co-worker and I immediately visited your website. I am a Speech Language Pathologist at Upper Canada District School Board in Ontario and inclusive education has been my passion for my whole 14 year career. On your website you asked us to let you know what we will be doing to celebrate Inclusive Education Month 2011.

At Upper Canada District School Board we have developed SMART Inclusion, a grass roots initiative that involves using SMARTBoards and assistive technology scaffolded by theory such as Universal Design for Learning, Differentiated Instruction and the Participation Model allowing ALL students to achieve meaningful social and academic participation. I have attached an article on SMART Inclusion that was just published in the Closing the Gap magazine summarizing the first year of this initiative. We continue to research this concept and we are currently involved in a 2 year research project with two SMART Inclusion schools where technology and theory are being used to include ALL students from Kindergarten to Grade 8. February 24, 2011 we will host a SMART Inclusion Day where we open our schools to school districts and agencies from across North America and beyond to see SMART Inclusion in action and to meet the real stars of the show - our students:) For more information on SMART Inclusion visit us at smartinclusion.wikispaces.com. The SMART Inclusion team is sharing resources here to help others along this most exciting road that we have been traveling along for the past three years.

Thanks for your passion and for your vision,
Alexandra Dunn
Speech Language Pathologist
Upper Canada District School Board
Oxford Mills, Ontario

Click here to download the PDF version of this article.

SOME REFLECTIONS ON …. LIFE, MY FAMILY AND INCLUSION
BY ANNE KRESTA, Parent, Winnipeg

All of my life, I have had a passion to support the underdog...not out of a sense of cheering on the little guy, but of ensuring that we all enjoy the same rights, freedoms and opportunities for full citizenship in society. This may have come from being raised in a family of five children, each with their unique gifts and challenges, and one of whom was born with an intellectual disability (I call her my little, big sister as she is much smaller but older than I). And then, low and behold, of my three children, the older two were born with neuro-developmental disorders that included Asperger Syndrome, non-verbal learning disabilities, Tourette’s Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder and assorted other challenges.

Early on, my family was challenged by a school system that did not know what these disorders were and were at a loss when it came to how to appropriately support our sons. MORE Editors Note: To read the rest of Anne’s story – click here (PDF)

Focus on IQ Testing – A Compelling Message from Bruce Uditsky


Bruce Uditsky has completed an three-part analysis of the effects of IQ testing on children and families. Bruce is the CEO of the Alberta Association for Community Living and presents a perspective many will find of interest. The three part series is available on the AACL website – the LINK is - http://www.aacl.org/Portals/0/IQarticle.pdf

The series is titled, IQ Testing: A critique for parents of children with developmental disabilities.

Bruce opens his series with the following commentary:

One of the most common assessments parents are told they need in order to access funding, supports or services, is an IQ test. Sometimes, IQ tests are demanded with explicit or implicit threats: “Without an IQ test your child will not or might not get the educational supports he or she requires.” Other times there is a plea, almost as if you would be doing them a favour: “It is the government that requires the test and without it we cannot get our funding.”

Often parents feel they must comply, that there is no choice or that going along will lead to a reciprocal cooperation by schools or authorities on other points that are of more importance to parents. I know of no families who, by complying with IQ testing, achieved greater cooperation from authorities or achieved improved services, quality or funding. More often than not, there is a negative effect:
“With that IQ score, your child belongs in a segregated class,” or “With that IQ score, you should lower your expectations. We have.”

Parents may choose to cooperate with IQ testing, but with no illusion that consequentially they will gain cooperation on matters important to them. It is perfectly appropriate to choose the right challenges for your family, to conserve energy for future needs and thus at times agree to an IQ test to avoid a struggle. But it is helpful to be aware of the consequences and not assume positive ends will be achieved.

With respect to school, an IQ test cannot be conducted on a student without parental permission. Parents can refuse without much consequence, other than that which comes from challenging authority. School districts are required by law to provide an appropriate education, including the required resources, to all students and this is not dependent on an IQ test or the results of one.

April 2009- Partnerships and practical applications for teachers will move inclusion forward.
Award winners says movement needs to pull together and refocus advocacy efforts on inclusion
Friday, February 20, 2009 -- Camille Jensen

Beth French says its time to move from just talking about inclusive education as a theory to actively working with the education system so that the practices are in place to make inclusion work in schools.

French is the executive director of the of the Brockville and District Association for Community Involvement (BDACI), which was recently named the Ontario recipient of the Canadian Association for Community Living’s (CACL) Inclusive Education Award.

While the award is encouraging, French says recent statistics from the CACL’s national report card on inclusion highlight the reality that more work still needs to be done.

The CACL reported states that two-thirds of school-aged children who have an intellectual disability are segregated in special classes or schools some or all the time, or are not attending school at all.

“There has been some progress made over the years but there are many, many issues before us and this is a time in our movement when we have to come to grips with that,” says French.

The two main areas that the BDACI sees as instrumental to helping achieve inclusion in schools is forming partnerships with the school boards and advocating for more research and education techniques to prepare teachers to accommodate all children.

French says it’s important to work with the school board in a collaborative process. A successful partnership with the Upper Canada school board and the association has helped BDACI create inclusion in several schools in the Brockville area.

In BDACI’s experience, having a statement to clarify what inclusion means was also helpful to ensure consistency. BDACI presented the school board with a statement that identified full inclusion as having children who have an intellectual disability included in their age-appropriate classroom with adapted curriculum at their neighbourhood school.

“I think that clarity helps and consistency helps and you have to be prepared to demonstrate that you respect their expertise and want to work with that,” says French, adding that associations can still be strong in their advocacy for inclusion.

“Convey that our expectations are high and that we do in fact see as a fundamental for inclusion later in life, inclusive education has to be in place.”

Also important is ensuring teachers are prepared to teach children who have an intellectual disability. Nancy McNamara, BDACI’s president, says it’s hard to make inclusion happen if teachers feel unprepared to do it.

She suggests local associations and Community Living Ontario, advocate for the province to make it mandatory that all teachers receive training on how to accommodate children who an intellectual disability.

McNamara suggests that differentiated learning is one tool that could be helpful to instruct all children. Differentiated learning recognizes that all students do not learn in the same manner and adopts an approach that provides students with different avenues to maximize their growth so that all students within a classroom can learn effectively, regardless of differences in ability.

“We had a great presentation on this differentiated instruction which is a perfect example of how you include kids within the same classroom,” says McNamara, who adds that differentiated learning as a practice has not yet expanded to include children who have an intellectual disability — but should be considered in the future.

“I don’t think they are using that system as nearly as well as they could be.”

Does your association have a best practice when it comes to promoting inclusive education in schools?

Go to our feedback page and share your thoughts – Be part of the Discussion.

February 2009- “Inclusive Education: The Way of the Future”

Diane Richler, President of Inclusion International, was a speaker at the International Conference on Education held in Geneva in November 2008. She was representing the non-government (NGO) sector. The conference theme was “inclusive education” and was attended by Ministers of Education and senior officials from dozens of countries from every region of the world. Diane’s address provides a clear statement on why inclusive education is important, and answers several key questions on what it will take to move ahead. Diane Richler lives in Toronto and is a former Execitive Vice President of The Canadian Association for Community Living. She was a co-editor of Changing Canadian Schools and is a member fo the Order of Canada. She is currently serving a second 4 year term as President of Inclusion International.

To Read Diane’s Commentary – CLICK HERE – and when you read it go to our feedback page and share your thoughts – Be part of the Discussion.

January 2009- Making 2009 Matter

It is January 2009 and winter is doing its work on us here in Canada. From across the land we hear of snow, ice, cold winds and …. But as it is said – this is Canada and it is winter.

And what of the challenge to make our schools inclusive?

How are we doing?

What lies ahead in this new year?

We are interested in what you think. Follow the directions and sign in and make a comment letting us know your thoughts – we want to hear from parents, teachers, advocates, - everyone.

One of the highlights for me during the past year was the CASHRA Forum – on Human Rights and Inclusion held in Toronto in September. There were many interesting and provocative speakers and a lot of discussion by Participants.

Check out the record of the discussion – then post a comment on the site.

Join the discussion.
Gordon Porter, Website Editor

Click here and give us your comment.

August 2008- 50 Years of Stories and We Want Yours! 2008 marks the 50th Anniversary of CACL.

And that means there are 50 Years of Stories out there of things that have moved us forward and made a difference.

We want to hear your stories - about positive things you can share from your own experience about how kids have been included in classrooms, schools and communities in Canada.

Things are different today then they were in 1958. but not different for everyone - and not different enough for us to be complacent. So we want to hear from you.

CACL President Bendina Miller has written our Commentary and shares 2 stories from her experience as an educator in Western Canada. I think Bendina has done a simply great job to get us started.

Follow the links and post your story on line - share it with others and tell people about this effort.

We will select 3 stories to share with delegates to the CACL Conference in Ottawa in November - and we will feature the 3 contributors stories on our main website.

So ... read Bendina's Commentary and share your own. We want to hear from you!!

Join the discussion.
Gordon Porter, Website Editor

Click here and give us your comment.

May 2008- Saskatchewan ACL Calls for Change in Legislation.

SACL President Laurie Larson has called on the Government of Saskatchewan to stop proclamation of Section 178 of Bill 29, the revised Education Act. The new section 178 gives schools the power to determine what “reasonable accommodation” looks like, and then to segregate students who need “behaviour or medical support”, who interfere with the education of other students, or for whom supports are deemed too expensive.

Here is the link to the Bill: www.legassembly.sk.ca/bills/PDFs/Bill-29.pdf

Ms. Larson says; “Instead of focusing on the rights of all children to a quality, inclusive education, these changes focus on the rights of the school board.

“As well, the proposed section 178 reinforces the inadequate appeal process that is in place, leaving parents who are dissatisfied no recourse other than legal routes. These changes are regressive and will make the current situation much worse as children will face more exclusion in segregated classrooms and schools.”

The following is the media release that SACL issued on April 30, 2008 as well as letters from CACL and association across the country.
1. SACL’s Media Release. (PDF)
2. CACL President Bendina Miller’s Letter. (PDF)
3. Inclusion International President Diane Richler’s Letter. (PDF)
4. Alberta ACL letter. (PDF)
5. New Brunswick ACL letter. (PDF)
6. Community living Manitoba Letter. (PDF)
7. British Columbia ACL letter. (PDF)
8. Letter from Tim Stanton, University of British Columbia. (PDF)

You have been able to read what others think.
Let’s hear from you.
Click here and give us your comment.

February 2008- Community Living Ontario Commentary .

The Toronto District School Board has recently announced an initiative to open one or more “black-focused schools” in Toronto. Premier McGuinty spoke out against the proposal.

Community Living Ontario president Dianne Garrels-Munro urges Dalton McGuinty to include Ontario students who have an intellectual disability in his position on non-segregated schools. Here is her letter...

Our forum is up and running! Click HERE to read Dianne's commentary and let us know what you have to say by connecting to our feedback page.

December 2007- Marilyn Dolmage speaks up on Ian Brown’s Globe and Mail Articles.

On three successive Saturdays, the Toronto Globe and Mail published lengthy articles by Ian Brown, a writer and father of a son with significant disabilities. Marilyn Dolmage is a mother and advocate. Her son Matthew who lived with significant disabilities passed away in 2004 at age 29. In the commentary below she presents a very different perspective to the one Ian Brown voices in the Globe and Mail articles.

To read Marilyn's commentary - Click Here.

Our forum is up and running! Click HERE to read Marilyn’s commentary and let us know what you have to say by connecting to our feedback page.

November 2007
Anne Kresta is a parent and has been actively promoting inclusive education in Manitoba for some time. Anne is active in education issues with Community Living Manitoba. She has provided a commentary that sets out some the positive things happening in that province.


Read Anne's commentary - then go to the feedback page and share some positive happenings from your school, community or province. We want to share this information and this is a way for you to be part of the discussion.

To read Anne's commentary - Click Here.

Our forum is up and running! Click HERE to read and participate in current and past commentaries.

October 2007
Progress toward inclusive education in some parts of Canada has been sporadic at best. Some would argue there has actually been a move backward.

What do you think? We welcome the opportunity to ask parents and family members to give us your assessment of where things stand – for your own child – and in general.

You can click on the attachment below and place your general comment on our website feedback page. Write a paragraph or two and let us know how things are going in your community, specifically with your son or daughter.

You might also want to take part in a national survey CACL is conducting on inclusive education as part of a “Report Card on Inclusion”.

We want to make sure the report card is accurate and reflective of the voices of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. In order to do this we need your help. Access to accurate, reliable and comparable information on the education of students with intellectual disabilities is extremely difficult. In order to obtain reliable and up to date information on the educational experiences of children and youth with disabilities and their families, a survey has been developed and is available for completion on-line. This survey is short (can be completed in less than 10 minutes) and is completely anonymous.

The data obtained from the survey will be critical in painting a picture on the national status of education for students with intellectual disabilities, the extent to which it presents as an inclusive experience, and the extent to which families are satisfied with this experience.

Here's the link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=PBiTxo3P0ApmO3aHwpXaVA_3d_3d

If your son / daughter is of school age we would ask that you take a few minutes to complete this survey. Your participation in this survey is critical to ensuring that our report on Education is based on real and up to date experiences of children and their families. If you know of other families who have school aged children with disabilities please feel free to share with request with them also.

In late November 2007, the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) will be releasing the national REPORT CARD ON INCLUSION – a report that will comment on how well we are doing, as a country, with respect to inclusion in the areas of Deinstitutionalization, Disability Supports, Family Supports, as well as Education.

We thank you in advance for sharing your comments and for completing the survey.

Check out our website for further information.

Dr. Gordon L. Porter
Director of Inclusive Education Initiatives
CACL

Our forum is up and running! Click HERE to read and participate in current and past commentaries.

This is our first "Monday Commentary". It was written by Zuhy Sayeed, the president of the Canadian Association for Community Living. Zuhy is a mother of a young man with disabilities and she shares her experiences and thoughts with us. It is a story similar to many. It is distinctive in the fact that Zuhy and her family were able to see that their son Rashaad was included in regular classes at a time when that was not to be taken for granted. But then we must acknowledge that in many schools and communities it is still not taken for granted.

Zuhy Sayeed Monday Commentary May 2007.pdf (21 KB)

Read Zuhy's commentary and let us know what you think. You can send a short email message to: InclusiveEducation@cacl.ca

Our forum is up and running! Click HERE to read and participate in current and past commentaries.