Inclusion Stories

What if there were truly inclusive schools out there where families didn't have to fight for their children with extensive support needs to be included?The good news is that there are. But the not-so-great news is that in order to access them, it depends on where you liveThis Fall, get ready for the stories of families and school districts fully committed to inclusive schools for each and every learner.Produced by MCIE.

Carolina and Jaiker share their journey of advocating for inclusive education for their daughter Natalia, who has Down syndrome. They discuss the challenges they faced in navigating the special education system and their decision to remove Natalia from special education services. They highlight the importance of inclusive education and the positive impact it has had on Natalia's development and happiness. The episode also features insights from Cecil County Public Schools in Maryland, where inclusive practices are the norm.This is part one of a five-part series about families and school districts fully committed to inclusive practices for all learners.Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/I61Kqa0ABSDbl7RMgbVGFOfwMHAResources:The Segregation of Students with Disabilities (National Council on Disability): https://ncd.gov/sites/default/files/NCD_Segregation-SWD_508.pdfCecil County Public Schools: https://www.ccps.org/Thank you to our sponsors!Communication First: https://communicationfirst.org/Roots of Inclusion: https://www.rootsofinclusion.org/Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates: https://www.copaa.org/Thompson Policy Institute on Disability: https://www.chapman.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/thompson-policy-institute/index.aspxiSecurePrivacyThe White FamilyThe Teague FamilySupport was provided by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Club 21 in Pasadena, California. MusicTheme: The Light by Greg Drews and The TruthEnd Credits: Stella's Rhumba by Marcus GerakosMCIE: Website: https://www.mcie.org/Email List: https://bit.ly/MCIE-Email-ListFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkInclusive/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/think_inclusive/Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/think_inclusiveYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkinclusiveUsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-education/

Christina and Justin share their journey of advocating for inclusive education for their daughter Harper in general education and their frustrations with their school district's initial placement recommendations. Christina expresses concerns about an upcoming IEP meeting and the possibility of the district pushing for a separate placement for Harper. The episode also features insights from Bre Gastaldi, who visited West Linn-Wilsonville near Portland, Oregon, an inclusive school district. Bre discusses the importance of having school leaders who are supportive and knowledgeable about inclusive practices and highlights the need for strong leadership at the district level to drive systemic change.This is part two of a five-part series about families and school districts fully committed to inclusive practices for all learners.Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/xYLaeCCq3gYFL8Nr-2R3lOBAe38Resources:West Linn-Wilsonville School District: https://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/Thank you to our sponsors!Communication First: https://communicationfirst.org/Roots of Inclusion: https://www.rootsofinclusion.org/Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates: https://www.copaa.org/Thompson Policy Institute on Disability: https://www.chapman.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/thompson-policy-institute/index.aspxiSecurePrivacyThe White FamilyThe Teague FamilySupport was provided by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Club 21 in Pasadena, California.MusicTheme: The Light by Greg Drews and The TruthEnd Credits: Passenger by Jose GalvezMCIE: Website: https://www.mcie.org/Email List: https://bit.ly/MCIE-Email-ListFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkInclusive/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/think_inclusive/Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/think_inclusiveYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkinclusiveUsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-education/

Tim Villegas visits schools in Washington state that are fully committed to inclusive education. He starts his journey at McMicken Elementary School, where he observes the inclusive practices in action. He then visits Sehome High School, where he witnesses the inclusive culture and co-teaching practices. The schools prioritize the needs of all learners and provide support and accommodations to ensure their success. The goal is to create an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and included.This is part three of a five-part series about families and school districts fully committed to inclusive practices for all learners.Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/Eh_hzeoGMUE0pwsPJopRNd3i68gResources:Beyond Access Model: https://bit.ly/UNH-beyond-accessDoes Self-Contained Special Education Deliver on Its Promises? https://bit.ly/causton-self-containedMcMicken: https://mcmicken.highlineschools.org/Sehome: https://sehome.bellinghamschools.org/Thank you to our sponsors!Communication First: https://communicationfirst.org/Roots of Inclusion: https://www.rootsofinclusion.org/Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates: https://www.copaa.org/Thompson Policy Institute on Disability: https://www.chapman.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/thompson-policy-institute/index.aspxiSecurePrivacyThe White FamilyThe Teague FamilySupport by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Club 21 in Pasadena, CA.MusicTheme: The Light by Greg Drews and The TruthEnd Credits: End Song by The CafFiendsMCIE: Website: https://www.mcie.org/Email List: https://bit.ly/MCIE-Email-ListFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkInclusive/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/think_inclusive/Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/think_inclusiveYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkinclusiveUsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-education/

Tim Villegas shares his experiences with inclusive education and the obstacles he faced while attempting to implement it in non-inclusive school systems. He shares the story of Damian, a student with multiple disabilities who was included with the assistance of a paraprofessional. However, Tim realizes that this approach was not true inclusion and failed to address the systemic issues that resulted in segregation in the first place. Tim has a conversation with a former colleague about the impact one teacher can have on changing a system from within. He also discusses the progress and challenges faced by Sevi, Harper, and Natalia, three students with disabilities whose families have been advocating for inclusive education. Finally, Tim concludes with some hopeful discussions with future educators and the real question everyone should be asking themselves.This is part five of a five-part series about families and school districts fully committed to inclusive practices for all learners.Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/JM-lQu_nfi6qoaJ3BAQkvvoH2rcThank you to our sponsors!Communication First: https://communicationfirst.org/Roots of Inclusion: https://www.rootsofinclusion.org/Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates: https://www.copaa.org/Thompson Policy Institute on Disability: https://www.chapman.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/thompson-policy-institute/index.aspxiSecurePrivacyThe White FamilyThe Teague FamilySupport by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Club 21 in Pasadena, CA.MusicTheme & End Credits: The Light by Greg Drews and The TruthMCIE: Donate: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/maryland-coalition-for-inclusive-education-incWebsite: https://www.mcie.org/Email List: https://bit.ly/MCIE-Email-ListFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkInclusive/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/think_inclusive/Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/think_inclusiveYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThinkinclusiveUsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-education/