December 7, 2007 10:50 AM
Inclusive Schools Week
The brainstorming session I'd requested at Waterford Elementary School to discuss ways to increase school and community awareness of the benefits of inclusion - not just for those with special needs, but for everyone - hit some setbacks due to scheduling conflicts among the attendees, including a death in the family that meant a few weeks out of town for an advocate whose input we really need.
Anyway, we are on for January 15. In attendance will be the principal, the director of special ed for Loudoun County Public Schools, three sets of parents of children with Down syndrome (one of whom will be old enough to enter Waterford next year, and one who is still being bused out of district as was my son Justin until this year when I insisted he attend his local school).
I removed my initial posts on this matter due to the threat of a lawsuit by someone I wrote had shown prejudice against my son because of his disability. Still, I want you to know that the effort to encourage inclusion of children with the same diagnosis as Justin is continuing behind the scenes. As far as Justin's situation at Waterford - his reception and the attendance of his teachers to his educational needs has been exemplary. I just wish it had started a year earlier and without a struggle.
One of the advocates coming to the meeting just sent me a link to Inclusive Schools Week.
Inclusive Schools Week, celebrated annually the first week in December, highlights and celebrates the progress of our nation’s schools in employing inclusive practices to ensure a quality education for an increasingly diverse student population.
I had not heard of this before, but apparently this week marks the Seventh Annual Inclusive Schools Week. This site not only offers ideas to get started, but also information from other states and school districts about how they've observed this special week.
Hopefully, we will be able to use some of these ideas this spring at Waterford to foster a more inclusive attitude among not just the children - who generally don't have a problem including everyone at that age - but also among parents, teachers, and staff who may not have come to the realization that inclusion benefits all parties involved.
I am also starting now to campaign for Loudoun County Schools making this a county-wide celebration next year. I have already written to our Special Education Advisory Committee.
I'm sharing this for parents in other places who might like to start thinking about it for their own school/school system next year.
Posted in Disabilities, Inclusion, Loudoun County, Public schools | Permalink
