School Culture Shifts

     What is your school doing to be more inclusive? To promote equity and access for all students, regardless of disability label, color of skin, race, ethnicity, and sexual preference?  The current news in our country is a deep, urgent reminder of how important it is to teach acceptance of differences and create communities where all are accepted. In Denver, many of our schools are on the road map to creating an inclusive culture with an emphasis on equity for all. 

    Here are some main characteristics of Inclusive School Culture (from Kluth/Causton)

•         All school staff is invested in the success of ALL students
•         Staff uses language reflective of an inclusive philosophy (i.e. “our students” vs. “your students” or “my students”)
•         All students engaged in appropriate (but not necessarily identical) learning activities 
•         Range of curricular adaptations and modifications offered to all learners 
•         Frequent teacher collaboration

    School culture shifts don't just happen. They require an administrator who keep the vision of an inclusive culture at the forefront of all conversations. There isn't an "inclusion session" during one part of one PD on one day. It's embedded into everything that's done as a staff. 

      Below are some pictures of a staff that's currently done a HUGE amount of work towards building an inclusive community. The administration team has built a master schedule that allots for not only co-teaching, but co-planning as well. They've met as a school to learn more about what inclusion means on numerous occasions. They've created an Inclusion Team that focuses on technical assistance, like how to tackle first year co-teaching, instructional strategies that are universally designed, and learning how to support students of all needs together. This is a school that up until June supported many students with IEPs in small pull-out, or resource, groups to provide specialized instruction. 

      Today, they had a PD day before the students arrive to create classroom culture plans.  A pretty typical before-school PD, right?  Well, here's what's different: culture plans were created by ALL teachers in each classroom, regardless of label of degree. Typically, these are developed by the general education classroom teacher. This year, both co-teachers had equal say in how the culture should be addressed and developed.  There's other little, but very meaningful changes, too. Both names are on the doors. If there's a paraprofessional in the classroom, all THREE names are on the door.  Humbled to witness this cultural shift in action. Amazed to hear "our students" language, to see this teacher collaboration occur.

In an inclusive school culture, it's 100% of staff for 100% of all teachers. 

 

Co-Teachers planning for the culture and behavior management in their classroom.


What is your school doing to shift the culture towards a more inclusive space for all?