Where is the equity and inclusion for the special ed students and families?
Congratulations to these 300 young men and women for their achievement!
It hurts to look at all those faces and know my daughter will never get
The PRIVILEGE of participating in the BOARD awards as she did not begin
From the same place as these students did.
With equity the presumption is that not all people begin from the same place – so each person is given what they need to be successful, based on their unique abilities and needs.
the very nature of special education is that no child is starting from the same place. With the Supreme Court’s unanimous 8-0, Endrew F. decision (2017) on the books and a new standard established which requires schools to demonstrate ‘meaningful progress’ and ‘appropriately ambitious’ goals for students with disabilities, it is time we move toward focusing on ensuring equity for not just one set of students but include ALL students that receive services in SSD.
While RSD has an educational and diversity department, they have made one HUGE omission and that is the children and teens with IEP’s Individualized Education Plans.
Our students with IEP’s are serviced by SSD but they are Rockwood students FIRST!
Do you know how many students are in the education equity and diversity program?
Per the website approx. 1400
Do you know how many of OUR students receive services from SSD?
Over 3100
That is about 15%
So you have developed an equity, diversity, inclusion program that has totally ignored
15 % of our students.
What about the siblings of these students who are also in Rockwood?
Our students with IEP’s are serviced by SSD but they are Rockwood students FIRST!
RSD curriculum offers programs to support goals of equity and access…..
Multicultural literature class
Diverse read aloud programs
Read like me
I have not heard anything about implementing….
The Empathy and Compassion literature class?
Diverse Abilities read aloud program?
Interact like me?
Have you ever considered a District One Read : Your Students, My Students, Our Students
This book explores the hard truths of current special education practice and outlines five essential disruptions needed to the Rockwood School District status quo.
Our students with IEP’s are serviced by SSD but they are Rockwood students FIRST!
Regardless of whether the measure is achievement scores, graduation rates, post-school employment, or college acceptance rates, the conclusion is the same: students with disabilities are not faring well in the current education system.
STATISTICALLY THE MOST DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS ARE THOSE IN PUBLIC EDUATION WITH IEP’S
In many of our schools, the default for students with disabilities is still to either put them into the lowest track in general education or assign them to a segregated special education classroom.
How do we include and treat equitably those who fall through the cracks?
narrowly missing the test range doesn’t mean that a student’s academic struggles will suddenly disappear. What about the student who “narrowly misses” the definition of autism? Or learning disability? Or any other disability? The truth is that the students we serve are on a continuum, and while some will formally qualify for special education supports and services, others will not—and yet, these students still have needs to be met.
Students with IEP’s are seen as belonging primarily to special education teachers. Students without disabilities are seen as general education students.
Rockwood’s curriculum that you APPROVE drives SSD services
It is time to stop referring to SSD students as your students
these students are OUR students
Our students are Rockwood students first !
Rockwood school district should establish a school culture that champions equity and inclusion for those receiving SSD services.