Hot on the heels of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ joint statement on inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs, here are my thoughts on where we’ve been and where we still need to go.
During a #Periscope broadcast, I shared three things I feel are missing from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ joint policy statement on inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs on ECE inclusion.
They all begin with the letter “P”…can you guess what they are?
The three things I feel are missing from the joint paper..if we truly want to reimagine inclusion are:
1) Passionate plea
2) Plan to unify
3) Self-perception check
For the first missing element, a passionate plea, I argued that while it is great we have come so far in terms of access, we have a long way to go. Each of us needs to reignite our passion and see inclusion as a human right, not as a policy that we “push” because of research, recommended practices, or legislation.
We need to reignite, in order to reimagine inclusive practices!<
For the second missing element, a plan to unify, I argued, that while the suggestions for planning outlined in the statement are valid, we need a plan to do something different, not more of the same. We need a plan that allows us to reinvent ourselves, a plan that challenges us to blend practices, and a plan that unifies our voices, not allows us to continue to operate in silos and based upon labels or funding streams.
We need to reinvent, in order to reimagine inclusive practices!
For the third missing element, engaging in a self-perception check, I argued that the paper missed an opportunity to get to a change in culture and practice. What is needed more than anything, is for us to engage in what some like @Parkerjpalmer would call, inner work. We need time for reflection, time to check on our own beliefs, and time to ensure we are growing and helping move practices forward. One suggestion offered was to reflect upon our “Progression of Inclusive Practices“, which is designed to guide refection and make sure we are all moving toward working from a place of love, not just tolerance.
We need time to “rebirth” ideas, in order to reimagine inclusive practices!
Progress does not take place like a shot out of a pistol; it takes the labor and suffering of the negative. How to use the negative as a way to advance the positive is our challenge. ~ Grace Lee Boggs