Inclusion Stories - Chapter Two: What a Novel Idea
5:26PM Oct 19, 2023
Speakers:
Tim Villegas
Christina Berry
Justin Berry
Jennifer Spencer-Iiams
Keywords:
students
classroom
harper
westland
kids
district
inclusion
school
work
inclusive education
year
teacher
unit
learn
jennifer
nathan
class
segregated
special education teacher
disabilities
I've been out of the classroom for a few years now. It was 2017. The last time I had a class roster, welcomed parents to an open house, or waved a tearful goodbye on the last day of school. But it doesn't mean I don't miss being a teacher sometimes. And meeting Harper, a rising third grader who uses augmentative and alternative communication. I thought I would have loved to have Harper in my classroom. I was wrapping up talking with her parents, Justin and Christina Berry. Harper had just come home and she was telling me where she was going to go for dinner.
Where are we going to eat tonight?
I want to go have salad. We go into
Taco Bell. Taco Smith, Lucky's burger and Lucky's burger brew like that thing. What are you going to have to eat? cheese burger was tater tots. What do you want to drink? This is Mrs. Vera. Oregon Mrs.
Charlie, your friend Charlie's come in. Oh, that'd be so cool.
You got a better social life and like the popular young like, despite her school district wanting to place Harper in a classroom for students with intellectual disabilities, her parents advocated for her to be included in general education. I'm Tim Villegas, from the Maryland Coalition for inclusive education. And you are listening to inclusion stories, our podcast series that tells the stories of families, educators and school systems on their journey to full and authentic inclusive education for each and every learner.
Hold me back on a buy. Hold on the hammer. Bam
family. Chapter Two, what a novel idea. So I've been keeping something from you. And I hope you don't hold it against me. I wasn't always an inclusion list. It kind of happened by accident. My first job as a teacher was in what was called a special day class. in Pasadena, California with the majestic San Gabriel Mountains outside my window. I taught my heart out for fourth, fifth and sixth grade students with labels of moderate to severe autism. Back then my students would spend the entire day in the classroom, following a strict routine that I created for them. Moving from station to station, my students would learn a curriculum based on alternate achievement standards. When they finished, they would earn a reward like playing with a toy or listening to music, or even eating a piece of candy. I felt like we were doing good work. We cared about the students and learn to love their unique interests and quirks. I was still going to school at the time because in California you can be hired as a special education teacher with the provisional teaching certificate. My teaching program at Cal State University Fullerton promoted inclusive practices, which meant it covered models like co teaching, where special and general education teachers collaborate together and strategies for including students with autism or other quote unquote low incidence disabilities in general education classrooms. I distinctly remember having a heated discussion with my professor in my program about how they just didn't understand that students with autism needed to be educated with other students who are just like them. But my students need to be taught routine. How will they learn in that general education classroom? It's so chaotic. They can't do it. The same things everyone else can. Instead of debating our differences in philosophy, my professor gave us an assignment. Pick one student who was educated in a self contained or segregated classroom and create an inclusion plan. And don't pick an easy one. They said, Pick a student that you would never think could ever tolerate anytime in a general education classroom. Well, I had the perfect one. Nathan was a fifth grade student, who was mostly nonspeaking, and engaged in self injurious behavior. His verbal stimming was extremely disruptive, and when he got angry, he would often hit or kick anyone or anything next to him. I never in my wildest dreams thought that he would be successful in a setting with typically developing peers. I was wrong. The plan included examining the student's interests, communication skills, and adaptive strengths. The idea was to discover who Nathan really was and what he liked, and what he was good at. Next, I planned with the general education teacher a lesson that would take into consideration Nathan strengths. Despite all of Nathan's communication and sensory issues, he was a wizard with scissors. If he wasn't cutting strips of paper or cardboard, he was shredding paper with his hands, picking up leaves outside and crumpling them up in front of his eyes so that he could see the minute pieces fall to the ground was one of his favorite things to do. The plan began to form, whatever we were going to do, it would involve cutting. After a few more planning sessions, the day finally came and it was time for Nathan and me to walk down the long hallway to the classroom for science class. The activity was to create a topography map out of cardboard. Luckily for Nathan, there was a whole bunch of cardboard to be cut for this activity. As he sat down in his desk in a classroom with about 35 of his peers, I was astounded at how calm and focused he was cutting to his heart's content. His task was meaningful, age appropriate, and for 45 minutes in that science class, he belonged. Now did that one activity set Nathan on a path of full inclusion? No. But what it did do was show me that any student could be successful when we planned using the strengths of the student, Nathan was my turning point. And I look for more ways to include my students in the school. But this experience wasn't enough for me. Having my students join their peers and recess and lunch, going to assemblies and the occasional visit to the general education classroom just didn't seem to be enough. I wanted to know why I couldn't include all of my students all of the time. Inclusive Education goes beyond just the mere presence in a classroom. It is so so much more than that. After a short break, we'll meet the berries and learn what inclusive education has meant for them.
My name is Christina Berry. My daughter is Harper berry
when Harvard joined the special needs pre K program at their home Elementary School. The main concern at the time was her speech as she was nonspeaking. Although the family did not have a formal diagnosis yet, Christina was eager to get Harper speech therapy. However, progress was slower than expected. And the school district suggested three possibilities. And mid or mild intellectual disability unit, an mid moderate intellectual disability unit, or a co taught classroom where a general education and special education teacher work together
when I went to look at the units at separate school, so they would have moved from her home school we would have had to go to a different school. You know, I was just really underwhelmed with it. It was it was, you know, these giant fifth graders in the room, it was going to be kindergarten through fifth grade in one room. So different academic levels, different ages, you know, hormones, all the things that start in, you know, fourth, fifth sixth grade, you know, those are giant children compared to your tiny five year old so I decided that that wasn't really, you know, the fit we were looking for for her. So we decided to repeat pre K to try to give her a little more time to catch up.
So the And did Harper go directly into a unit?
Yeah, so we chose to do that because we obviously, you know, we're not stupid we we saw our child struggling and we she was definitely behind and the language, you know, not having language is hard because you don't know what your kid actually does know. And so we took their advice, and we, we put her into a unit, right? So I was like, Okay, this, you know, age appropriate all the things. So we put her into the unit, the teacher that was in that unit had, she used to be a pair of professional at I don't remember the school. But anyway, she decided to be a special education teacher. So she was working on her certification throughout the whole year. So she wasn't even certified. She didn't have any specialized reading instruction or anything like that. And that's, you know, this brand new teacher again, she's amazing. And she lives in Seattle now. And I still talk to her because she really did try with Harper, she was very sweet, but she didn't know what she was doing. You know, unfortunately, and so, you know, essentially, Harper just sat there not getting any instruction, you know, so, you know, it always amazed me that after that year, it was that was kindergarten, and then we went, you know, COVID happened. And so the end of that year was a wash, for sure. So our next move was to pull her out of the units. And that was definitely the reason I mean, was, you know, inadequate, you know, and I, of course, I've reached out to the principal first, and I tried to do all the things the nice way. And, you know, at some point, the niceness came out of my brain. And I was just like, This is what's gonna happen. So like, you know, I was like, how do you hire teachers that don't have any,
they don't suck?
Like, why would you? You know, for the kids and like, the target classes, they're getting these PhD teachers who are like, amazing, I'm like, why are you giving me a 14 year old? Like, I don't understand that, like how my kid isn't the most risk for falling behind, and in fact, is being left behind. And you're given me a brand new teacher that doesn't know how to teach reading.
So let me see. Let me ask a question. So the main reason what I'm hearing is the main reason why you didn't want her in the units was because of inadequate education, not necessarily, because she was being, like, segregated. Does that make sense?
No. So like, I'm not a big at that point. No,
yeah. And that's fine. Like, I'm not that that's no judgment. I'm just trying to like, understand that
point. No, we didn't understand at the level of how they were segregated. Once I learned more about it, not only is it segregating by all the things I understand now, but they even have it in a different part of the school, further away from everything, and just really, literally is segregated. But you know, again, in pre K, I didn't, we didn't know that. So like, we were like, Yeah, we're gonna do these units, she needs a support. And then learning and watching, like, even the school didn't do like, the pre K, for example, didn't have their own t shirt color for like Field Day. And I'm like, Well, what about all these little kids? Like, we want to come to what, what are our kids going to do? So like, you know, even when you would like fill out a form online, you'd have to drop down and pick your kids grade. I'm like, where's the pre K, like, you know, these kids are here, like, in the same thing, when they moved the units over, they're just generalized, and they're like, putting into their own little thing. You know, after a while, you just start looking at it, you're like this, this isn't working. And this is not right. Like, it's just not so. Yeah, we worked to pull her out of it. And that was many, many meetings and many 1000s of dollars and advocacy fees. Like, you know, we we started at that point, we realized it was like a lot over our heads because we didn't know what we were doing. Obviously, skincare sales, like we don't know, you know, so we hired Elizabeth and she's been working on this since I mean, it's been three, four years now. So it's been a bit, and I love her, but I give her a lot. Yeah, and
the sad part too, is you can almost say the same things. But when like a parent is saying it to the county, they want to fight back and fight back when you have an advocate who's been especially been with that particular county, right. It's like valid Listen, so it's kind of actually pretty, pretty sad. And that's why we chose not to say she's not excellent. Because she is but it's just, it's it's just, you know, like, you can't get anything done, frankly, without without that.
No, right. Yeah, they don't listen. And then it's not that the teachers don't it's the county like the ones that say no, right. And sometimes the teachers do, but you know, they have pre meeting meetings to discuss it, which is in fact,
like, against the law. Illegal
literally, yes, it is predetermined, and it's terrible. And that's and I know for a fact that takes place
For people that are the furthest away from dealing with working with Harper or any other kid with special needs, it's right the people that work with with her or whoever daily or you know, on a weekly basis and understand and know what she needs, but it's the people who come to your once a year drop in for a 30 minutes to sit in the back of the classroom or even interact a little bit and think they understand is
that because at a meeting, I'm like, Have you even met my kid? And they're like, No, I'm like, well, then I'm not listening to you. Like, I'm done with you. Like, I'm not talking to you. So then they'll go view like, I mean, they, you know, view my kid and which makes me angry too. But
like, she's, like an animal.
The bearded lady like, you know, I'm just so yeah, so, but that's the only Yeah, so yeah, it's been ridiculous.
What if I told you that in inclusive districts, right? That the assumption is not made for a child with an intellectual disability, even if they have one, even if they have one on paper, right? That they would be in a separate class, like, like a novel idea?
All right, it's time to go to Oregon. Can we get some traveling Music please? Thanks.
My name is Brega saldi.
Like tell me about like when you first got there, wherever there is, Bri is an inclusive education consultant who lives in Washington. And when I told her about our audio documentary project, she was eager to help. One of the places I wanted to visit was Westland Wilsonville School District in Oregon, but we just couldn't secure the funding in time. But providentially Bree was already headed down to Westland Wilsonville, and I mailed her a recorder to use on her visit.
We met up at an elementary school. There were a lot of people there actually, probably around 20 or 30 people from several different districts. So there were instructional coaches or coordinators, district office administrators, building administrators,
um, Jennifer's superintendent, here in less than most of our school district.
So what do you think? Like? What do you think was like the biggest difference between what you saw? In your initial impression?
Yeah, I mean, I think one of the biggest differences that I noticed, is leadership. So when I talk to different people within the education world about systemic change, we talk a lot about what I refer to as top down versus bottom up. Leadership. So the executive directors, the directors, the principles, those are kind of more of the top down, and then the bottom up being more of that, that grassroots work that happens kind of organically within and among the certificated and classified staff. And might, my time specifically was spent mostly with the district leadership team. So Jennifer, and so it was very, very clear to me just how fully committed she is, and they all are to inclusion, where as you know, sometimes there is some of that bottom up or that top down leadership happening and pockets here and there throughout a district, but it's not super coordinated Maybe. Or maybe they're just in the beginning of their inclusion journey, and it's not super organized quite yet. You know, Jennifer, she knew who the students names were, she knew the teachers names, she knew the students IEPs she knew the curriculum, and I really feel like good leaders are are one To make knowing those things a huge priority. And not only that, but the messaging that goes out to teachers. So things like the district's mission and vision statement, specifically calling out students with disabilities. So oftentimes, you know, districts will have mission or vision statements, and they'll say something like, you know, we make sure that all students have what they need to be successful. But when they say the word all, do they really mean all? Or who is really included in the Word? All right, so for me, I think one of the biggest differences that I saw was just the very, very apparent leadership that was top down and bottom up every single person was fully committed to inclusion.
After a short break, we'll hear more from Bree and her visit to Westland Wilsonville.
When you went into the school, like, how would you describe what you saw that was different than what other people are doing?
I saw a lot of evidence of Universal Design for Learning. Meaning I saw a lot of opportunities to respond in a variety of different ways that is meaningful for particular students. I saw multiple means of expression. So students being able to express their understanding in a variety of ways, walked into classrooms and saw a variety of seating options. So you know, there were several standing desks and there were wiggle cushions there were kids laying on the floor, there were kids working in small groups, kids working by themselves. So just having access to even just a seating option, that makes more sense for them in particular. And, you know, quite frankly, one of the biggest things was actually seeing the students in the classroom. So there were students with motorized wheelchairs or AAC devices, or modified work in the classroom. And in a lot of places you don't see you just don't even see students like that. Who are have these visible? What might be more apparent to your eye who have more of a trained eye to even just see them in the classroom. We're walking into a first grade class, they're working on writing we've been working on
super fun, I just have no idea how to spell super I know how to spell that no idea how to spell okay together.
So proud of you writing right now, but it's time
for a little
it's not even just necessarily that they're in the classroom. Because, you know, just because they're in the classroom doesn't mean that they're accessing anything. It just means that they're that they're there. Right. But to have them be true members of the classroom community so they were answering questions they were being called on their friends were sitting with them, they were interacting with their peers. It was obvious that not only were they just in there but they were participating in a way that was meaningful for them and made them feel like valued members of the classrooms community.
So So let's talk about some of the highlights that you mentioned. So you said you were having a conversation with Jennifer and a student on the playground, what was what stood out to you with that interaction?
So obviously, I'm walking around with this microphone. So I kind of stand out a little bit more than maybe some of the other adults who are walking around, this little boy was kind of making some faces at me and kind of a little curious about what I had in my hands. And so I had a brief interaction with him in the classroom, and then it was time for recess. So we went out to recess and Jennifer and I were walking together and chatting about accessible playgrounds. We are first grade recess, that same little boy came up to us, and just kind of asked us what we were doing there. I am still recording. Yeah.
Can I ask you a question? Sure.
She explained to him that specifically, in most schools, students with disabilities are not taught in the regular classroom. And
so one of the things we are visiting about is about that we heard that Stafford is a very inclusive place so that all kids belong in their classroom and kids aren't like if they learn differently, they're not sent to some other place to learn. They're just or if they move differently, they're not set to some other place to learn, but they all are in class together. Can you tell me Is that true? What do you think about that? Thumbs up, crash? Thumbs up, crash? Thumbs up? Is that like a double thumbs up? Yeah. Three? Thumbs up. Oh, triple. Oh, crap. Okay. Got it. Do you know that in some places, kids that learn differently, aren't allowed to be in the regular classroom with other kids, they have to go to a different class, or sometimes even a different school.
When the student heard this, his body kind of froze, and his eyes and mouths got really wide. And he said,
Oregon, in some places, that does happen in Oregon, but we're trying to change that.
So I'm under the impression that Western Wilsonville doesn't have any segregated self contained special education classrooms. Is that correct?
That's my understanding, as well.
Jennifer, explain or share what they do for students who do need alternate placement. For whatever reason, you know, because let's say it's a student crisis. So so I'm not in and I fully understand that in their philosophies everyone's in, right. But if a student is in crisis, whether it's behavior or whatever, there's, there's certainly something to do, or that student goes somewhere, I would imagine. Did she addressed that at all?
I don't think specifically, but she, you know, the, they don't have segregated programs, but they still have special education classrooms. So if a student does need to, you know, access those environments, for whatever reason, they still have access to those things, because they still have them. But that being said, I believe 94% of their students with disabilities are included for 80% or more of their day.
When a student's behavior is impacting the learning of others, sometimes we have to get creative, and that sometimes can get in the way of accessing a moment. But I think our teams are very, you know, with holding that vision. I mean, Stafford is a great example, because the behavior programs for the district for primary school were all at Stafford and so all that beautiful cultural co ownership. If you'd been here in the first couple years, it was just like, those kids don't belong in my class. Those are the behavior kids, you know, and so it has been such intentional work over the years to go back I'm interested. So I think that that really helps everybody make that shift instead of like know that like, Oh, our neighborhood. Yeah, I think we also are pretty strong from the district office around. Oh, no, there's no self contained, you know, we had, we still had a remnant of a class, that was called Achievement Center. That was a kind of a leftover from like, resource room. Like, that's been a period where you can go get some help and, like, really flat like, kind of a catch all class, and anything against it, except it was from students served by special ed. And so did quite a bit of work and said, and we had noticed some eighth grade parents pushing to get their kids identified. Maybe they want a 504 plan, they wanted them on IEP, so they could have that period in the day to get some extra help. Like, okay, then we need to step out what's the universe? What's the UDL approach to this? And so they've been created, you know, treatment center day created a new structure that all students can that all students can be part of. So that so that that structure can exist, but it has to exist.
So from what you've observed. How replicable Do you think what Westland Wilsonville does? Like, could any district do this? Or is there something that Westland wills Phil does that it's like, oh, you really need to have this in place.
It's very replicatable. I mean, in fact, it is being replicated, right, just within their, their colleagues that were among the group that did this tour with me, they're all working towards replicating what they're doing. Even up in Washington, they're all rep trying to replicate what's going on in these districts that are creating more access for their students with disability. You know, for people who are interested in doing this work, there's no prescribed way of going about it, there's not, you know, these five steps that need to be taken in order to move inclusionary practices forward. And one thing that I did hear Jennifer say is that they did a lot of building the plane as it was flying, so to speak. So started, they essentially started before they were fully ready, and who knows what it means to be fully ready, right? So you just have to find a place to get started. At some point, you're going to do something that didn't work. And that's okay, because that means you tried something that hadn't ever been tried before, within your system. So you took a chance and you're able to pivot and do something different. But to not be afraid of the little setbacks along the way too, because at the end of the day, the work is worth it, and the kids are worth it.
After a short break, it's time to check in on the berry family. Catch you in a minute?
Okay, let's call
Good morning. Hey, Christina, can you hear me?
I can. Can you hear me?
I can.
I'm on speaker. But if you want me to take it off Speaker I can
know your French your French. All right. It's been a while. I know. So tell me what's going on. With Harper, I, you said that you've got a great teacher, it sounds like support is there? Is it? Is it really going that well? Or are there still some concerns in the classroom to?
Well, you know, in the back of my mind, it's always there. Right? So I've just requested her educational records to go over what data has actually been taken so I can review if they're actually trying to push her out. Because it's a real fear. I mean, they're gonna write so I it's one of those things I don't have to worry about forever with her for at least nine more years. Until she's out of high school. But yeah, so the teacher is amazing. But you know, you can only do so much when your school doesn't support you in a lot of inclusive efforts that you, you know, Harper's fully integrated into the classroom
for your next IEP. Are you going to be talking about placement?
So no, they're, they're pretty smart with me. And they've separated my IEP into three different sections in three different meetings, which is fine, because I hate going to them anyway. long ones make me mad. But, yeah, we're doing that right before in April, like for the end of the school year, so you know, here, I am ready? Because this is why I've asked for the educational records so I can review what their data is before I am not, you know, surprised by what they say. Because I know she's behind. And I know that going into fourth grade, they just keep talking about how hard fourth graders and I get that.
Yeah, I have little patience for that for the argument, because, honestly, it doesn't matter how far behind a student is, that doesn't. That is not a reason to remove them from general education.
The data shows that she's excelling right now because she actually isn't in the appropriate setting. Like, she went from barely recognizing or numbers and a field of however many to do and double digit addition and subtraction in less than a year. Like that's amazing, right? But that's because she's got a teacher who's actually helping her and she's getting the support she needs. And so she'd been getting that the last four years. God knows where she'd be right. So like, and she's learned to read, she's, you know, very basic reading still, but that's all in one year with an appropriate instruction and setting like, her behaviors are completely gone to us to have a little PSP positive support plan. And I've had that removed, because it's not as needed. They haven't used it all year long.
So I guess the biggest concern heading into the end of the school year is whether or not they're going, the district is going to make a fuss about placement. Right? Correct. And then using like evaluations or data to say, oh, Harper doesn't belong in general education, she needs to go to a separate space, right.
And look, I don't disagree with her needing to be in a smaller group for her core instruction. I don't disagree that I disagree with where that small group takes place. Right. So if she gets pulled out for IR I that's better to me than putting her in a unit. However, I think it's a choice that the schools make care because there's another elementary school, they don't pull out they push in, which is what they should do. But I would prefer her not have to leave the classroom with her peers. She's got developed quite a few little friends. And I mean, they invite her for play dates and like, you know, a little girl bought her a little BFF bracelet and like, it's just sweet, you know, and that's what she deserves. Right? All children do they deserve the chance to nurture friendships Viet with a child who's got exceptionalities or not like, right, all kids deserve that may not be this year. That they'll say it, but if they do, you know, I'm ready. It's a fight when it'll. I'm in it for the next nine years.
All right. Well, I appreciate your time. Thank you so much. And we'll probably catch up towards the end of the school year. I'll talk to you soon. Alright, see ya bye.
What I just can't get out of my mind is that if Harper lived in Westland, Wilsonville, or Cecil County, she would be already included in the worry that the berries feel every time they go into an IEP meeting. Well, it wouldn't be about whether their school district was committed to inclusive practices. So we've traveled to Maryland and Oregon and heard about some wonderful things happening there. What if there was a whole state that was trying to move toward inclusive practices? That's next time on inclusion stories.
inclusion stories is written, edited, sound designed, mixed and mastered by me, Tim Vegas is a production of the Maryland Coalition for inclusive education. For more information about inclusive education or how MCIE can partner with you in your school or district, visit MCIE.org. A huge shout out to our sponsors. We couldn't have done this project without you. Communication first roots of inclusion, the Council of parent attorneys and advocates, the Thompson Policy Institute on Disability, I secure privacy, the white family fatigue family, and there are supporters at the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction as well as our friends at Club 21 in Pasadena, California. We are grateful for your partnership. Special thanks to the berry family and everyone over at Westland Wilsonville and to of course our correspondents on the ground three Gastaldi thanks to Greg Drew's in the truth for giving us permission to use their song the light from the album yellow rose as our theme check it out wherever you stream music. Also we appreciate you Jose Galvez for letting us use passenger for the end credits of chapter two three more chapters of inclusion stories coming your way in your podcast feed thanks for listening.
