All Means All

"The group, which represents pediatricians nationwide, says that exclusionary discipline practices used to be only for the most serious situations, but are now primarily employed in response to “behaviors that are neither violent nor criminal.” Students with disabilities and those who are members of other marginalized communities are inordinately affected. That’s putting children at risk of long-term consequences including higher odds of involvement with the justice system and dropping out of school, according to guidance issued this month." https://lnkd.in/gR6QwcTD

Are you a leader committed to creating transformational growth for all students, including those with disabilities and other historically marginalized identities? Do you seek a community that will equip you with the tools and support to foster lasting change? If so, let’s talk!

Are you a leader committed to creating transformational growth for all students, including those with disabilities and other historically marginalized identities? Do you seek a community that will equip you with the tools and support to foster lasting change? If so, let’s talk! At All Means All (AMA), we believe in building schools where equity, belief, and data-driven outcomes thrive together. Our 15-month leadership development cohort empowers school and system leaders with the mindsets, adaptive skills, and technical expertise needed to build inclusive, high-performing schools. Here’s what you’ll experience: High Quality Professional Learning 1:1 Coaching On-site Visits Exemplar Visit ? AMA leaders build strong cultures that achieve results More than 80% of partners reduced disproportionate outcomes in reading, math, postsecondary success, or social-emotional development.? Over 70% of schools improved their teams' confidence in delivering rigorous academic outcomes for all students. If you're a school or system leader ready to lead with optimism backed by outcomes and transform your school’s culture, join our community of like-minded leaders. We’re not just a leadership development program, we’re your partners. Join us in Cohort 5; enrollment is now open! Visit our website amaleaders.org or email [email protected] to learn more. Know a talented leader ready to drive sustained and equitable change? Nominate them here! #AllMeansAll #EducationalLeadership #InclusiveSchools #EquityInEducation #TransformativeLeadership #AMA

One of the things we do with our cohorts is have leaders spend time in their teams unpacking and defining clearly what they mean when they say "inclusion" in their schools. This is a word that is used often but can mean different things to different people and if the whole team isn't aligned on what we mean when we say inclusion, then we don't get the outcomes and conditions that our kids deserve. "I emphasize that our goal shouldn’t be to meet the minimum legal requirements, such as by providing a certain number of mainstreaming minutes. Instead, we should strive for authentic inclusion, creating environments where every child, regardless of ability, is valued, respected, and included. Authentic inclusion requires that we transcend compliance to actively challenge the structures and mindsets that perpetuate exclusion." https://lnkd.in/gdcuTdKu

An important read from our partners at Center on Reinventing Public Education!

Really important article by Timothy Shriver in TIME on the power, potential and importance of AI development, research and implementation including individuals with intellectual disabilities. A must read for all ed-tech developers and schools considering AI solutions. "Thus, people with IDD must have a seat at the table when discussing the responsible use of AI in education. For example,?Microsoft?acknowledges?that “humanity traverses a broad neural spectrum” and has expanded design approaches that once narrowly focused on physical disabilities to include differences in cognitive issues and learning styles. They have also acknowledged the importance of diversifying the teams that build and test AI, as well as making a conscious effort to identify bias in the data sets used to train AI systems. Greater attention to and adoption of inclusive design principles for educational technology will translate into more inclusive learning environments.??A failure to listen to people with IDD will result in 3% of the population being locked out of the most revolutionary technology since the advent of the personal computer. That must not happen." #AllMeansAll #AI #edtech #inclusiveeducation #inclusiveleaders https://lnkd.in/gtiRcrp8

At All Means All, we talk about the importance of belonging, and most recently sent the amazing book "Design for Belonging" to our current cohort as they launched this school year. We appreciate this recent article by Ross Wiener on the importance of belonging, how it can often be overlooked in the most important places big and small in schools, and how the lack of it is disproportionately impacting students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ youth, and students of color. "Every one of America’s cataclysmic ruptures – the Civil War, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement – has centered on core questions of who belongs, and all have been resolved to expand belonging. Seventy years after?Brown vs. Board of Education, this generation is called to renew the promise of public education, and of America, by recommitting to the original, as-yet unmet creed of universal belonging." https://lnkd.in/esszrMdY

Beautiful new ad by Easterseals Southern California that takes on disability identity and disability pride, and addresses head on the ableist society we are collectively working to dismantle. Take a minute to watch! “This disability pride media campaign is by, for and about people with disabilities,” said Mark Whitley, president and CEO of Easterseals Southern California. “Real authenticity only comes through personal experience and for this important project, people with disabilities are sharing their stories and insights on disability to unite as one voice for change.” https://lnkd.in/ggetuykE

From Culture Shift to Academic Success: Excel Academy's Inspiring Journey Last week, we highlighted Sarah Stuntz, principal of Excel Academy Charter Schools High School in Boston, for the remarkable growth she fostered in her school's culture. Her students' survey results were incredible, showing significant improvements in how students with disabilities perceived their teachers' expectations and support. But the work we do at All Means All isn't just about perception; it's about outcomes. We're thrilled to share that Sarah's school has exceeded its academic goals! Excel Academy set an ambitious goal of 65% meets/exceeds for English MCAS - and they surpassed it with an outstanding 72%! Even more exciting: ?? Students with disabilities grew 8% compared to last year ?? Multi-language learners grew 12% compared to last year While overall achievement growth means the achievement gaps didn't shrink as much as hoped, this progress is still cause for celebration. It shows that when we raise expectations and support for ALL students, everyone benefits. We're so proud of Sarah and all of our AMA leaders for the work they do for ALL students. This is what inclusive, high-quality education looks like in action! #InclusiveEducation #StudentSuccess #AllMeansAll

?? Empowering Excellence: All Means All Coach Training 2024 ?? At All Means All, we believe that exceptional, context-responsive coaching is key to helping leaders create transformational outcomes for all students. That's why we've just wrapped up our annual summer coach training session! This full-day event brought together our talented coaches from across the country - the majority of whom are AMA alumni themselves. They dove deep into our 5 Habits of Effective Coaching, preparing to support our AMA leaders virtually throughout the coming year. Following this training, our coaches meet monthly in community to practice and sharpen skills, to celebrate the wins of their leaders, and to align on priorities for support. The day was intense but inspiring, filled with intentional learning, practice, and yes - plenty of fun! Coaching is a cornerstone of the AMA experience. We're excited to see how these partnerships will drive transformation in schools across America! A huge thank you to our incredible coaches this year, including Ben Marcovitz, Andrea Bond, Neema Desai, Cornelius Dukes, Emma Donley, Michael Mahoney, Stacie Kurtz, Jamie Gutter, Sara Tucker, Jonathan Caldera, LaKendra Butler, Dominique Tross, Dominique Smith, Kate Dormeus, Kate Ring, Rosie Carlson, Ed.D., Tony Castillo, Abby Upperman, Karen Donovan, Ramya Subramanian, Alexis Brown, Angel Augustine, Kathryn McKinzie, and Jessica Strong. Your dedication to nurturing inclusive, equitable education for all students is truly remarkable. #AllMeansAll #EducationalLeadership #Coaching #InclusiveEducation