Spelligent

Absolutely appalled by the recent news of students with disabilities being asked to sit in the hallway during graduation, I'm compelled to reshare this article I cowrote with Lauren Morando Rhim, for the people in the back!!! THIS IS URGENT!!! PAY ATTENTION leaders, educators, advocates, and folks on the sidelines. The article boldly states, "We’re calling out charter schools and charter advocates who claim to support equity for all marginalized students, yet consistently fail students with disabilities. Some might find this harsh, but we've tolerated poor outcomes for these students for far too long. It's time for a hard conversation." As a side note, my own experience with my autistic nephew echoes this issue. His charter school wanted to place his desk in the hallway, claiming they couldn't support him in the classroom. Shockingly, even the specialized private school he just graduated from dismissed his academic needs, saying, "We don't do academics here." You can't make this stuff up. It's mind-boggling and unacceptable.

I urge all schools to ask themselves: why can't they do what these specialized schools are doing? While I understand the need for options for families of students with autism, creating separate schools is not a sustainable solution. Even if there were one of these schools in every city, it is still insufficient as it denies these students access to their non-disabled peers. It's time to call schools to the carpet and demand they create systems that support all students, so that parents don't have to search for alternative institutions. Let's work towards an inclusive education system that benefits all students. #inclusiveeducation #educationforall #disabilityrights

Want a sneak peek of my upcoming book? I'm thrilled to be working on a text for Routledge and can't wait for you to read it.

I highly recommend taking the time to listen to this important conversation. Toni Barton, I am grateful for your willingness to have the difficult conversation, the one that allows us to sit in some discomfort as we confront the impact of our practices on students. This one hit me hard and reminded me of a discussion you facilitated at Relay back in 2018 about “that kid”. Thank you for persisting.

?? We are thrilled to welcome our newest partner, Spelligent to the Educating All Learners Alliance! Check out their work at https://ow.ly/6SGP50Qlb7J #EducateAll #EALAPartner

It's time to wake up and do something different! If you agree repost!