We rise

Maya Angelo’s seminal poem, “Still I Rise,” addresses some of the most prevailing challenges related to humans from diverse backgrounds and proclaims her effective, inclusive address,

?I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave me,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise.

?We rise.

?We recognize that we enter relationships in medias res, full of imperfect, extraordinary, quirky, and perfectly made humans. We deliver the gifts and passions our beginnings made, freely shared, and made by hand as a covered dish to pass.

?We rise.

?We accept our limitations with grace and commit to continuous learning, studying, and implementing change in our daily practices to collaborate and inclusively build a community that empowers individual

learners to experience success, esteem, and positive relationships.

?We rise.

?We celebrate that our society has come this far, and thankfully, new movements address the specific needs and ancestry of exceptional children and groups.

?We rise.

?We recognize diversity and inclusion as strengths that undergird the best social services practices, means, and modalities.

?We rise.

?We recognize the importance of language and are sensitive to its use. We take responsibility for every word we say and acknowledge that they imprint the esteem of the humans we speak to in instructional design,?therapeutic settings, and professional interactions.

?We rise.

?We speak words to celebrate the abilities of individual children, not ones that diagnose disorders or focus on negative behaviors or personal characteristics.

?We rise.

?We recognize as we stand that we do so shoulder to shoulder with other communities of professionals and advocates that understand as we do that all children deserve equal access to education and resources.

?We rise.

?We create universal, holistic, and inclusive collaborative models so that all learners may benefit from strategies to build open access for students to mine their ability to grow independence and capabilities.

?We rise.

?We accept that though society has become more equitable,?its centuries-deep history of white privilege, patriarchy, racism, ableism, and prejudice still invades our points of view and educational practices.

?We rise

?We are responsible for understanding that these things are true, and we accept the everyday duty to advance positive change and walk it out in our communities.

?We rise.

?Trending research as guideposts blaze trails that identify this essential truth: Our collective efforts can direct change and promote new inclusive instructional designs, interactive, heterogeneous learning experiences, classroom cultures, and schools that meet the needs of exceptional clients through a universal model that sequences success for those we serve.

?Until we rise.

?This theme speaks to the human experience. We address the challenges of being different from each other and coming from different places in our communities, such as our homes, church families, and workplaces.?We speak kindly, make space for each other's needs, and have the tools to meet them.?

?We rise

?Language has changed, and it's our responsibility to keep up with it.?Laws and guidelines are written and accessible, and we must abide by them as the watershed of appropriate and available accommodations.

?We rise

?There is a difference between a disability and a handicap. We aim to maintain space and opportunity for each individual to access educational experiences supported by collaborative teams that create successful outcomes for all served.

?We rise

?All lives matter. We must serve with strategies to create success, build esteem and form meaningful relationships with all clients to serve as role models to any child adequately.

?We rise

?We individualized plans. We collaborate and comprehensively coordinate access and meet individual needs. We understand that early intervention and assessment lead to the best outcomes and support those practices and programs.

?We rise.

?We are positioned to either sit in the status quo of how things have been done and speak how things have been said or grow. We advocate for children and families who cannot fight for their right to free access to public education. We make every effort to be sensitive and kind.

We rise

Each child is individually made and one-of-a-kind. Each one comes to us with a singular story and needs, and potential that may include medical conditions, trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and a family system at risk; we meet them and greet them exactly where they are and bring our game and ganus,

Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

?We rise.

?We set the tone.?We cover the table, and we universally and individually rise to meet the duty of our mission for each child and every child.