YAY! INCLUSION!!!

staff development: The importance of teaching our teachers

Ever wonder what your children's teachers are learning this year?  In this video, Dr. Julie Causton works with a group of educators and helps them understand the power of inclusion. Dr. Causton is a nationally recognized expert on creating inclusive school environments.  She has published countless books about how to effectively include children with disabilities in general education classrooms, on the playground, and in the community. 

I had the pleasure of experiencing Dr. Causton's work first-hand this year through the lens of a parent and community member. Our local school district contracted with Dr. Causton to provide district-wide staff development throughout the 2017-2018 school year. Every teacher, teaching assistant, related service provider, and administrator had opportunities to engage in ongoing intensive learning experiences with Dr. Causton. Parents also had an incredible opportunity to connect with Dr. Causton via a special evening presentation for families. 

Dr. Causton has made a BIG impact on our school community, and she's started a district-wide conversation around what it means for ALL kids to BELONG. She's teaching powerful instructional strategies that give teachers the knowledge and skills they need to support diverse learners. In this video, Dr. Causton states, "The number one predictor of how well a student will do in general education, is the number of minutes that a student spends in general education." "Our whole job in special education, is access to general education."

What are your kids' teachers learning this year?

-Dr. Kimberly Melton Lechner