SPECIAL EDUCATION: REWRITING THE STORY
BY JENNIFER PINDER F
or the past 20 years, I have been a teacher. I have been a classroom teacher for grades 1 to 4. I have taught with an exceptional team of educational assistants in an alter-
native continuum of education class, support- ing students with developmental disabilities. I have also served as a developmental support teacher, assisting students with autism and the educators who supported them in over 30 schools in Waterloo Region. More recently, I held the role of special education consultant with a specific focus on social-emotional learning. Currently, I serve as a special educa- tion resource teacher at a K-8 school. Not only do I want you, the reader, to
know who I am, I also want you to under- stand why I am who I am. I write from the perspective of having grown up with the privilege of witnessing inclusivity in its tru- est form. My Aunt Connie acquired a dis- ability early in life, and my grandparents and mom exemplified inclusion throughout her
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life. It was modelled to me to strive to learn as much about myself and others as possible. Inclusion was not an aſterthought; it was a given. I know how to reflect on my own need for strategies and accommodations, and I am interested in what others need to be included and have access to what matters to them. Two essential elements of inclusion are
curiosity and reflection. Tere isn’t a “finish line.” On the contrary, there is always room for learning more, as we consider individual strengths, needs, experiences, supports, ac- cess and reflect on our own biases. Since I am aware of what inclusivity is, I am acutely aware of what it is not. You will hear folks say, “Inclusion without support is abandonment,” and that is precisely what is happening in classrooms across Ontario.
THE STORY OF “KIDS THESE DAYS”
Educators enter this profession because students and their learning are of utmost importance. Unfortunately, current edu-
cational systems are increasingly failing to provide the necessary resources to achieve positive outcomes. As I write this, there are 350,000 children
identified with special education needs in Ontario who aren’t getting the support and resources they need. Tere are undoubtedly more students who have not yet been identi- fied. When students’ special education needs aren’t met, everyone loses. Education stakeholders have access to the
science of learning, allowing us to draw on research and knowledge about neuroscience and the conditions that best support learn- ers. Yet, that knowledge gets tossed aside by a system suffering from massive funding cuts, one that is reliant on unrealistic expectations of teachers and low expectations for chil- dren’s achievement and abilities. Since returning from the pandemic, I
have observed an astounding increase in the number of students who are not receiving the attention and support they deserve. One of
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