When I went to school in the 1980s and 1990s, segregated schooling seemed to be the norm. Students who had behavioral issues, suffered severe learning difficulties (SLD) or “could not fit into a regular classroom” were often segregated and put into a portable unit and taught outside the regular school community. The school would sometimes integrate this “alternate class” with other elective classes such as gym class. Informally, these kids were labeled as “problem” kids as they often came from poor families, or suffered from domestic violence. In Terrace, we have Parkside Secondary School, which the school district website labels as an “alternate school” (Coast Mountains School District 82, 2022). This school tries to provide IEPs and support for its students in an inclusive manner within the school, but I worry that this school is just another form of segregation. I would like to know more of what makes this an “alternate school” and if its support policies are so helpful, then why can they not be applied universally to all schools in the district?
I suspect funding is one reason. To qualify for funding, students need various professional assessments done, and access to this is a limiting factor. This is in itself is exclusive. It currently takes a minimum of two years when using the publicly funded health services to allow my son access for ASD (autism spectrum disorder) testing. Moreover, once you do get a spot you are expected to make a trip and stay overnight Okanagan or Vancouver area. Inclusion programs that support students with severe learning disabilities (SLD) are limited by funding. In 1994, the “Ministry targeted or capped the amount that could be spent from the allocation on an education program for students with special needs” (As cited in BCSC, 2008). The financial responsibility to support all students with an SLD changed in 2012, when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Moore v. British Columbia that students are entitled to receive the accommodations they need for learning because “special education is not a dispensable luxury” (Inclusion BC, 2022). However, the caveat to this ruling is that if a student cannot get access to have an assessment done, or if the student does not meet the strict assessment criteria to be categorized, then the BC Ministry of Education (MOE) can evade its responsibility of funding equitable and inclusive education. In addition, the BC MOE continues to use the DSM-IV assessment model over the newly revised DSM‑V, as switching models would likely mean that more students would meet the SLD criteria for additional special needs funding.
Looking at Parkside Secondary School, it seems to me the school’s focus is to prioritize fostering student behavior over student academic achievement. However, we need a balance of both for student success. Authentic learning, helping to develop health and social skills are indeed important, but we must also ensure student literacy and numeracy skills reflect the grade levels for graduation. Students may not want to enter a post-secondary school but they should at least have the foundational skills to allow them to succeed if they choose that option. We do a disservice to them if schools don’t at least provide the proficient literacy and numeracy skills needed in adulthood after leaving high school.
In her video, “The Infrastructure of Inclusion: Compost Kate saves the Earth!” Shelly Moore remarks that, “Inclusion is a mindset of growth and movement… but also advocating for the structures and supports to help us to make the shift” (2018). That structural shift needs to happen systemically and it starts in our classroom. So what can we do to make our lessons more inclusive? For me, part of this means helping my students become proficient at literacy and numeracy, regardless of their grade level abilities. This means a lot of explicit instruction to build foundational skills before doing guided discovery learning. Even student-centered learning requires careful planning to ensure student tasks match their skills and abilities. It would be cruel for someone with poor fine motor skills to be asked to do fine needlework without assistance. If a person does have motor skill issues, then art, using small manipulatives for math or even writing can become a daunting task. Finding alternative ways of doing the same task for those students would likely make it easier for all students. Using a tripod pencil grip, or specially designed triangular rounded pencils can make writing easier and it is especially important to do it right the first time. During a practicum observation, I saw a teacher assess her students’ math skills completely orally. She dictated the numbers and the answers. I wondered at the time was the teacher assessing the students’ math skills or their ability to communicate their understanding of math? I think a mixture of skills when teaching and assessing is needed to gauge overall student understanding. When I want to assess if a student understands the concept behind solving a math problem, I should consider how the student presents such knowledge. Perhaps the student excels at writing it but has difficulty orally explaining it, or vice-versa. Either way, to support novice learners, teachers will need to model how to do it first. This means using consistent and easy to understand language much like when teaching ELL (English Language Learners), “Twenty and one makes twenty-one (20 + 1 = 21).”
Speaking of language, I reflected on the use of ableist language. The idea of ableism is that it labels people by their disabilities and suggests that they are somehow inferior to the non-disabled. Ableist language consists of certain words or phrases that devalue people who have a disability (Holland Bloorview, 2018). Alyson Seale (2019) argues society is promoting ableism by using such words in everyday language. Language is an evolving entity and she is correct in that we have the power to change it. However, how we interpret a word is also a matter of intent, and history. The word, “gay” can mean cheerful or merry as in “Don we now our gay apparel” from the Christmas carol, “Deck the halls.” The way South Park uses it means the slang form of “lame” or “no good.” The adjective, “lame” comes from the Old English word lama meaning “crippled, lame; paralytic, weak” (Online Etymology Dictionary, n.d). When and to what extent are words hurtful? If someone calls me a “stand up guy” are they insulting people who are wheelchair bound? The bridge too far for me was when Seale started to criticize the word “crazy.” Students need to learn these words, as they are part of our language. Online slang uses the word “cray-cray” to mean very crazy. A word can be offensive or inoffensive based on how we interpret it. For Jazz enthusiasts in 1927, the word “crazy” meant, “cool, exciting.” The phrase “to drive (someone) crazy” has been in use since 1873 (Online Etymology Dictionary, n.d). So I will teach my students all of the words (aside from vulgar slang as I am certain they will learn those on their own) and remind them that words have power. Care should be taken as to how and when use our words. Word meaning depends on context. We should always be respectful, but if we remove all words that make up our diverse language, then we risk end up talking like Smurfs — where the word “smurf” is substituted for whatever noun, verb, adjective, or adverb is being used (Krisnanto, 2010).
References
British Columbia Supreme Court (BCSC). (2008). British Columbia (Ministry of Education) v. Moore, 2008 BCSC 264.
Retrieved by https://www.ldac-acta.ca/downloads/pdf/media_release/Judge_Dillon.pdf
Coast Mountains School District 82. 2022, All schools.
Retrieved from http://cmsd.bc.ca/all-schools/
Inclusion BC (2022). Handbook on Inclusive Education. Chapter 1: History, Definitions and Benefits of Inclusion.
Retrieved from https://inclusionbc.org/our-resources/inclusive-education-handbook-chapter‑1/#3
Krisnanto. B. (2010). The intended meaning of Smurf words in Smurf comic strips.
Retrieved by https://repository.usd.ac.id/26296/2/044214016_Full%5B1%5D.pdf
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. (2018). How to avoid using ableist language.
Retrieved http://deareverybody.hollandbloorview.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DearEverybodyTipsonAbleistLanguage2018-19.pdf
Moore, S. (Oct. 2018). The Evolution of Inclusion: The past and future of education. YouTube.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQgXBhPh5Zo
Online Etymology Dictionary. (n.d) Online Etymology Dictionary. Website.
Retrieved from https://www.etymonline.com/word/lame.