Celebrate Inclusive Schools Week, December 3 - 7

Stories appear regularly about the state of our schools and their failure to meet the educational needs of our children.  While there is much to be done, we have made progress toward including more children into the nation’s academic agenda. Not that long ago, many of our children were excluded from our classrooms, with children left out due to race, language, economic status, or mental or physical challenges.  In the past 20 years, our schools have worked toward access for all to public education.  Children who were once isolated and marginalized are now thriving, productive members of a larger school community. Children who were routinely denied educational opportunities are now discovering, exploring, and, most importantly, achieving. Schools that were once homogeneous are servicing a rich array of students.

December 3-7th marks the 7th Annual Inclusive Schools Week. During this Week, Arc of Onondaga is working to educate the community about what it means to be inclusive.  Inclusive is not about being politically correct. It is about making sure that our educational system works for all students including students with disabilities.  Inclusive teaching practices are about ensuring that the classroom offers opportunities for all children to succeed. Inclusive teaching means presenting information in ways that are relevant and meaningful to each and every student. Discussion, hands-on learning experiences, and inquiry-based projects are all examples of inclusive teaching practices that have, again and again, been shown to improve academic achievement for all students.

Arc of Onondaga is proud to be behind successes, having opened the doors of our Parkside Children’s Center in 1951.  Arc’s Parkside Children’s Center in Syracuse is an inclusive school offering Universal Pre-K and Pre School with wrap-around day care to students with and without disabilities, ages 3 to 5.  Certified teachers with Master’s degrees, occupational and physical therapists, as well as an on-site nurse, partner to create an enriched learning environment for all children.

While these inclusive practices have been, at times, difficult to implement, their positive impact is clearly demonstrated through each individual success. These successes are celebrated during National Inclusive Schools Week, December 3 – 7, and we invite the community to celebrate with us. 

Sincerely,

Stanfort J. Perry
Executive Director
Arc of Onondaga