Your Students, My Students, Our Students

About the Author

Lee Ann Jung, Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and Julie Kroener are expert educators dedicated to enhancing inclusive and equitable education. They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge from their work in various educational settings, aiming to transform special education practices to better serve all students. Their combined expertise provides a comprehensive approach to rethinking and improving how schools support students with special rights.

Main Idea

Your Students, My Students, Our Students advocates for a fundamental shift in how schools approach special education. The authors present five essential disruptions to the status quo, focusing on creating a culture of equity and inclusion, reimagining special education structures, leveraging the strengths of all educators, collaborating on instruction and intervention, and honoring student aspirations. This book aims to inspire and equip educators to build truly inclusive educational environments where all students can thrive.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Establish a Culture of Equity and Inclusion
3. Reimagine Special Education Structures
4. Leverage the Strengths of All Educators
5. Collaborate on the Delivery of Instruction and Intervention
6. Honor Student Aspirations and Plan Accordingly
7. Relentlessly Pursue Change to Realize True Inclusion

Establish a Culture of Equity and Inclusion

The drive for truly inclusive education is a critical part of the broader effort aimed at achieving equity in education. It means reimagining systems to expand every student’s access to both the general education curriculum and intervention supports and services. This requires creating a climate where inclusion is the expectation and norm.

"Success requires more than the full commitment of top management. You must create a climate that stimulates people to challenge current practices and to develop and implement new ideas." - Lee Ann Jung, Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, & Julie Kroener

Challenges include entrenched beliefs about the capabilities of students with disabilities and the division between special and general education. Solutions involve building the belief that every student has value, seeing all students as part of the general education population, and providing equitable access to accommodations and modifications.