“Inclusive education” is often mischaracterized as solely about educating students with disabilities in the “least restrictive environment.” Fortunately, inclusive education now means providing a supportive and quality education for all students. It is in this spirit that I want to speak to the accomplishments of our staff in making Madison one of the most inclusive, progressive urban school systems in the country.
For students with disabilities, Madison first emerged as a national leader in providing inclusive education in 1977, when it closed Badger School, a segregated facility for students with cognitive disabilities. Closing Badger’s doors opened another historic door which allowed students with significant disabilities to attend a school along with their non-disabled peers for the first time.
Since that historic event, other important changes have occurred in MMSD resulting in our schools becoming increasingly inclusive of all students. Some of these changes included:
1)beginning in 1987, educating the full range of students with disabilities in their neighborhood schools rather than at clustered school sites;
2)moving from categorical self-contained programming to cross-categorical programming;
3)placing students in chronologically age-appropriate general education classrooms and providing support through a collaborative teaming model;
4)providing inclusive community-based instruction utilizing local employers, transportation systems and recreational facilities.
Today, over 90% of Madison students with disabilities are educated in their neighborhood school.
Some detractors argue that the inclusive movement has diluted and compromised the quality of education for all students. However, a growing body of evidence supported by research and our own local experiences suggests inclusive educational experiences results in students better understanding and appreciating the rich diversity represented in our schools and society.
But many challenges remain. To address these challenges will require:
1)flexibility in the design of service delivery and the creative use of our resources;
2)valuing parent and family participation;
3)collaboration among staff in planning, teaching and problem-solving;
4)the use of technology to enhance and support learning;
5)reducing the misidentification of students, especially students of color.
Together, we can take great pride in Madison’s schools as a national leader in creating inclusive educational opportunities for all of our students.
Jack Jorgensen, Educational Services Executive Director
News and information for staff members and the Madison community
Vol. I No. 2 December 19, 2005
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us./today/122.htm
Take nothing from the MMSD at face value.
I think there will always be two sides to every story. Not every special ed child is as successful as another in our district. Nor is every rich white child, or every poor white child, or every child of color. We are all born with varying levels of ability and drive- that’s what makes this world colorful.
I can honestly tell you that for my autistic child, the MMSD is the best place to be educated. The same might not hold true for another child. The Special Ed folks (as well as the regular ed staff) have gone out of their way
to help my son help himself. I’m personally not very thrilled with how other students treat my son, and I have considered removing him from the MMSD- solely because of the other kids- but in the end, after exhaustive research on my part, I found that Madison has THE BEST special ed programs in the state and the nation. Private schools give no support to autistic students whatsoever.
So, Ed, while I know we often question what the MMSD puts out in terms of information- and I agree that we must be vigilant in questioning facts and numbers- I also firmly believe, from personal experience, that the Special Education division of the MMSD is something that we can be proud of. Are there challenges in how special ed services are delivered? Certainly there are…just as there are challenges in curriculum delivery and athletic funding and board of education politics. That is why all of us are involved with the MMSD.
The same special ed department, especially Jack Jorgensen, and Art Rainwater himself refused to provide an apppropriate math program for my special ed daughter. My wife and I arranged and paid for the only good things that happened for my autistic son during his school years. We never counted on the MMSD to do what he needed.
Personal experience aside, the MMSD refuses to use reading curriculum that would be particularly successful for learning disabled kids, as one sad example of its ineffective curriculum for special ed kids.
From the post by a special ed aide, you can see how the MMSD treats emotionally disturbed kids. Drag them out of the classroom and throw ’em in a misnamed “safe” room.