Inclusive culture in schools transforms communities | Heidi Heissenbuttel | TEDxMileHigh

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Can changing how we address differences in the classroom raise the bar for every student while creating a more compassionate, inclusive culture better suited to complex problem solving in the world? In this emotional talk, education leader Heidi Heissenbuttel explores the how and why of a new school model based on inclusivity in the classroom.
As an education leader for nearly three decades and a parent for two, Heidi has been a fervent advocate within schools as well as the broader community of parents and families to ensure children’s learning strengths are addressed, and, more importantly, that they feel empowered to communicate within the educational system for themselves and others.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@druoleary]

When administrators are almost as numerous as teachers but paid much more that's money not getting to the class. When I worked in the public schools the lazy, undisciplined kids whose parent never showed up for parent-teacher conferences were put in creative art classes for 3 hours a day. They don't get jobs.

[@druoleary]

There have always been bullies and weirdos.

[@opiumbrella1367]

Special education is needed. And in the past decades through many laws it is being enforced. But often at the expense of every other child. Inclusion at all costs is costing a lot. With these new demands comes no new funding. So funding is removed from the general population and teachers are left underpaid under funded over crowded and forced to deal with a subset of students who's abilities are not withing the parameters of a regular classroom setting. This is negatively impacting every other student, while a special needs students may have 50,000 a year in aids and special interventions, due to new laws, this is taking from the education of every other child. The children can even further suffer when a child is shoehorned in by demand, but has daily outbursts of obscenities, violence, aggression, that is harmful to everyone in the class, but they can be reprimanded or put into a special setting because of THEIR RIGHTS. What about the rights of all the children? The forced integration also lowers test scores even further reducing the funding a school receives. People say "your discriminating. Seperate but equal is not ok". And on and on. My question is this. At what point do the needs and rights of our majority of children (even disabled ones who are fully capable of being in a classroom setting) get to be considered? It's not only the general education students suffering, many of the parents and voices advocating forced integration are worried about emphasizing their child having a "normal" experience in school, over them actually getting a decent, tailored, and strong education in a special education program with peers who are ging through the same things. We need to demand change. Seperate funding for increased disability laws, for one. We also need to end inclusion at all costs, because the costs are too high for all involved. Both special needs and general education students deserve to have a good education, instead we are lowering the quality of that education all around in favor of "equity". Basically "everyone must suffer because I don't want to admit my child is actually a detriment to the education of those around them."

[@saviodias7747]

Amen, totally agree. A buddy system could be a bridge, where a gen ed student is connected to a special needs student either in the same school or not with the aim of them both growing from that bond and create compassion amd understanding. Other subjects will then be undisturbed by students who cannot really keep up.

[@druoleary]

@@saviodias7747 but it has to be voluntary.

[@rachelkier4245]

I just want to put this out there: your comment was the exact view of many families and educators after integration. Also, I looked at your page and you say you want to end the stigma on addicts and also provide resources for those addicted, but don't you realize that disabilities are often viewed even better than mental illnesses and then that is viewed better than addiction. The thing is if you want the stigma to be removed from addiction, you have to support the stigmas being removed from other things as well. I have a child that is gifted in education and a child who has disabilities. I can tell you my daughter - the gifted one- has learned soooo much from the existence of her brother. He has had violent outbursts at times, but so has she. All children are capable of having angry or violent outbursts without regard to race, gender, neuro abilities, and more. This shows all the more reason that inclusion needs to be used in school to help ensure that the future adults learn acceptance and love and empathy for those who are different from them.

[@melspy]

You can’t liberate one class of humans that are historically marginalized without widening your lens to include all classes experiencing discrimination.

[@patrickwarner4627]

Cultural propaganda at it's finest. Differentiation is how unique skills are formed not by classing everyone as a single equivalent group many of the points here are not connected phenomena but different problems with different solutions not a uniform actuality.

[@OnTargetPublicRelations]

Respect for differentiation is at the heart of inclusion. Not everyone is the same, not everyone was produced on an assembly line or can be educated in the same manner. Human neurology and internal systems are as variable as our faces. Inclusion provides equity of resources which meet the educational needs of all the different learning styles.

[@opiumbrella1367]

The problem is meeting those needs all in classroom is not possible. The entire standard of education is being lowered for everyone for the sake of "equity". Forced inclusion is damaging even further the state of our schools. It harming both general and special education student because our society is being forced into thinking it is wrong to realize that people are different. Parents are so focused on their special needs child having a "normal experience" in school, and having a "normal life" that they are missing the fact that not acknowledging their child is not normal, nor will have a normal life, is depriving them of the life and education experiences that would most benefit them and their needs. And they are forcing every teacher and student to suffer the costs while they do.