Program for Inclusive Education

Photo Credit: Dmytro Aksonov

As we approach the beginning of summer, we will attend family barbeques, take road trips, and enjoy the sights and sounds of little ones running through sprinklers and eating popsicles. Some of us will volunteer at day camps or put bandaids on scraped knees following tumbles off bicycles. Others will enjoy America’s pastime and cheer on their prized team while enjoying a hot dog and box of Cracker Jacks. Summer is the time for those carefree days and a trip to the ballpark.

Beyond the social justice and civil rights perspectives that guide us to serve the marginalized in our classrooms, we have an additional reason to reinforce the need to pay attention to this population. Jim Wright, a school psychologist and the creator of Interventioncentral.org, says, “The quality of a school as a learning community can be measured by how effectively it addresses the needs of struggling students.”

The Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) believes that all students should be welcomed, served, and celebrated in Catholic schools. It is critical that we break down those walls, open our doors, and live out our Catholic calling to inclusively educate the children of God. Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, the Senior Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Toledo and a friend of PIE, provides insight into this practice and the crucial role of the principal in leading this change. Many thanks for his guest authorship!

                     ~Christie Bonfiglio, Ph.D.; Director of the Program for Inclusive Education

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" – Isaiah 58:6-7

It’s early February...that time of year when you are in the thick of teaching, thinking about the content you still need to cover and ensuring all students make sufficient progress. Maybe you are asking...what’s next? The Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) offers professional development in meeting the needs of ALL students in your Catholic school classroom!

As 2018 begins, resolutions abound of healthier eating, less spending, and more family time. I’m sure we have all made one or two for the new year. In light of resolutions, the Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) would like to offer eight strategies and tips for teachers to make inclusion in your classrooms possible: 8 Resolutions for the 2018 Inclusive Classroom. Dr. Sean J. Smith from the University of Kansas is a professor and researcher of special education and a member of the PIE faculty team. He provides insightful and practical ways to ensure success for ALL students, including those who struggle and/or are diagnosed with differences. Many thanks to Dr. Smith for his contribution and blessings to you and your schools for 2018!

~Christie Bonfiglio, Ph.D.; Director of the Program for Inclusive Education

Photo Credit: Beth Foraker, National Catholic Board on Full Inclusion

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

As 2017 draws to a close, I am reminded of this passage from the Gospel of Matthew. The Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) has had an invigorating 2017, traveling the country and partnering with Catholic schools to pursue the mission of inclusive education. Our work has just begun, and PIE continues to ask, seek, and knock on behalf of ALL students.

Joy is very infectious; therefore always be full of joy!
- Mother Teresa

There are a lot of scary things going on today in our world. One thing after another can shake us to our core and make us fear for our children growing up in today’s conditions. Simply watching the news can evoke such sad feelings, making us question our contributions to the world and how they’re helping to solve all of these problems that exist. Seeking clarity and joy in a world that seems so full of pain, I began reading The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

“With eyes of faith consider the greatness of your mission and the wonderful amount of good which you can accomplish.”
- Bl. Basil Moreau, Christian Education

With Catholic schools around the country looking for the tools to create the culture, foundation, and resources to educate all students inclusively while celebrating every student’s diverse and exceptional characteristics, Notre Dame’s Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) prepares to welcome its first cohort this summer. In this month’s blog post, Maggie Byrne, a parent of a child with Down syndrome and friend of PIE, shares her son Thomas’s journey through Catholic schools that utilized inclusive practices. Many thanks to Maggie for her contributions and willingness to share how Thomas has been welcomed, served, and celebrated in Catholic schools.

Are you looking for the skills to inclusively serve ALL students in your classroom?

Have you thought about whether to apply to the Program for Inclusive Education (PIE), but are concerned about managing your time?

Consider this encouragement from Beth Dunlap, M.Ed., a colleague who juggled with grace the many constraints of teaching, life, and graduate work in order to have a profound impact on the lives of her students.

Many thanks to Beth for this contribution, and for her commitment to celebrate the God-given potential of all students. 

In this season of Advent, the Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) is grateful to be among an amazing network of advocates for inclusion in Catholic schools. This week we celebrate our mission and begin today, December 2, with a Day of Prayer for Inclusion.

Many thanks to the Program for Inclusive Education's colleagues and their special contributions to this piece.

Can you feel the energy and positivity?

It’s the excitement surrounding the future conversations between Catholic schools and their Local Education Agencies (LEA—the acronym used consistently to refer to local school districts) regarding allocations of Title funds. Given the changes under the new provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Catholic schools can improve equitable services for students. These changes have the opportunity to provide a lot of hope for our students!

As educators, we must be committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure that every child succeeds. While this certainly means that we will provide extra time and supports to help our students learn, we are only attending to half of the job entrusted to us as Catholic school educators if we simply focus on meeting the academic needs of the children entrusted to our care. We must also seek to cultivate a sense of awe and wonder in the Creator among the children we serve.