11/03/2024
I have been working in education for more than 30 years. I know some of you won't like that I'm sharing this, but I feel strongly that my silence about this election would be irresponsible.
This post isn't an aside; it's central to work of inclusive schools.
I have had been on social media during several election cycles & have never felt the need to endorse a candidate or share my choice with anyone reading these posts. This cycle, however, is different. I started thinking about these differences about a year ago when one of my books was challenged at a school board meeting. Then, it happened again-- in a different state. The challenged content was the word "inclusion"! Later that year, I was asked not to mention SEL (social/emotional learning) in my talk; this is pretty hard to do in a talk on something like autism as many of the most useful strategies for support involve teaching about regulation/emotions, but SEL has become taboo across the US (see link in comments) etc. I've also been asked not to talk about equity, race, etc. several times. I have not accepted these jobs, of course, but it's important to note that this has NEVER before happened before in my 30-year career in education.
This election is different; the climate in education is changing and---at this point---I am as worried as I've ever been about protections related to disability and inclusion. It's important to mention that this type of advocacy has always been political (from school boards to the White House, these rights were won with proposals, non-profit work, letter writing campaigns, law suits, marching, and more) so asking an advocate or educator to ignore politics isn't possible.
Fortunately, many rights related to disability have been embraced across the aisle-- Gerald Ford signed PL 94-142. President Bush signed the ADA, etc. At the beginning of my career, I didn't feel the way I do now. I didn't worry about the Presidency impacting inclusive education. I didn't think about about the word "inclusion" being challenged during a presentation or book talk. I certainly didn't think teaching kids to identify their emotions or breathe when they feel stressed would become controversial and be banned in districts/states where I work. But here we are.
I will be posting a few other related posts in the comments to illustrate the intersections in disability/politics and I hope they help you with your decision. Disability has not been mentioned much in this election so I feel that some folks just are unaware of what is at stake. There is just so much to discuss about rights and marginalized people that is related to this work but not---at first glance---a "disability rights" issue. For instance, laws related to voter behavior/restrictions (no giving water in line on a hot day, etc.) are ablest by nature and would make it hard or even impossible for some individuals with certain disabilities to cast a ballot.
I'll close by saying I really try to avoid conflict (for better or for worse) and I wish I didn't have to talk about things that may divide us. It took a lot of thinking and reflection to write this very personal post so I hope it will be received in the spirit it was crafted. I'm not trying to be heavy-handed or start a debate. I am simply wanting to share that my support for HARRIS/WALZ is consistent with the work I have done and that I still do. Writing about it is my way of advocating for a brighter future for all kids. I am posting this from a place of hope and with a desire to keep supporting schools to create inclusive communities.
Thanks for reading.
❤ Paula
