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Volume 68 |
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Mar. 2006 |
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Voices across Kansas were heard sharing strategies, networking and finding supports as teams began to open new doors to inclusive education to many of the more than 63,000 Kansas students with disabilities. Yet various voices began to rumble with questions: “Are there any schools or districts that truly understand and believe in students ‘like my son’?”, “Will I ever see the day when my child will have friends, eat lunch with peers, sing in the choir, or take a real science class?”, “These things just don’t happen. They are not possible ‘especially in Kansas’?”
To help answer these questions the Kansas City Center found a new inspiration for the annual “Together We Can Learn” inclusion conference. February 11, 2006 may have been a cold and snowy Kansas morning, yet the insight and motivation shared that morning melted any frosty hearts present. The day was a celebration of inclusive programs throughout Kansas. Parents, teachers, related service providers, and students shared their amazing journeys, resources and strategies as to how they continue to open the doors to inclusive education for students who have various needs throughout Kansas.
More than 200 parents, professionals and self-advocates attended both the Wichita and Kansas City conferences. Individuals attending the Wichita conference attended workshops covering topics from changes to the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to the major elements of Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) planning.
The message of the “Our Combined Voices Conference” was very clear, particularly from the keynote speaker, Stephanie Smith Lee. Stephanie, the former Director of the Office of Special Education Programs in Washington DC, is not only the parent of a child with Down Syndrome but has had numerous leadership positions in developing IDEA and NCLB policies. Her mantra is that inclusion is more than access. Everyone who is involved in the life of a child with special needs is essential to the child's educational, emotional, and physical well being. Just as one needs all the pieces of a
puzzle to complete its picture, the positive linkage of family, school and community is fundamental in developing an environment of growth and, in many cases, |
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Joe Porting and his son, Brett share stories at the Wichita conference |
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Educating, Assisting, Supporting, and Informing through this newsletter... A newsletter for and by parents with sons & daughters with disabilities and education advocates. |
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3033 W. 2nd Suite 106 Wichita, KS 67203 (316) 945-7747 or 888-815-6364 |
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Kansas City Center 1-877-499-5369 Garden City Center 1-888-820-6364 Topeka Center 1-800-264-6343 Statewide Spanish parent line 1-800-499-9443 |
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(All toll free numbers for Kansas parents & education advocates) |
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Conference Highlights To kick off National Inclusive Schools Week, the Families Together’s Wichita Center hosted their first annual Inclusion Conference, December 3, 2005 in Wichita. The theme, “Our Combined Voices: Making a Difference for Children with Disabilities,” resonated throughout the state as parents and professionals found ways to make great things happen in inclusive schools together. |