Journal 3: “Restructuring for caring and effective education: The possible futures of education” by Dr. Rich Villa

Dr. Villa was an enthusiastic and engaging speaker who kept the audience interested. Not only did he have many thought-provoking ideas, but involved the audience in stage activities to illustrate his points (musical chairs). He talked about how there must be balance in the “Circle of Courage” model which includes generosity, mastery, belonging and independence. He also illustrated the consequences of any of these areas being out of balance. He also advocated having the special ed kids be in the regular classroom, both for their sake and their fellow mainstream students. For the mainstream students, it’s a chance for them to see that giving feels better than receiving. For the special ed kids, they would get the chance to belong. But to succeed, we must all first view diversity as “normal and valued”. Studies show that special ed kids in general classes to better academically and socially than in non-inclusive settings. Dr. Villa’s vision of “equalence” (equity and excellence) includes the goal of all children getting the chance to participate and feel successful. The culture that will support equalence must include artistry, care, character and collaboration and foster a true team spirit. He acknowledges that even the best laid plan can take 5 – 7 years to become institutionalized. And while he recognizes the barriers of insufficient and poor use of time in implementing a plan, he encourages us to be diligent and to persevere.

Question: How can we realistically have special ed kids in the mainstream classroom, when there is less budget than ever for classroom aides? While there is an educational budget shortage in California, there’s been an encouraging shift with aides for special ed kids. In the middle school in Ramona, the aide (or aides) are present in the mainstream class to help the special ed kids. The special ed kids change classes like the general kids, but there is always at least one aide in the class for support. When I sub for a the special ed classes at the elementary schools, the kids are mostly in the general classes and only briefly came to special ed for one subject. For example, 3 – 5 kids per hour are present in the resource center and are mainstreamed the rest of the day. It appears to be a shift heading in the right direction.