Community Living Ontario Education Strategy

1
Community Living Ontario Education Strategy

• Policy Considerations
• October 2005

2
Community Livings Position on Education

• Community Living Ontario defines inclusive
  education as
• An educational experience where every child
  shares in all facets of ongoing education that
  will meet his/her unique needs and, where all
  Boards of Education ensure that these rights
  include the opportunity

3
Our Position -continued

• to attend regular classrooms in their local
  neighbourhood school
• to attend classes with like-aged children
• to receive an education program based on, but not
  restricted to, individual goals to receive
  adequate supports to ensure equitable opportunity
  for success

4
Our Position -continued

• to receive coordinated planning and assistance in
  all transitional phases, including preschool to
  elementary, elementary to secondary,
  post-secondary, cooperative education, colleges
  and universities or continuing education
• And where parents have the opportunity to become
  true partners in determining all aspects of their
  child's education and be it further

5
Direction from our Members our Challenge

• That Community Living Ontario take the position
  that inclusion be promoted and supported as a
  first choice for all students who have an
  intellectual disability, and that the Ontario
  Ministry of Education be made accountable and
  fully responsible for the full and uniform
  implementation of these measures in all school
  boards throughout the province.

6
Current Provincial Policy

• Regulation 181 of the Education Act requires that
  placement in a regular classroom be considered as
  the first option where it is the parents choice
  and where it is in the best interest of the
  student.

7
Problems with Regulation 181

• Placement in a regular class is not well
  defined and does not equate to inclusion
• In the best interest of the student can be used
  to exclude students
• Parents choice is often tempered by issues
  about best interests of the student raised by
  schools
• Regulation 181 is not consistently implemented
  and is too often a matter of discretion

8
Other Policy Issues to Address

• Funding Current ISA funding mechanism is
  deficit based and leads to labeling of students
  (Ministry is working on revised funding
  mechanism)
• Safe Schools Act often unfairly targets Students
  with disabilities and lead to expulsions for
  behaviours related to their disability (Currently
  being reviewed by the Human Rights Commission)

9
Other Issues - Continued

• Teacher Preparedness Teachers must be trained
  and supported to teach all students

10
The work we will do

• Review, revise and clearly articulate Community
  Living Ontarios position
• Target key influencers in government with clear
  messages
• Motivate constituencies of people and
  organizations who will advocate for policy
  changes/revisions

11
The work we will do

• Work with organizations committed to inclusive
  education
• Create constructive engagement with
  organizations/groups with different views on
  inclusive education
• Engage high profile spokespeople as advocates

12
The work we will do

• Persuade the College of Teachers and Faculties of
  Education to establish expectations and prepare
  all teachers to have the expertise to teach all
  students by
• Developing a policy paper outlining the issues,
  concerns and solutions

13

• Developing a roster of high profile spokespeople
  and champions
• Working with and supporting other organizations
  that share in this objective
• Working with CACL on the national initiative
• Engaging and building relationships with key
  people within the College of Teachers and
  Faculties of Education

14
Community Living Ontario Education Strategy

• Policy Considerations
• October 2005