Inclusion

This chapter discusses the origin of inclusion, which is based in schooling children with special needs. It reviews the history, research, frameworks, and models, and what is needed to for inclusion to work. The chapter then reviews what is necessary to move inclusion beyond the classroom and into the workforce. Finally, the chapter looks at inclusion with the lens of diversity and equity, and not just for people with disabilities. One cannot discuss inclusion for all individuals without first considering how inclusion got started for people with disabilities and what makes it successful. This chapter provides an overview on inclusion of people with special needs in education in order to understand how to best include all individuals throughout their lives.

Expanding Equity and Access in State-Authorized Charter Schools

Charter schools are founded on principles of autonomy, accountability, and parent and family choice. Charter school authorizers occupy a unique space at the nexus of these ideas, which allows them to take an active role to drive change to improve access and equity in schools. This chapter describes how one charter school authorizer planned for and implemented a successful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative. The case study specifically outlines the approach of the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI) in implementing equity audits to leverage data to build relationships and supports. Though the concept of analyzing equity data is not novel, the partnership approach employed by CSI to support, rather than evaluate, schools is uncommon. This approach has led to improvements in student outcomes and an increase in equity across the portfolio and can be applied by practitioners across many contexts, including district schools, nonprofits, and corporations seeking to improve both access and equity for diverse populations.

Strategic Leadership

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the process of building and developing ethnic studies courses, particularly the Mexican American and African American Studies Curriculum for Texas high schools. Dr. Lawrence Scott and the Honorable Marisa Perez-Diaz will discuss their contributions in the passage and implementation of Ethnic Studies courses, particularly as it relates to the African American Studies and Mexican American Studies Courses now offered for high schools around the State of Texas. This chapter explores the inception of both courses, the development, and the process of gaining consensus and concessions for both courses. Both courses were unanimously passed by the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE), but did see some challenges throughout the process. Dr. Lawrence Scott and Texas State Board of Education Member Marisa Perez-Diaz will also discuss how they employed varying leadership styles, in collaboration with stakeholders from around Texas to help establish, pass, and implement the Mexican American and African American Studies Courses in Texas.

Agnotology and Ideology

During periods of local and national unrest, leaders engage in discussions surrounding the reexamination of old policies and the consideration of new policies. Their changes to policies and procedures may be symbolic to silence objections or performative to feign new awareness, but symbolic and performative changes will not lead to transformative change. So how does a nation fix a problem of which many of its citizens are mostly ignorant? How do organizations redress inequitable hiring practices when they believe America is a meritocracy where everyone has the same chance of succeeding? How do educational institutions restructure teaching practices when the predominately White teacher workforce continues to resist talking about race? Transformative change will require the unexamined power of Eurocentric culture and thought that normalizes the marginalization, oppression, and subordination of Communities of Color and other groups of people based on gender, class, and citizenship to be completely exposed and then abolished.

Sustaining and Retaining the Diversity Practitioner

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the ways in which an organization or an institution can utilize a diversity practitioner for success. This chapter explores the culture of the organization and what the senior management needs to be mindful of in the hiring process and beyond. The chapter then investigates the practices that should be carried out by the organization that will prompt a practitioner for success. It explores the considerations as the practitioner works in the organization on establishing a quality work environment. With a visible commitment and support of the individual and the expected outcomes, the practitioner will be a critical part of the organization's success. Organizations have to be strategic and intentional about implementing measures to assure the diversity practitioner has the tools they need. The organization has a responsibility to recognize the emotional toll and additional stress of being in the diversity practitioner role. Clear expectations and strategies are offered.

More Than the Sum of Their Struggles

Even in 2020, the plight of Black women in higher education saturates the literature. For decades, Black women have been trying to find their place in the academy. This chapter reveals the success factors of five first-generation African American women with Ph.D.s discovered through a narrative inquiry. The theoretical framework used in this study contends that social location and ideas produced by Black women help demystify the orientation of Black women and help illuminate their points of view. This study focused exclusively on capturing the success factors that contributed to the participants successfully navigating their doctoral journey. The findings exposed five success factors and better position the academy to support and replicate mechanisms to foster success and not assumptions of incompetence. This study allowed participants to provide wisdom to future generations and evidence to assist in shaping the trajectory for first-generation African American women doctoral students.

I Can't Breathe

This chapter is a critical analysis using African American Male Theory (AAMT) to examine and critique the status of the African American male with an emotional disturbance in the American education complex. This chapter expands upon AAMT by applying a critical lens to various AAMT tenants. A vignette of Ahmad, a young African American male, shows the injustice endured by many African American male students. A review of literature on the mental health of African American students and equity in education provides for a rich discourse. This chapter also provides implications for further discussion and recommendations for practitioners.

Leading Boldly

By no means does this chapter aim to exclude the impediments on students who arrive to school from low socio-economic families. As there are White students from low-income families who outperform against the norm when compared to students of color from affluent households, the notion that income level, not racial inequities, is the leading variable to educational disparities is overwhelmingly false. Ultimately, children need educators and leaders who are willing to recognize how their beliefs and perceptions impede quality teaching and learning for every child. Implicit biases and often racist beliefs prevent all students from gaining access to quality learning experiences. These biases and beliefs expose students of color to low academic expectations from their teachers. Therefore, the authors will briefly discuss White fragility and deficit thinking as barriers required to shift the educational landscape for students who need it most.

Gender and Labor Market

Gender is defined as the tasks, functions, and roles attributed to women and men in the public and private areas in society. The concept of gender is important in social state policies. The social state is a state that deals with the economic and social situation of individuals and seeks to ensure a minimum level of living, social security, and justice. In this kind of state disease, disability, death, unemployment, and similar cases, social security and assistance programs are in the foreground. Gender discrimination in the labor market in Turkey is a major problem. Women face a number of obstacles in this market. In particular, gender-based occupational discrimination affects women's position in the labor market. In addition to factors such as inflation, growth, and unemployment, gender roles play a role in the effectiveness of the female labor force in these markets. In this study, labor markets in Turkey will examine on the basis of gender and will be discussed in terms of insurance premiums and tax incentives for the period 2000-2019.

A Model for Institutional Equity

In exploring new ways of thinking about and approaching equity, components that contribute to leadership development, ownership characteristics and partnership opportunities are essential. Institutions need to expand their thinking relative to a practical meaning of equity and find ways to establish critical methods of engagement evaluation/assessment and evolution. Traditional approaches to equity have proven to be ineffective and even counterproductive as they tend to conflate the meaning and application of equity, inclusion, and diversity. This chapter will explore how a comprehensive approach to equity, diversity and inclusion can be more effective in regards to culture, expectation, and connection. The contributors assert that specific organizational dimensions are critical and anticipate that this perspective will assist institutions in recognizing crucial areas and aspects for the successful implementation of equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.