I was going to start this latest spin by saying that I’m taking a risk in publicly sharing my top five inclusive leadership priorities for this school year. Then I realized I’ve already kicked open the vault of vulnerability, having presented them four times to four different audiences. At this point, there’s really no turning back.

I am excited about this work, and I also want to be clear that I am excited about the work that has been building across our school district over the past decade. Our focus on innovation for all learners has driven some of the most creative, caring, and inclusive work imaginable.

I also want to acknowledge that our work is human-centred and takes place within a human system. That means we do not always get it right, and sometimes we need to pause, reflect, and revisit where we are so we can do better for all learners. Who gets to experience what we have to offer in our schools is a core question that demands our continual attention.

Inclusive education is not someone else’s portfolio or the responsibility of a single department. It is how we deliver education for every learner, every day. Examining who is succeeding, who is not yet succeeding, and asking what we are going to do about it are central tenets of our work together.

We also need to acknowledge the realities public educators are experiencing. Student needs are increasing. Complexity is increasing. Resources are finite, yet our responsibility remains the same: ensuring every student belongs, participates, and learns in their school. I am not being negative, I am being real about what is.

Innovating with what is, while stretching toward where we need to be, requires professionals who are intelligent, resourceful, humble, and capable. It is not work that can be done in isolation. We were never meant to do this work alone.

Inclusive leaders and educators can easily get stuck in the rabbit hole of believing that the better we do, the less we get. Success in inclusive education can sometimes result in a reallocation of resources as higher-priority needs emerge elsewhere. This reality can be difficult because it may feel as though effective planning and strong student support are being interpreted as evidence that resources are no longer necessary.

This is where cross-role collaboration, trusted mentorship, critical friends, and self-awareness become essential. They help us shift our leadership perspective and see beyond our immediate circumstances.

There are two thought lines that inclusive leaders can hold. One is tangled in ego: "I have done good work, and despite this, I am losing resources when district conversations about fiscal priorities take hold." The second is grounded in a systems perspective: "I understand the realities of the larger system of which I am a part. I know that when students succeed, we have to make thoughtful decisions about where resources are best positioned. This is not about budget cuts. It is about being responsive and flexible, directing supports where they are most needed while sustaining practices that are working."

The following five priorities will guide our inclusive education work this year across our school district. I am not suggesting that we will get it right every time. What I am saying is that our intentions will be clear and our focus on student learning, safety, alongside healthy human growth and development, will remain at the centre of our decisions. Everyone in our system deserves nothing less.

I started this piece in early September. It was a tough and intense month, one that seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. My hope is that these reflections remain relevant and perhaps even more meaningful now that our classroom communities are beginning to grow, learn, and thrive together.

IEPs: A Tool for Learning, Not Compliance

Let's be clear IEPs are tools for learning. The purpose of an IEP is not to create paperwork. The purpose is to improve outcomes for learners by ensuring that meaningful teaching and targeted instruction centres all supports and strategies in place to support that particular student.

I have written, and perhaps ranted, about IEPs before. And I probably will again. After reading hundreds of IEPs over the years, I am officially at a space where my tolerance for subpar IEPs is nil. These are essential documents for some of our most vulnerable learners to ensure their safety, well-being and meaningful learning is achieved in our classrooms. In such the accommodations and essential supports should be crystal clear, understood by all adults who have the privilege of working with students who have IEPs. Our shared goal must be working towards removing barriers to learning that are detrimental to some students and ensuring their meaningful participation and success is at the centre of all educational decisions.

IEPs are not static documents where forever goals are dictated. They should be fluid, evolving as students grow, develop and succeed in their schooling experiences. Students should see themselves in their IEP and families must be partners in co-creating IEPs. We should never see IEPs with misspellings or vague references to "the student". These are individual documents that must reflect the learner and their specific learning needs. Nor should we see "roll over" goals that are too large and lofty to be achieved in the immediate or near future. This does not mean that we are not future thinking and planning ahead but it does mean we are focusing on quality, high quality educational experiences now.

Leadership Question: If I picked up a student's IEP today, would I clearly understand how it is helping the student access learning and demonstrate growth?

Exclusion: Every Student Has a Right to Belong

We are in a time when educational practices that edge toward any form of exclusion are under a delicate microscope. This is a good thing. Examining exclusionary practices and barriers to student participation is important to ensure decisions are grounded in human dignity, safety, and meaningful educational experiences.

There is a delicate edge to perceptions of exclusion that demands dedicated time and focused conversations about individual student needs, the learning environment, and educational relevance. We fail our students when we slip into one-size-fits-all inclusive thought traps where the assumption is that the best place for every student is always with their same-age, grade-level peers, engaging alongside classmates in the classroom.

For students who have specific skills to acquire, have experienced trauma in particular settings, or face other significant challenges, we need to be thoughtful and respectful in how exclusion is defined. We also need to recognize that exclusion does not always look like suspension. It can look like shortened days without a clear timeline or educational plan, modified schedules that are not collaboratively reviewed, or informal requests for families to keep students at home without a plan for continuity of learning. It can also involve limiting access to activities or programs without a clear conversation about why participation may not be safe or appropriate at that time and what meaningful alternatives will be provided. Whenever participation is restricted, there must be an educational plan, targeted skills to develop, and a pathway back toward meaningful participation. Every student has the right to be included. Our work is to ensure every student is developing the skills, supports, and confidence they need to belong, participate, and learn.

I also want to be clear that I recognize there are situations when safety considerations and available resources may not align with a student's immediate needs. Health and safety must be a priority and a partnership between home and school. This work is inherently relational and often requires a coordinated approach among families, educators, and community agencies to provide additional layers of support when significant complexity, trauma, or harm has occurred.

Our commitment to solving challenges by increasing support and collaboration, rather than reducing a student's access to school, must remain at the core of these difficult decisions while honouring every student's right to belong.

Leadership Question: Before asking whether a student can be here, ask what they need to be successful here.

All Means All: Tier One Matters Most

The most powerful inclusion strategy is not a specialized intervention. It is excellent classroom instruction for all students.

In inclusive education, we often talk about tiers of instruction as a way to map educational supports and ensure that every student receives meaningful, high-quality core instruction. I love the essence of this approach and believe it is possible. However, there is a mindset and deep ethic of care that must exist alongside excellent teaching.

The reality is that we still sometimes talk about "those students." An inclusive mindset is anchored in the core belief that all students have unlimited possibilities for growth, for learning and for connectedness. The reframe is to ask instead, how are we designing learning environments where more students can succeed from the start? If we truly believe that all means all, then we must shape our instructional practices around the belief that every student benefits from strong Tier One instruction.

Strong Tier 1 instruction is not about teaching to the middle. It is about designing learning experiences that are flexible, responsive, and engaging. It involves considering what barriers may exist and how we can commit to increasing access by thoughtfully presenting material in creative ways that may look different for different learners. Remember, if inclusion only works when students are easy to support, it isn't inclusion.

Practices such as Universal Design for Learning and differentiation are not niceties; they are necessities in today's classrooms. Simple strategies such as establishing predictable instructional routines, implementing and using visuals, committing to a positive school climate, and fostering welcoming classrooms where every child feels space and place are low-cost, high-value inclusive educational practices.

Thinking about access before intervention is key to starting conversations about possibilities rather than wishes or "what ifs." Sometimes, the resources we have in front of us may be all there is right now, and, in fact, they may actually be enough.

Leadership Question: How much of our conversation is focused on changing students versus improving environments?

Roles & Supports: Everyone Has a Role

This is where I think our work in inclusive education becomes very exciting. Every student deserves to be supported, and if our system is to become truly inclusive, we must continue to move beyond the idea that particular students are someone else's responsibility. Everyone has an important and privileged role to play as we work together to ensure that individual student growth is not just an individual priority, but a system priority.

I love conversations about the wide variety of student needs in our classrooms. The spectrum of learning is expansive and stunning. From exploring how we can accelerate and extend learning when young minds are seeking additional challenge, to zooming in on the most important skills needed to support an individual's right to self-determination and joyful participation in community life, these are all important educational priorities.

We have powerful opportunities to ensure that every student is honoured, and we all have an important role to play in supporting student success. The end goal must always be to ensure that the supports we put in place help students access learning rather than unintentionally creating separation or dependence. If an "extra set of hands" is needed to help implement a learning program for a student, then we need to be clear about the purpose, the timeline, and our expectations for success. Our supportive efforts should ultimately lead to greater independence, dignity, participation, and belonging.

Our strongest schools, systems, and home teams operate as collaborative partners, working together to support student growth and well-being. We all have a role to play. Inclusive education is not someone else's work. It is all of our work.

Leadership Question: Are the supports we put in place helping students access learning, or are they unintentionally creating separation or dependence?

Communication Sets the Culture

Here are two narratives and, perhaps, an age identifier, as I have seen both play out many times over the past three decades.

Narrative one: "We are overloaded. The needs just keep growing and growing."

Narrative two: "Our students are diverse. We are continually building our capacity to meet their needs and support them in our classrooms."

Let's be honest: both narratives may reflect reality, but only one moves the system forward.

Words have power. What we choose to say, and what we choose not to say, matters. It influences tone, culture, and climate. What we communicate matters with staff, families, students, community partners, and anyone else who happens to be within listening distance. The language we use shapes the culture we create.

Years ago, I read Peter H. Johnston's books Choice Words and Opening Minds. I have since shared his wisdom with many principals and staff. The influence that language used in a classroom on the learning experience generated is, as Johnston (2004) says, "a big deal" (p.10). Ordinary words are pivotal in shaping perceptions and experiences for humans. They can be key to relational building as well as relational destruction.

Instead of saying, "This student is challenging," try, "This student is communicating a need." Lean into the supports and collaborative conditions that will help students succeed rather than defaulting to a Morgan Wallen "I'm the Problem" narrative. I fully understand how heavily human complexity can weigh on an individual, and educators working in isolation often feel this weight more than others may ever realize. Sometimes, when no additional resources or solutions are readily available, the most powerful tool we have is our mindset and how we choose to build relationships and express ourselves. This is not an attempt to gaslight or diminish serious concerns; rather, it is an attempt to humanize and relationally reset by using our communicative capacities to carefully narrate the possibilities that can emerge when we are able to view situations through a strengths-based lens.

Leadership Question: What story are we telling about our students, classrooms and schools, and how is that story shaping our responses and supports?

There it is, out there again, my top five inclusive leadership priorities for the year ahead.

With the long Canadian Thanksgiving weekend ahead, this feels like the perfect time to reflect with gratitude for the people we work alongside and the communities we serve. I hope this Friday morning spin sparks reflection, conversation, and perhaps even a little discomfort. This work leaves no room for complacency. If we are committed to public education, then we must also be committed to continually expanding our understanding of human diversity and our capacity to serve every learner.

May this spin provide some food for thought alongside family celebrations, gratitude, and a well-deserved pause this weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Author's Note: Once again, in the spirit of author integrity, I note that my Copilot AI thought partner assisted with soft-touch editing and grammatical revisions in support of publication. The ideas and reflections shared in this spin are my own and represent my original thinking.