Inclusive school leadership article in The Conversation; Awareness and action

Today, an article that I wrote appeared in The Conversation. Click here to read the article entitled, "Every child matters: What principals need to effectively lead inclusive schools."

In the article I highlight some provincial issues related to supporting students with special education needs in Canada.

I also posit three key results from the national study I have led the the past three years:

1. School principals need effective professional development to foster inclusive school environments.
2. Strong professional relationships are key to the work of principals in supporting students with special education needs.
3. The work that principals do can be isolating and isolated. They need support to do their work effectively.

I've been engaged with research about school leadership in Canada and in other countries, including Haiti. In fact, last week our research team received a large research grant to examine inclusive education in Ghana. In my experience, the conclusions we drew from the Canadian study is mirrored in the work of principals in other contexts.

How to build inclusive and equitable education systems (Sustainable Development Goal #4) is certainly an issue that is drawing attention locally and globally. Now, we need to move from awareness to action.