Special Education for School Leaders Podcast Logo

With the support of the Ontario Ministry of Education, the Catholic Principals' Leadership Development | Ontario, Leadership en action and Principal Association Projects, the service partners for Catholic Principals' Council of Ontario (CPCO), L'Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO) and Ontario Principals' Council are preparing a series of three podcast episodes for principals and vice-principals titled Supporting Students with Special Education Needs and Students with Disabilities - Leading Authentically.

These podcast episodes are being developed to highlight school leadership with a focus on equity, accessibility, inclusion and full participation for students with special education needs and students with disabilities. 

Through this three-part series, principals and vice-principals will better understand how self-knowledge about their own complex identities can better prepare them to also learn about and understand the students whom they serve, to then intentionally and explicitly build inclusive learning environments. 

Principals and vice-principals can use this as a vehicle to build capacity within their sphere of influence to support students with special education needs and students with disabilities. This podcast series offers opportunities for development as an individual or within a community of educators.

Episode 1 - Leading Authentically - De-Centering Ourselves

 

Episode 1 - Transcript

 

This first episode of the podcast focuses on self-awareness and knowledge. It offers a snapshot of the voices of principals and vice-principals across the province reflecting on their own awareness, knowledge, identities and positionality to highlight school leadership with a focus on equity, accessibility and inclusion. 

 

Through self-reflection on a series of questions, this episode explores the experiences of school administrators defining their own identities. As you listen to the podcast, consider your leadership practices that may be

  • culturally responsive to recognize, address and reduce barriers to student success for students with special education needs and students with disabilities 

  • characterized by anti-oppressive anti-ableist and anti-colonial environments fostering accessibility, inclusion, and full participation and

  • supportive of the implementation of such practices in schools.

 

Reflection Questions From Episode 1

  1. Consider an area of discomfort or uncertainty when supporting students with regards to race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, ability and/ or ethnicity?

    • How are you navigating that discomfort or uncertainty in your own identities and leadership in school?

  2. When you consider your own lived experience, how have you come to understand issues related to your own power and privilege?

    • Could you give an example of how your lived experience/ privileges/ positions has enabled you to disrupt and dismantle systems and structures of oppression?

  3. What are some ways you are educating yourself about the history of Turtle Island (the part now known as Canada) and/or the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action to support your understanding of self and your role as leader within schools?

  4. How do you lead in ways that demonstrate your awareness of your own cultural biases and how did you get to that place?

 Consider: Where do we need to go to get to where we need to be?

 

Further Resources for Episode 1
Episode 2 - Leading Authentically - Centering Our Students

Episode 2 Transcript - Available soon!

 

This second episode focuses on school leadership that values student voice by centering the students we serve. Hear the voices of school administrators across the province  as  they consider their attitudes and believes, student belonging, and building relationships to highlight school leadership with a focus on equity, accessibility and inclusion centering on students with special education needs. 

Through self-reflection on a series of questions, this episode explores how centering the voice and experiences of students impacts their daily leadership practice. As you listen to the podcast, consider your leadership practices that: 

  • Center students with special educationneedsin all decisions 

  • Allow you to intentionally get to know your students and their families, so that you can serve them in a way that they feel heard and understood  

  • Are culturally responsive to recognize, address and reduce barriers to student success for students with special education needs and students with disabilities  

  • Are characterized by anti-oppressive anti-ableist and anti-colonial environments fostering accessibility, inclusion, and full participation, and 

  • Are supportive of the implementation of such practices in schools. 

 

Themes and Reflection Questions for Episode 2: 

Attitudes and beliefs matter: 

The presence of attitudinal barriers is a prevalent theme from parents when advocating for the child with special education needs.  Parents share that attitudinal barriers often lead to social isolation and bullying, and limiting their children academically. These barriers are a significant factor in continuing marginalization of students with special education needs in the school system and that systemic efforts are needed to address this issue. 

  • Through your leadership, how are you addressing your own attitudinal barriers and those of your staff and community? 

  • How does data influence our perception about students’ ability and pathways?  

  • As leaders in special education, we support students beyond their disability or area of need. Share an example of how you honour a student’s intersecting identitieswhile supporting their disability?(asset lense) 

Access matters: 

Often students with special education needs are excluded physically, academically and socially.  Parents have shared that exclusion and lack of access creates barriers to learning and relationship building. 

  • Could you share an example of how you are working to provide more access to students by eliminating barriers to learning and relationship building? 

Relationships matter: 

Forming relationships with parents and caregivers of students with special education needs is essential for a meaningful and robust educational and social experience for students. 

  • Share an experience that you have had leading through a difficult relationship to a productive partnership with a parent/caregiver.  What did you learn through the process that you have now made part of your leadership practice? 

  • How are you able to use your relationships with students and families, communities for students to drive better outcomes for their achievement? 

  • How are you explicit around building relationships with students? 

Belonging matters: 

Research has shown the benefits of inclusive educational settings.  Students with special education needs are more likely to be included in extracurricular and unstructured school activities in inclusive settings.  These experiences provide a greater opportunity for belonging. Principals and vice principals care deeply about student belonging. 

  • How do we know when students have a sense of belonging? 

  • How do adult attitudes and beliefs impact student sense of belonging? 

  • How do we intentionally address the sense of belonging for students with special needs? 

Source for themes above: 

Further Research to support inclusive education or centering those we serve: 
Episode 3 - Leading Authentically - Re-centering Learning Environments for Student Success

Episode 3 Transcipt - Available Soon!

In the final episode of this series, listen to the voices of school administrators across the province and consider how these relationships work to create teaching and learning environments that reflect the fluid and responsive nature of the spaces and places that exist within school systems. 

This episode explores how centering the voice and experiences of students impacts daily leadership practice. As you listen to the podcast, consider your leadership practices that:

  • Center students with special education needs in all decisions
  • Allow you to intentionally get to know your students and their families, so that you can serve them in a way that they feel heard and understood
  • Are culturally responsive to recognize, address and reduce barriers to student success for students with special education needs and students with disabilities
  • Are characterized by anti-oppressive anti-ableist and anti-colonial environments fostering accessibility, inclusion, and full participation, and
  • Are supportive of the implementation of such practices in schools.

Themes and Reflection Questions for Episode 3:

Competencies:

Thinking about the OLF/OCLF Personal Leadership Resources, share some ways you have used your personal leadership resources to impact learning environment for all students?

Can you share a story about your growth as a leader using your personal leadership resources to foster relationships with students, staff and families in order to create a positive, safe, identity-affirming environment for all students?

Physical, social, and academic considerations:

Share a story about how you have come to consider all aspects of inclusion when creating or revising learning spaces:

  • Physical
  • Social, Cultural, Emotional
  • Academic

Consider the interconnection between these concepts; they are not discreet.  For example, the physical environment (e.g., signage) can have unintended impacts on social inclusion. 

How might you continue to grow in this area?

Setting the Tone:

As you prepare for the school year, share a story that demonstrates how your leadership ensures the school climate is welcoming to all students and their families to a learning environment that creates a sense of belonging.

When it comes to setting the tone for the school year, it’s not easy and can be unconsciously set depending on the many complexities in a school, what might be some ways  you ensure that your decision-making process is transparent and reflects equity, inclusion and experiences of students, staff and community and nurtures a school climate that supports belonging?

Instructional leadership:

Principals are instructional leaders.  What are some ways you are working with your educators and support staff to ensure that every student has what they need to learn?  Consider universal design for learning, differentiated instruction, culturally relevant and responsive teaching and other enabling instructional practices.

Building capacity with the multidisciplinary team:

One of the most significant mechanisms that principals can leverage is the multidisciplinary team to support the learning of students with special education needs.  What are some ways you are leveraging this team, along with the expertise of families and community partners to develop successful learning plans for students?

Further research to support centering learning environments for student success:

  • Link to document that summarizes some of the key research on inclusive education and particularly the role and influence of the principal:

The role of the school principal is pivotal in creating and promoting inclusive school environments (Ainscow, 2024; McGhie-Richmond & Haider, 2020; Porter et al., 2023; Sider & Maich, 2022).

Big ideas for the importance of structuring learning environments to support inclusive education - and the ways in which principals enable these:

  1. Competencies that principals can develop to foster inclusive environments (the research base for these are identified in Table 2.2 of Sider & Maich, 2022): 
    • Attitudes which value inclusion, equity, and diversity; asset-based perspectives which enhance student agency; fostering relationships with families and educators; embodies professional standards such as care, trust, respect, and integrity.
    • Knowledge of legal aspects such as duties and regulations; awareness of the lived experiences of children and their family members; instructional approaches within a universal design for learning framework.
    • Skills in communication, collaboration, problem-solving, advocacy, program development, and fostering collaborative teacher efficacy.
  2. Physical, social, and academic considerations: 
    • Physical: makes every effort to ensure full access to all learning environments (inclusive classrooms in the neighborhood school)
    • Social: all students are authentically included and active contributors to the classroom and school community
    • Academic: access to curriculum, instruction, and learning activities that are meaningful, differentiated, and challenging for all students with supports as needed.
  3. Physical: makes every effort to ensure full access to all learning environments (inclusive classrooms in the neighborhood school)
  4. Social: all students are authentically included and active contributors to the classroom and school community
  5. Academic: access to curriculum, instruction, and learning activities that are meaningful, differentiated, and challenging for all students with supports as needed.
  6. Principals set the tone for the school climate in regard to inclusion (Bennett et al., 2021; Sider et al., 2021)
  7. Principals are instructional leaders who coach and model universal design for learning, differentiated instruction, and other enabling instructional practices
  8. One of the most significant mechanisms that principals can leverage is fostering professional capital via collaborative planning (Hargreaves, 2024; Hehir et al., 2016; Sider et al., 2024)