by Ray Van Dyke, Martha Ann Stallings, and Kenna Colley

About the authors: Ray Van Dyke is the principal of Kipps Elementary School in Blacksburg, Virginia. Martha Ann Stallings is a fifth-grade teacher at Kipps. Kenna Colley is an inclusion specialist at Kipps.

Inclusion is a philosophy that acknowledges the importance of the real world for students’ learning. Every society has had to face the question of how to treat individuals who differ from the norm, and the vision of building strong communities based on peace, unity, and acceptance for all is an appealing one. We can begin to make this vision a reality in our public schools by accepting and valuing children with disabilities exactly as they are.

Children’s Community

Schools are the communities to which children belong in their most formative years. Classrooms reflect real...