In the lead-up to World Education Day, Special Olympics released its third annual message about… The global case for inclusion in education. Here is an excerpt from the letter:
In my early days as a “practicing” teacher in New Haven, Connecticut, I remember being overwhelmed by the complexity and quantity of the work—preparing lessons, grading papers, communicating with families, communicating with students. I learned to be a teacher, but once I got into the classroom, I realized I was almost completely unprepared. I quickly learned what every teacher knows: being a teacher is a huge responsibility that requires tremendous effort and comes with precious little support.
In recent years, I have seen teachers do more than I ever imagined. I’ve visited dozens of schools that support Special Olympics’ efforts to make schools more inclusive and have watched teachers work wonders. In places as diverse as rural India and suburban Rhode Island, I have witnessed teachers leading inclusive classrooms, coaching unified sports teams, facilitating student leadership programs, organizing pep rallies, leading school-wide campaigns for inclusion and dignity, and doing everything imaginable to care for every child entrusted to their care. The challenges of teaching, especially inclusive teaching, remain enormous. The good news is that teachers are stepping up in ways that we may have once thought were beyond the realm of possibility.
The bad news is that teachers still receive little support, and the lack of support is taking its toll, leading to a worldwide shortage of qualified, trained and well-equipped teachers. We should all be alarmed and awake to the crisis unfolding before our eyes: we face an urgent global teacher shortage, and the future of all our children is at stake.
