Dive Brief:

• Inclusive Schools Week, the first week of December, was originally supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education, but its inclusivity message stretches beyond ability to race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, and more.
• EdSource reports districts in Los Angeles and San Francisco are among California’s more active participants, and in San Francisco Unified, resources have responded to post-election anxieties and urged self-reflection at each school about whether inclusive practices exist to welcome every learner.
• At Mission High School in San Francisco, inclusivity efforts have been expanded to an entire month called Abilities Awareness, where presentations help all students develop understanding and empathy for their peers of varying abilities, reducing isolation among students.

Dive Insight:

Computer Science Education Week may have captured more schools’ attention this year with Hour of Code events expected to reach 100 million students around the globe during the first week of December, but this is a particularly important time to emphasize inclusion.  

The presidential campaign season was a particularly divisive one, not just along party lines, but around identity. Women, immigrants, Latinos, blacks, Muslims and people with disabilities were all discussed disparagingly by President-elect Donald Trump, creating a level of fear among these communities about what his presidency will bring. Even schools with overwhelming support for Trump can draw clear lines about which of his actions cannot be replicated within school walls. Respect and kindness must be prioritized.