This content is sponsored by Harvard Education Press.
A Book Every Special Educator Needs on Their Shelf
For decades, children of color with disabilities have been placed into systems that don’t fully see them.
Reimagining Inclusion asks the questions that others avoid — and offers solutions educators can act on today.
About the Book
A transformative vision to shift educator practice and make systemic changes that can advance educational inclusion of students of color with disabilities
In (Re)Imagining Inclusion for Children of Color with Disabilities, Soyoung Park argues that the disproportionate segregation and isolation of children of color with disabilities from their nondisabled peers is the product of an educational system which upholds a racist, ableist agenda. Park puts forth a visionary call to end these exclusionary practices through shifting educators’ mindsets to view children of color with disabilities not as problems to be fixed but as individuals who are capable and worthy of learning in the least restrictive environment—the inclusion classroom.
The book gives an incisive historical and sociopolitical overview of special education practices in US schools. Park shows how the process of referral, identification, and placement of students with individualized education plans is based on culturally biased assessment tools and rooted in racism and ableism. Enacting long-lasting, sustainable reform, she argues, requires systemic change.
Informed by DisCrit theory, this book draws from a decade of research in inclusion classrooms in California, Texas, and New York. Park eschews the medical model of disability, instead offering pedagogical and solidarity practices that view students through an asset-based lens. She showcases these practices at work in real-life classrooms, where teachers respond with respect not restriction, make room for the unexpected, center inquiry, recognize the gifts of resistance, and center relationships. The book concludes with practical recommendations for teachers, and proposes changes to teacher education and disciplinary procedures for policymakers and school administrators who seek to aid transformation.
About the Author
Soyoung Park is director of online programs in Early Childhood and Childhood Special Education at the Bank Street College Graduate School of Education. She has worked in the field of special education in a variety of roles, including teacher, interventionist, coach, researcher, and teacher educator. Her work specifically aims to advance justice for children of color with disabilities, their families, and their teachers.
Praise
“In this heartbreaking and hopeful work, Park masterfully critiques the inequities in special education for children of color and envisions a path toward liberatory inclusion. Beautifully grounded in theory, deeply humanizing, and eminently practical, the book serves as an essential and timely resource for educators, administrators, and policymakers.” ~Judy Paulick, associate professor of education, University of Virginia
“With a palpable sense of urgency, Soyoung Park offers an expertly researched account of pedagogical practices in inclusive classrooms. Through a blend of brilliance and critical care, Park grows readers’ understanding of why inclusion must be (re)imagined to achieve true educational justice for our students of color with disabilities.”~Pamela M. Jones, graduate teacher educator, Bank Street College of Education
“Soyoung Park meticulously explains why current school practices and ideologies often fail students of color with disabilities. What elevates her book to assigned reading for educators and policymakers are the rich examples of liberatory pedagogies needed to address this longstanding inequity.”~North Cooc, associate professor of special education, The University of Texas at Austin
