Mine and Yours
Feeling Isolated
Mine and Yours
Busy schedules and limited time often hinder effective collaboration between general and special educators. This lack of collaboration can restrict students with disabilities from accessing the general education curriculum and disrupts their learning. Special educators frequently feel solely responsible for the success of students with disabilities and worry that, without dedicated collaboration and planning time with general educators, there will be gaps in the services outlined in students’ individualized education programs (IEPs). This concern, coupled with the lack of shared responsibility for the success of students with disabilities, can contribute to teacher attrition.
Principals play a crucial role in promoting mutual accountability for every student, including students with disabilities. To assist, principals create schedules that facilitate regular and consistent collaboration opportunities between general and special educators. They understand that all teachers bring specific knowledge and skills to the table and set expectations for joint planning and the coordination of services.
“[Special Education Teachers] were relatively isolated from colleagues . . ., experiencing limited collaboration around academic instruction and student behavior with any colleagues, except for paraprofessionals.”
- O'Brien et al., 2019 Source
Principal Martinez: Separation and Mistrust
Learn from Principal Martinez as she bridges gaps between general education teachers and special educators promoting shared ownership and collaboration to ensure that students with disabilities learn and thrive.
Toolkit 2: Promoting Shared Ownership and Collaboration
Explore strategies that research and best practices highlight along with short, medium, and long-term solutions, as essential for enhancing shared ownership and accountability for the progress of students with disabilities.
This tool was developed in partnership with the Collaborative for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR Center), a federally funded technical assistance center working to build the capacity of state personnel preparation systems to prepare teachers and leaders to implement evidence-based practices within multi-tiered systems of support.