Creating an Inclusive School District: My Responses to Inclusion BC
In local elections, the school trustees we elect make critical frontline decisions that dictate the trajectory of our community's children. In their latest campaign, Inclusion BC highlights that school boards now carry a vital mandate to build inclusive child care systems from the ground up. It is time to champion a district standard where children with disabilities are seamlessly welcomed into neighbourhood classrooms alongside their peers. By securing the proper funding, staffing, and inclusive frameworks, we can build an education system that empowers every single student to learn, build friendships, and prepare for life after school.
Inclusion BC has asked #TrusteeCandidates five key questions regarding the future of inclusive education. Below are my responses outlining a proactive approach to creating a genuinely inclusive school district—one that firmly addresses infrastructure, systemic support, open communication, and classroom culture.
1. How will you make child care more inclusive in our school district?
To make before- and after-school child care inclusive across Langley, we must seamlessly bridge the gap between the school day and extended care. I will advocate for expanding the reach of our District Teachers – Inclusion Support framework to collaborate directly with child care providers operating within our facilities. This ensures that the specialized strategies, sensory tools, and behaviour plans a student uses during the school day carry over directly into their child care environment. Furthermore, we must actively audit child care spaces to ensure they align with the physical and social accessibility standards championed by the SD35 Accessibility Committee.
2. How will you make education more inclusive?
True educational inclusion in SD35 means honouring the district’s core belief that all students benefit from universally designed curriculum, instruction, and environments. I will fully champion the continued implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) across all Langley classrooms, providing educators with the training and resources to teach to the edges of the room. We will deepen our integration of the provincial curriculum by building classrooms that inherently value diversity. By grounding our classrooms in the philosophies of 'Ensouling our Schools'—which blends inclusive practices with Indigenous Worldviews and Perspectives—we ensure inclusion is woven into the very fabric of our daily lessons, rather than treated as a separate initiative.
3. How will you make sure students with disabilities get the support they need?
We will ensure robust support by protecting and fully resourcing our Learning Support Services (LSS)teams. To meet the goals laid out in our Framework for Enhancing Student Learning (FESL), I will prioritize:
Targeted Staffing: Ensuring our schools are fully staffed with specialized professionals, including School Psychologists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Occupational/Physiotherapists.
Early Identification & Intervention: Using a proactive approach to identify student stretches early, establishing clear, measurable goals in their Individual Education Plans (IEPs), and delivering supports directly within their home schools.
Trauma-Integrated Care: Expanding the use of district-vetted tools, like the HEART Tool and Ukeru systems, to safely support students experiencing sensory or emotional crises without exclusion.
4. How will you listen to students with disabilities and their families?
We cannot design an equitable system for students with disabilities without actively elevating their voices. In alignment with SD35's Administrative Procedure 213, I will ensure that collaborative parent partnership is the absolute cornerstone of every Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting. Beyond individual planning, we must elevate systemic voices by expanding initiatives like the SD35 Accessibility Committee, ensuring that individuals with lived experience remain integral to our district's decision-making. I will also champion structured feedback loops—modeled after our successful Student Voice forums—specifically tailored for students with diverse abilities to share what is working and what barriers still need to be dismantled.
Most importantly, I firmly believe that Section 177 of the BC School Act must never be weaponized against parents who are simply advocating for the inclusion and safety of their children. Exclusionary policies should never be used as a shield against accountability; instead, radical transparency, open communication, and trauma-informed conflict resolution must always be the tools of choice in Langley.
5. How will you make sure every student feels welcome, valued, and included?
Creating an authentic culture of belonging in SD35 means actively defending every student's right to a safe, caring, and orderly learning environment. I will strictly uphold Board Policy No. 7200 to prevent bullying, harassment, and discrimination in our buildings. We will continue to build community pride through district-wide initiatives like Diversity and Respect Week, ensuring our schools reflect and celebrate the unique identities of all learners. Finally, by combining clear behavioural standards with Restorative Action protocols, we will focus on healing relationships, resolving conflicts peacefully, and ensuring that every student walks through our doors feeling safe, visible, and valued.
What are your thoughts? What ideas do you have to help make our school district a genuinely inclusive community where all students thrive? Let's keep this vital conversation going in the comments below!
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