There are significant gains yet to be achieved for our students with disability. Progress toward equity is a must and is at the core of our values as public educators. We seek to leave no child behind, no child uncared for, no child ignored in their capacity to learn.
To honour and respond to diversity, however, is no mean feat. Too often the complexity of this work is exacerbated by a lack of resources to offer the most specialised and innovative education to those who need it most.
Federation shares responsibility for helping members carry this load and will continue to grow its support for members to professionally develop, strengthen in their advocacy and organise for intervention with the backing of their union.Following are some of our existing member resources:
- My Work — Students with Disability A new section of Federation’s website with resources to support your work in teaching students with disability.
- Programming for Students with Disability A new Federation Information Leaflet detailing the programming requirements for students with disability in regular classes in mainstream schools.
- Information Index A new Federation resource (in the Members’ area, requires login), this is an electronic index of policies, procedures, resources and information to support everything related to the enrolment of students with disability in your workplace. Resources are categorised under the following areas:
1. General
2. Legislation and government initiatives
3. Enrolment
4. Working with parents
5. Staffing
6. Professional learning
7. Curriculum and programming
8. Learning and support human resources (all NSW Department of Education)
9. Learning and support funding (all NSW Department of Education)
10. Learning and support programs and services (all NSW Department of Education)
11. Accessing learning and support programs, services and funding (all NSW Department of Education)
12. Managing health and safety (all NSW Department of Education)
13. Other Federation resources:
- Professional Support — 1300 654 369
- Organisers As well as your local Organiser, Federation has an Organiser and Presidential Officer with carriage of disability matters, as well as the Council-elected Special Education Committee.
- Centre for Professional Learning The CPL runs the introductory course “Teaching Students with Special Needs in Mainstream Classes” and is planning a mental-health focused conference in 2018.
- Journal for Professional Learning The JPL has an article and podcast titled Helping Teachers, Helping Students — some considerations for teaching students with disability.
- Trade Union Training Includes a new equity seminar “Organising for intervention — accessing teaching supports for students with disability”, which can be requested and run by your local Association.
- Federation Library The library has hot topic guides on special education and differentiated instruction amongst a broad array of resources to support your teaching
More resources:
- NSW Department of Education: Disability, learning and support
- NSW Department of Education: Wellbeing for schools
- NSW Education Standards Authority: Special Education
- Australian Curriculum: Students with Disability
- Australian Government – Department of Education and Training: Students with disability