The Statewide Conference that Builds a Bridge Between General and Special Education Going All In All Over

By Emma O’Bryant

Across Mississippi, educators work hard in every public school to ensure special education students receive general education classroom experience and social-emotional learning opportunities alongside their peers It’s only natural that some schools find it difficult to bridge the gap between the general and special education programs at times

The biggest difficulty schools have in these programs is getting general education and special education teachers to “Have a shared understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each when working with students with disabilities,” said Amy Pinkerton, lead professional development coordinator at Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and an integral leader in the state’s special education programs

How then can these schools build a bridge between general and special education in a way that benefits all students? The “All Teachers, All In,” conference is one step the MDE is taking toward accomplishing this goal

According to Pinkerton, last year’s conference hosted 750+ general and special education teachers The 2023 conference was the second year the event took place, and the number of attendees grew substantially from the previous year As the conference continues to grow, the impact on special education programs in the state is expected to further thrive

The conference was held in multiple cities across Mississippi, making certain that no communities would be untouched by their initiative Some of these cities included Cleveland, Tupelo, Meridian and Biloxi The events were held in October and spanned over the course of a single day, packing in vast amounts of information and instructions for teachers to utilize

Megan Hodge, MDE’s science professional development coordinator who also played a substantial role in the conference, said, “The teachers that attended enjoyed their sessions and were able to take back a few things to their classrooms ”

The conference sessions offer many options that cover a wide range of information Some of these include co-planning, co-teaching, problem-solving and science of reading, among others

One of the most innovative, yet simple parts of these sessions is access to learning from other instructors attending or presenting at the conference� “We spent hours collaborating as pairs on each session and met with the whole group to provide feedback,” Hodge said�

This format allows teachers to express their needs or misunder- standings to other attendees, which opens conversations about the areas where school districts can improve

Of course, the main topic of conversation is how general and special education teachers can work together to become better equipped to teach special education students

As instructor of multiple sessions, Pinkerton believes “Bringing everyone to the table to have these pointed conversations about the roles and responsibilities of both special and general education teachers is the starting point for improving instructional practices for all students�”

The breakout sessions were designed to highlight “Special and gen- eral education high-leverage practices that each teacher can use in his or her role to provide equitable education for all students,” said Pinkerton

A group of educators stop for a photo at the All Teachers, All In Conference.

This is ultimately the goal of the conference, and it appears readily attainable Teachers and schools across the state have been positively affected by the conference and its purpose, and students, both special and general, are reaping the benefits

Laquita Moore, lead implementation specialist for special education who also helped to organize the conference said, “The conference was a hit� We have gotten positive feedback from all across the state, so much so that we have been asked to present a mini version of the conference this spring ”

Teachers and schools across the state have been positively affected by the purpose of the conference, and the students, both Special and General, are reaping the benefits

In order to achieve improved environments for students, the conference prioritizes creating a harmonious relationship between the general and special education instructors This is a vital part of the success of the event

Pinkerton said, “At the All Teachers, All In conference, we wanted to help participants see what each professional brings to the table and that if they work together with that shared understanding, many more students will thrive in the classroom ”

What the All Teachers, All In conference certainly gets right is appealing to teachers’ joint passion for helping students and creating the best environment for them This desired environment allows special education students to obtain a more well-rounded academic experience

The passionate team at MDE dedicate months of hard work to making sure their goals are met through the conference Mississippi teachers have dedicated their careers to education and their students, and this is evident in the atmosphere of the conference “The atmosphere was electric

The team was excited to present to a group of general and special education teachers to share their knowledge of high-leverage practices and strategies for meeting the needs of diverse learners,” said Moore�

The All Teachers, All In conference is free, making the event’s learning opportunities highly accessible by all teachers