About the Guest(s): Dr. Erin Studer is the principal of Chime Charter School, an inclusive education TK-8 institution in Woodland Hills, California, known for its innovative approaches in integrating students of all abilities. With an extensive background in educational leadership, Dr. Studer has been instrumental in advancing inclusion practices in schools since the 1990s. He plays an active role in the special education community, contributing to the Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPA) in California.

Amy Hanreddy is a professor at California State University Northridge, specializing in inclusive education and special needs pedagogy. Her academic and professional efforts focus on implementing inclusive practices to support diverse learners.

Episode Summary: Join Tim Villegas as he takes you on an immersive tour of Chime Charter School in Woodland Hills, California, where inclusive education isn’t just a goal—it's a reality. With insightful commentary from Dr. Erin Studer, the principal of Chime, and Amy Hanreddy, a seasoned professor at California State University Northridge, this episode dives deep into the mechanisms that make inclusive education work.

Dr. Studer highlights Chime's commitment to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), flexible grouping, and differentiation, which ensure that all students, regardless of their abilities, can participate and learn effectively. Tim explores how co-teaching and co-planning are vital to the school's inclusive model, driving home the idea that true inclusion cannot be achieved without these collaborative practices.

Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/7v4bt6YByDq

Key Takeaways:

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Essential for designing inclusive lessons that engage all learners through multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression.
• Co-Teaching and Co-Planning: Dr. Studer emphasizes that effective co-teaching requires detailed co-planning and co-assessment, ensuring that both teachers are actively contributing and not merely teaching side-by-side.
• Inclusion as a School-Wide Mission: Inclusion should be a unified vision for the entire school, benefiting all students, not just those with special needs.
• Special Education as a Service, Not a Place: Reinforces the idea that special education should support students within general education settings rather than segregating them.
• Social Justice and Special Education: Addresses how current special education practices can reinforce social injustices and segregation, advocating for systemic change to provide equal opportunities for all students.

Resources:

CHIME Institute: https://www.chimeinstitute.org/

MCIE: https://www.mcie.org/

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