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Shared Ownership

How does the principal forge a united faculty that envisions itself as a team of educators working on behalf of all students? Begin by reminding every faculty member of these three points:

  • Every student is a general education student and a full member of the school community.
  • Some students just need additional supports!
  • Having a united faculty is EVERY educator’s responsibility!

Provide visible and verbal support for shared ownership. Proactively establish a sense of shared ownership through the following actions.

  1. Allocate time during back-to-school staff development sessions or faculty meetings to clearly express your expectations for embracing all students.
  2. Devote a single purpose faculty meeting to discuss ways in which the school can demonstrate shared responsibility to the students and to the community. Require purposeful actions and evaluate results.
  3. Conduct a related book study for the entire faculty or small groups.
  4. Place special populations teachers on grade level or department teams.
  5. Arrange opportunities for a Teacher Exchange Day in which teachers switch teaching roles for a day on a voluntary basis. Conduct a debriefing session at the end of the day.
  6. Meet with teachers on an individual basis to question practices or comments that are not compatible with the philosophy of shared ownership.
  7. Provide opportunities for teachers to examine their own “cultural competence” with individuals of a different race or culture.

Self-assess your commitment to promoting shared ownership for all students:
http://fs19.formsite.com/TriciaWillms/form310/index.html