Personal Philosophy of Education and Inclusive Mission Statement

Introduction: The Changing Purpose of Education

Although the settings used to deliver educational services today differ markedly from those used a century ago, the fundamental purpose of education has remained essentially the same: to provide young learners with the academic background and experiences they need to become contributing citizens in American society (Stone, 2014). The introduction of numerous technological innovations in recent years, however, has resulted in growing numbers of educators questioning the efficacy of conventional pedagogy — pedagogy that ignores students' ability to locate information instantaneously online about the fifty state capitals, the names of all the presidents, the distance to Jupiter, or any of the countless other facts once widely regarded as indicators of learning. As Trybus (2013) emphasizes, "The future of education may seem daunting and challenging if educators lack a vision of what matters most for students to be prepared for the 21st century" (p. 11). It is becoming increasingly apparent that even the notion of what constitutes an education has changed in the minds of the general public, yet far too many educators have ignored these trends and remained mired in teaching practices that are no longer effective simply because those practices are familiar and comfortable.

These significant trends have created a need for educators to reassess how best to provide students with what matters most, and there is a growing consensus that traditional educational approaches will no longer suffice. In this regard, Trybus concludes that "What educators know and practice in teaching now will not be adequate for the future with the changing roles of curriculum, instruction, and assessment" (2013, p. 11). Consequently, although the basic purpose of education has remained essentially the same over the years, the nature of the educational process itself has changed in substantive ways. The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act made it clear that a high-quality education must be provided to all young learners irrespective of their unique learning needs, and that teachers can play an important role as advocates for students and as civic leaders in their communities — a role facilitated by a clearly articulated personal philosophy of education (Rodd, 2006).

Dewey's Democratic Education and Personal Philosophy

Notwithstanding these trends, and given the dramatic changes in American demographics in recent years, the theoretical educational perspectives of John Dewey remain salient today with respect to creating and promoting inclusive public schools in the United States (Benson & Harkavy, 2009). As early as 1916, Dewey's text Democracy and Education highlighted the importance of education in democratic societies and the value of inclusive schools for inculcating American citizenship values, while providing all students with the academic background and critical thinking experiences they need to succeed in a democratic society (Benson & Harkavy, 2009). According to Sherman and Webb (2001), "Dewey says his endeavor is to detect and state the ideas implied in a democratic society and to apply these ideas to the problems of the enterprise of education" (p. 37).

From Dewey's perspective, formalizing a personal philosophy of education is also an essential step for teachers because it codifies and articulates how that philosophy is transformed into classroom practice (Dickey, 2009). According to Dewey, "Philosophy is a civic enterprise whose aim is to clarify men's ideas as to the social and moral strifes of their own day. Its aim is to become so far as is humanly possible an organ for dealing with these conflicts" (cited in Sherman & Webb, 2001, p. 36). Likewise, Soltis (1983) suggests that "a personal philosophy of education refers to a set of personal beliefs or a personal philosophy of life" (cited in Sherman & Webb, 2001, p. 36).

This type of personal philosophy is highly consistent with the common school approach to providing high-quality education, a concept that has become ingrained as a fundamental American value. Aske and Connally (2013) point out that "The idea that all children in the United States have the right to a publicly supported education regardless of race, social class or religious beliefs is an American value. Access to a public education and the expectations of a common educational experience are part of the American culture" (p. 107). This conceptualization of the purpose of education in the United States also includes the objective of preparing students for their role as meaningfully employed citizens in a free society. Aske and Connally add that "This common school idea is based on the view that education should be an equitable, assimilative, and inclusive institution designed to prepare students to be future productive citizens" (2013, p. 107).

Inclusive Schools, Advocacy, and Parental Involvement

One of the more important aspects of developing and maintaining inclusive schools — and a cornerstone of my personal philosophy of education — is the need for educators to assume a personal advocacy role within their professional communities of interest as well as the communities in which they work. This objective is congruent with the importance of developing and sustaining diverse, equitable, and democratic learning communities. It is a critically important role because far too many parents assume that "the schools" will take care of everything, leaving themselves no substantive role in shaping their children's educational future. Research has shown time and again that the more active parents are in their children's education, the better the academic outcomes achieved — yet involvement rates remain dismally low, especially among low-income and minority families in the United States today (Smith, 2009). Creating more inclusive schools and improving academic outcomes therefore also requires more active involvement on the part of parents, and teachers can help recruit their efforts by reaching out to them.

In some cases, parents may not know how to help their children with schoolwork; in others, there may be misperceptions about how central their involvement actually is to their children's academic careers. Teachers must help dispel these longstanding misperceptions and create a learning environment that encourages parental involvement and an inclusive classroom setting conducive to learning. This philosophical perspective is firmly grounded in values of compassion, respect, integrity, service to others, and justice for all, regardless of socioeconomic status, religious views, or racial identity (Lafevere, 2013).