edWeb.net and Brookes Publishing announce the launch of a free professional learning community (PLC) to support school professionals in discovering and sharing practical strategies for inclusive classrooms.

Today’s schools are becoming more and more inclusive, welcoming students with a wide variety of backgrounds and ability levels. As we build classroom communities where every child learns and belongs, teachers must be prepared to meet the diverse learning needs of all their students, with and without disabilities. Through free webinars with top experts and an interactive forum, this community will help teachers address the academic and social-emotional development of all students in their inclusive classrooms.

Teaching All Students: Practical Strategies for Inclusive Classrooms provides a forum where educators can learn about the latest tools and resources for helping all students reach their full potential. The PLC hosts free webinars presented by leading researchers in the field of inclusive education. edWeb.net provides CE certificates to educators who attend these live events or watch the archives. This certification of participation helps educators get credit for engaging in personalized professional learning.

Over 350 educators attended the community’s first free, live webinar on February 23. “How to Build and Lead a High Quality Preschool Inclusion Program” was presented by Dr. Erin Barton, Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and Dr. Barbara J. Smith, Research Professor, Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Early Learning School of Education and Human Development at University of Colorado Denver. The presentation provided strategies for overcoming challenges and advancing high-quality preschool inclusion. The recording of the webinar is available for on-demand viewing.

The next free webinar, “Recognize, Respond, Report: Preventing and Addressing Bullying of Students with Special Needs,” will be presented by Dr. Lori Ernsperger, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Executive Director of Behavioral Training Resource Center, on Thursday, Mar. 31 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Ernsperger will share strategies for empowering school personnel to prevent bullying of students with disabilities with up-to-date research and specific evidence-based interventions to create a safe educational environment.

“It’s core to Brookes’ mission to presume competence and really start with what children can do,” said Jessica Reighard, Marketing Director at Brookes Publishing. “With our edWeb.net program, we can prepare educators to teach all children through interactive professional development sessions and then keep the conversation going 24/7 in our teacher community.”

Lisa Schmucki, founder and CEO of edWeb, added, “A large percentage of our membership is involved in special education. We are pleased to be working with Brookes Publishing to help teachers with strategies and tools to help all students reach their full potential.”

In a February 26 Education Talk Radio interview, Schmucki and Reighard discussed this new professional development hub on inclusive classrooms for teachers.

All educators are invited to join the Teaching All Students: Practical Strategies for Inclusive Classrooms PLC on edWeb.net for invitations to upcoming webinars, online discussions, and access to resources. Join the community at www.edweb.net/inclusiveeducation.