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Parent urges district to prioritize inclusion, says special education is 'a service, not a place'
Summary
Jen Chong Jewell told the board she supports the district’s Learn, Grow, Thrive plan but urged a stronger focus on inclusive practices for multilingual learners and students with disabilities and cautioned against 'inspiration' framing for disabled students.
Jen Chong Jewell addressed the Mukilteo School Board on Sept. 24 to press for stronger inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms and to urge the board to keep equity central to the district strategic plan.
“This is an ongoing commitment to working for the valued membership, active participation, and general education — increasing the number of students included in grade‑level general education classrooms the majority of the day,” Jewell said. She added, “Special education is a service. It's not a place.”
Jewell asked the board to use the strategic plan’s “balcony view” to look for common themes and systemic barriers that keep multilingual learners and students with disabilities segregated from general education. She described cohorts of students — students of color, families where English is not the primary language at home and students with developmental disabilities — who, she said, continue to experience “the most segregation.”
She also raised concerns about the use of terminology that can infantilize students with disabilities, referring to an example at Gabriel’s school where the term “lighthouse” was used; she urged awareness that “disability inspiration” framing can be harmful. Jewell asked the board to consider Disability History and Awareness Month as an opportunity to reflect on language and practice.
The board acknowledged the comment and said it would respond in writing as appropriate; no formal policy action was recorded at the meeting.
