Nebraska Writing Project Position Statement
Inclusive and Socially Just Education
The Nebraska Writing Project Advisory Board is committed to the idea that all students should have access to an inclusive and socially just education, which enhances the educational experience of all students regardless of ethnic background, sexual preference, economic status, or ability level. We believe that all students who enter America’s schools deserve an educational experience that prepares them for their future in a way that supports all aspects of their intellectual, emotional, and creative development. We believe that teachers of writing are uniquely positioned to lead efforts at their schools to create more inclusive and socially just schools because writing instruction creates multiple opportunities for students to express their own ideas, engage with the ideas of others, and see how their words can lead to societal change.
The Nebraska Writing Project Advisory Board believes the purposes of inclusive and socially just education are to:
- Embrace the work of examining and challenging social injustice.
- Implement programs to understand and value diversity.
- Encourage shared participation in the creation of supportive and respectful schools and communities.
- Avoid marginalization
The Nebraska Writing Project Advisory Board believes the components of inclusive and socially just education are:
- Communities acknowledging the necessity of teaching and modeling civic and social responsibilities.
- Schools adopting curricula reflective of the needs of particular students and communities that allow for a greater sense of student engagement.
- Students reading, discussing, and writing as methods of critically exploring, reflecting, and representing their learning and encouraging social change.
- Teachers, students, and community members working side by side as they contribute to making their world a better place.
The Nebraska Writing Project Advisory Board believes the benefits of inclusive and socially just education are the development of:
- Critical thinking skills through reading, writing and expression of opinions about social issues.
- Empathy based on pride in personal feelings and experiences and respect for the feelings and experiences of others.
- “Real world” learning experiences that allow growth beyond the walls of schools to improve and sustain communities.
- Lifelong habits of knowledgeable and responsible citizenship.
The Nebraska Writing Project Advisory Board supports the following policies and statements related to inclusive and socially justice education.
National Council of Teachers of English Position Statements on Diversity:
Conference on English Education Beliefs about Social Justice in English Education: http://www.ncte.org/cee/positions/socialjustice
Adopted Summer 2012