leadership, policy & implementation
An Army of Squeaky Wheels “The squeakywheel gets the oil.” Summary: We all know the old adage,“the squeaky wheel gets the oil.”This common phrase, generally used as an unfavorable charac- terization, has been used to describe parents of students with disabilities. The Center on Inclusive Technology and Education Systems (CITES) at CAST is looking to turn this phrase on its head and shift the narrative around squeaky wheels. Join the conversation at cites.cast.org.
We all know the old adage “the squeaky wheel gets the oil.” The metaphor of a squeaky wheel essentially means that the loudest person or the most difficult person in the room gets the attention. This phrase is often used as an unfavorable characterization for people that are willing to ask questions, advocate, and explore opportunities beyond the established norm. How might the field flip this adage on its head? Let’s start by investigating the term “squeaky wheel” in the context of providing assistive technology (AT) supports and services. Often, students have an informed parent, teacher, para-professional, or even principal in their corner, who secures the accommodations and AT that the particular learner needs to be successful in the classroom. In such cases, these particular students “get the oil” because someone in their corner knew the right questions to ask and the appropriate levers to pull. Being a squeaky wheel means being a knowledgeable other
who advocates for a students’ needs. Acting as the protagonist in this educational storyline, this knowledgeable other might be a paraprofessional, a direct service provider like an OT or SLP, or perhaps even a classroom teacher. Most often, however, the squeaky wheel is the parent of a student with a disability, who is working to advocate for the best outcomes for their child. ENGAGING FAMILIES The research is clear. Implementing strong, authentic family engagement practices has a positive impact on educators, families, and learners themselves. These demonstrated impacts and benefits of implementing family engagement practices inspired the U.S. Department of Education to make family engagement a requirement. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that families are given input and influence in decision-making. And for more than two decades, the
MAGGIE PICKETT As a Senior Technical Assistance Specialist for the Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES), Maggie explores systemic integration of Assistive Technology, Information Technology, and Educational Technology systems, in partnership with districts. Maggie is a certified speech-language pathologist. Her passion in education resides in creating engaging and accessible learning opportunities for all learners. For over a decade, Maggie has worked with teachers, students, administrators, para-professionals, families, and community partners to build a common under- standing of how creating engaging and accessible learning for ALL is possible. Maggie previously served as Program Consultant for the Iowa Department of Education as the AIM/AEM Coordinator for the state of Iowa. As a district AEM Coordinator she collaborated across district initiatives to support inclusive teaching and learning structures. Most recently, Maggie served as a digital learning consultant helping districts bridge the gap between instructional and assistive technologies in their teaching and learning practices.
14 https://www.closingthegap.com/benefits-of-membership/ | February / March, 2024 Closing The Gap © 2024 Closing The Gap, Inc. All rights reserved.
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