This morning, I was just casually scrolling through Facebook on my phone when I decided to switch over to my The Art of Advocacy Facebook page.
 

That’s when things got weird.

Suddenly, posts from six years ago (and even further back) started popping up on my phone.
 

I thought, What is happening?!

So, I opened up my laptop and went directly to my The Art of Advocacy page. 

But here’s where it gets even stranger. Those posts? 

The ones Facebook was suddenly pushing in front of me on my phone, they weren’t there. 

Not anywhere.
 

But guess what? People were liking them. Commenting on them. Engaging with them as if I had just posted them today.
 

And then while scrolling through all these “ghost posts” on my phone from years ago—I saw this one. One of my favorites.

Let me type out the text from the post so you don’t have to squint to read it:
September 8, 2018
"The gap is getting wider" is often said right before you hear, "Your child will do so much better in a small group, with instruction at his level." 

No More Education Gatekeepers!
What do you say? 

Examples of responses I've given when I heard this at some of our son, Dylan's IEP meetings:
1. When my son goes in the grocery store to buy something there is no Store Gatekeeper that says, "Dylan you can't come in because you can't read the names of the products we sell and you don't know how much change you should get back." 

2. When Dylan goes to the movies there is no Theater Gatekeeper that says, "Only people who can read the movie titles and buy refreshments with cash can come to this theater." 

3. When Dylan goes to church there is not a Spiritual Gatekeeper that says, "Sorry Dylan unless you can prove that you can read the scriptures and can summarize the sermon you will have to go to a separate church service." 

So, why do teachers feel they are doing our kids a favor by excluding them when the gap gets wider?

Belonging isn't conditional. 

Let's you and I get rid of the Education Gatekeepers!
I'd love you to be a part of my Facebook page. Go ahead and Like/Follow our page.

That post wasn’t just a favorite. It’s a reminder.

A reminder that we’re not waiting around for someone else to decide when our kids get to belong.

A reminder that when someone says, “The gap is getting wider,” what they really mean is, “Your child doesn’t belong here.” 

We know that’s not true.

AND if you want to dive even deeper into shutting down these exclusion excuses, join us for the next episode of The Art of Advocacy.
 

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 30th
NEW TIME: 10 am Mtn. Time, 12 pm ET, 11 am CT, 9 am PT
WHERE: The Art of Advocacy Facebook page
 

See you there. 

Let’s open some gates!

P.S.  This was the first old post that popped up for me this morning—go check it out and give it some fresh love! Click here.