Inclusive and Equitable Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs: Recruiting and Retaining Teacher Candidates with Disabilities

Abstract

Inclusive early childhood education teacher preparation programs are tasked with preparing teacher candidates to work with young children with and without disabilities. Yet, many teacher preparation programs continue to function in a medical model of disability, where teacher educators teach candidates to “fix” or “cure” young disabled children. Working from a medical model of disability positions young disabled children as problematic and ostracizes disabled teacher candidates as they see themselves in the very children spoken of by their teacher educators. Instead, practices can be implemented to build on the unique strengths and assets disabled teacher candidates bring to the early childhood field. This call to action has been co-authored by disabled teachers and candidates to highlight the practices teacher educators can instill in their programs with the goal of recruiting and retaining disabled teacher candidates.