Why I Call Myself An Inclusionist

Solo episode featuring Tim Villegas — host of Think Inclusive and Director of Communications at MCIE. In this episode, Tim shares his journey from teaching in self-contained (“segregated”) classrooms to advocating for inclusive education system-wide, including a later district-level role and his current work helping schools move toward inclusion.

In “Why I Call Myself an Inclusionist,” Tim Villegas reframes the term inclusionist—not as “get rid of special education,” but as a commitment to the careful planning, collaboration, and systems change required to make inclusive education work. He traces his path from skepticism to advocacy through student-centered successes (like Nathan and Damien), argues that IDEA’s Least Restrictive Environment is the legal starting point, and contends the biggest barrier isn’t teachers or funding but administrator belief and leadership. He closes with a concrete litmus test for placement decisions: What about these supports can’t be provided in a general education classroom?

Complete show notes and transcript: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/why-i-call-myself-an-inclusionist/