Don T. Gala, Ph.D.

This book is written to address the state of affairs in the education of our children and youth in today’s public schools. It will provide a comprehensive support model that is geared towards providing a detailed picture of the support systems that are involved and should be involved in providing quality education for all children regardless of race, color, creed, language, national origin and/or disabling conditions. Additionally, this book will provide guidelines for the inclusion of all children in the educational arena. The area of conceptualization, the understanding of self as an educator and a learner, and the role of inter-agency collaboration in planning an educational foundation for all learners will be identified in the support model of this book. The book’s premise is that if we want to change the situation and/or the climate that facilitates education, it means changing the curriculum and pedagogy in individual classrooms, as well as the school practices and the ideologies encircling them. The book will be a very valuable contribution towards this effort since it will focus on all components of education (i.e., the "self," family, schools, community, and government). Based on current research and pedagogical efforts to make quality education for all children a systemic affair, this book will serve as a stimulating text for early childhood providers, counselors, general and special educators, and service agencies.