
Is Inclusion Just Better Exclusion? (What Most Schools Get Wrong) | Dr. Shelley Moore
From The Elemental Educator Podcast by elementaleducator
March 30, 2026 · 1h 1m · Episode 92
About this episode
Dr. Shelley Moore discusses the misconceptions surrounding inclusion in education and how changing conditions can lead to student success.
In this episode of The Elemental Educator , Dr. Shelley Moore dismantles one of the most dangerous assumptions in education: If a student is struggling, something must be wrong with the student. What if that assumption is the problem? Shelley is an inclusive education researcher, consultant, and global speaker who has spent her career helping schools rethink how learning actually works. This conversation will challenge how you think about inclusion, special education, and what it really means for students to succeed. The shift is simple, but powerful: You can’t change students. But you can absolutely change conditions. What You’ll Learn In This Episode • Why most “inclusive” classrooms are still excluding students• The difference between access, placement, and true belonging• Why education systems default to blaming students• How changing conditions unlocks student success• What teachers were never trained to do in diverse classrooms• Why IEPs should function like “seed packets” instead of deficit reports• How to design lessons that include all learners without adding workload• Why inclusion benefits every student, not just those with identified needs If you lead, teach, or…
People in this episode
Host: elementaleducator
Guest: Dr. Shelley Moore
Topics covered
- inclusion
- special education
- student success
- diverse classrooms
- educational systems
Keywords
- inclusion
- education
- student success
- IEPs
- diversity
- classroom strategies
- learning environments
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Elemental Educator, elementaleducator
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