Neighbor: Top BUSD teacher believes in all-inclusive approach

By Roni Gehlke
For the Contra Costa Times

Brentwood teacher Lori Leach believes that teaching well-rounded students is a team effort. As a special education teacher at R. Paul Krey Elementary School and Brentwood Elementary School District's Teacher of the Year, she knows that all stages of education are important and that using as team approach and working diligently is the only way to prepare students for middle school.

"One of the best parts about teaching at Krey is that we work in a collaborative environment," Leach said.
As part of the special education department at Krey, Leach works with fourth- and fifth-grade students. The special education program at Krey works with an all-inclusive approach. Instead of having special education students leave the classroom to get special instruction, the students are kept in the regular classrooms and the special education teachers go to them.
Leach likes this approach much better than having the children taken out of the classroom.
"When singled out and having them leave the classroom the message can say 'I'm not held accountable, and then as an adult they aren't ready to be accountable. Our way shows children they are accountable," Leach said.
Leach said the team at Krey really believes in this approach to learning. "The students are very successful here," she said. "We are very blessed at this school. The students are amazing and work hard."
Leach has been working at Krey since it opened in 2001. Before that she worked in the special education department for the Byron Union School District.
When she first moved to Krey she was asked to start up the inclusive program for the school. She developed the model for the program and trained the instructional advisers. She spent time investigating components from several other successful programs.
Over the years she has also worked on several other programs