Transforming Schools with Truly Inclusive Leadership and Practices

Tim Villegas: Hello friends, and welcome to Think Inclusive. I’m Tim Villegas. 

Today’s guest is a powerhouse in education innovation—Toni Barton. Toni is the founder of Spelligent and a nationally recognized leader in transforming schools through inclusive, equity-driven, and tech-enabled learning models. With experience as a teacher, principal, and district leader, she’s reshaped instructional systems across K–12 and higher education. 

Toni also launched the Inclusive Schools Leadership Institute at Relay Graduate School of Education, training hundreds of leaders to build anti-ableist, student-first environments. She’s a frequent speaker at major conferences like SXSW EDU and has been featured in Forbes and The Hechinger Report. 

Her book, Six Principles for Building a Truly Inclusive School, is a must-read for forward-thinking educators. Today, she shares how we can disrupt outdated systems and create schools that truly prepare every student for the future. 

Thank you for being here, Toni! 

Before we dive in, a quick reminder: if you’re enjoying Think Inclusive, make sure to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. This podcast is brought to you by MCIE, where we bring you real-world conversations about inclusion. 

Sponsored by IXL 

This season is sponsored by IXL, an all-in-one platform designed for K–12 education. IXL boosts student achievement, empowers teachers, and tracks progress seamlessly. It adapts to each student’s needs and provides personalized learning plans to close knowledge gaps. Learn more at ixl.com/inclusive. 

Interview with Toni Barton 

Tim Villegas: Toni Barton, welcome to the Think Inclusive Podcast. 

Toni Barton: Thank you for having me, Tim! I’ve listened to and watched many episodes, so I’m excited to be part of it now. 

Tim Villegas: That means a lot—thank you! We’ve even featured your podcast in our feed a while back. I’ve been looking forward to this conversation. 

One of the reasons I wanted to have you on—besides your incredible advocacy for inclusive education—is your new book, Six Principles for Building a Truly Inclusive School. It might be out by the time this airs. You mentioned it’s geared toward school leaders. Can you tell us more? 

Toni Barton: Absolutely. The full title includes the subtitle: A Call to Action for K–12 School Leaders. That was intentional. A lot of people say, “We know what inclusive education is,” but there’s a gap between knowing and doing. This book is meant to push leaders to think critically about what’s happening in their schools and commit to real change. 

Tim Villegas: I’ve had a chance to preview the book—it’s fantastic. What I love is how you weave in stories throughout. It’s not just academic; it’s personal and powerful. You start by sharing your journey into special education, inspired by your son. Would you mind telling that story? 

Toni Barton: Not at all. I’m a two-time career changer. I started in business, then went to law school. Shortly after graduating, my son started elementary school. One day, his first-grade teacher called and said, “I think your son needs to be referred to special education—he’s fidgety.” 

I was shocked. My son was reading chapter books, loved school, had friends—so what did “fidgety” mean? I went down a research rabbit hole about Black boys in special education. He was one of the few Black students in the school, and I wondered if that played a role. 

That research opened my eyes to the inequities in special education—identification, placement, programming, and outcomes, especially for Black and brown students. I didn’t want those statistics for my son. So, I moved to a more diverse district in Alexandria, Virginia. After that, no one ever mentioned special education again. 

That experience propelled me into education. I became a special education teacher in DC Public Schools and left my law degree behind—much to my mom’s dismay! But I’ve always been driven by justice and doing what’s right. I’ve never looked back. 

Tim Villegas: That’s powerful. And then, once you became a teacher, you saw the systemic inequities firsthand. 

Toni Barton: Exactly. I went from being a parent in one type of school system to a teacher in another. The challenges in special education cross boundaries—race, socioeconomic status, geography. It’s pervasive. That’s why we need to break down these barriers. And that was 20 years ago—we’re still facing the same issues. 

Tim Villegas: Yes. And I know you believe inclusive leadership is part of the solution. As a former special educator myself, I often felt like a leader, but I wasn’t in a formal leadership role. What advice do you have for teachers who want to lead but aren’t in those positions? 

Toni Barton: Great question. Teachers often feel limited to their classrooms. But my advice is: make your classroom the most exceptional environment possible. You have control over your students’ daily experience. You are a leader to them. 

Even if you’re not in a formal leadership role, your impact is real. And yes, advocate for your students—but also recognize that sometimes advocacy doesn’t work because of systemic barriers. In those cases, focus on what you can control: creating a space where your students feel they belong and can thrive. 

Tim Villegas: That’s such an important message. I used to feel like what I was doing wasn’t enough. But sometimes, changing your corner of the world is all you can do—and that matters. 

Toni Barton: Absolutely. And if you feel like it’s not enough, that might be a sign you’re meant to lead in a bigger way. I believe special education teachers and leaders need to be in positions of power—principals, district leaders, superintendents. 

Too often, special education leaders say, “I don’t have the power to change this.” My response is: then let’s get you into a seat where you do. We need a critical mass of people with our expertise in those roles to drive systemic change. 

Tim Villegas: That’s such a great point. We need to equip educators to move into leadership roles. 

Let’s talk more about your book. You outline six principles for building a truly inclusive school. Even the title—“truly inclusive”—is important. A lot of people think inclusion just means placing students with and without disabilities in the same room. But it’s so much more than that. 

What does a truly inclusive school look like to you? 

Toni Barton: Sure. First, I’m really glad you picked up on the word truly in the title. That was intentional. There are so many books out there about inclusion, but what are we actually talking about when we say “inclusive”? In the chapter on Anti-Exclusionary Program Design, I define what I mean by inclusive—and I emphasize the term belonging. 

I don’t want us to use that word loosely. I challenge every leader and teacher to find some of their most impacted students and ask them directly: “Do you feel like you belong at school?” And then really listen to their answers. 

To me, a truly inclusive school is one where students with disabilities not only feel like they belong—if they have the language to express that—but also where they are making academic and behavioral progress. It has to be both. I’ve been in schools where students feel like they’re part of the community, but they’re not learning or growing socially and emotionally. That’s not enough. 

We need systems in place to support both belonging and progress. And yes, that can look different for different students. There’s a whole debate around segregated versus inclusive programs, and maybe we’ll save that for another episode. But the core question is: Are your students with disabilities able to say they belong, and are they making meaningful academic and social-emotional progress? 

Tim Villegas: I love that you’re framing inclusion from the student’s perspective. Educators can debate models, staffing, curriculum, and services all day—but what really matters is how students feel and what they’re experiencing. Schools are for kids, not adults. 

Toni Barton: Exactly. That’s why the first principle in the book is called Anti-Exclusionary Program Design. It took me a long time to land on that title. I originally considered “Inclusive Program Design,” but I felt like we needed something different—something that would make people pause and think. 

“Anti-exclusionary” signals that we need to be intentionally designing systems that prevent exclusion. Every day in schools, we do things—often unintentionally—that exclude students. This principle is about proactively shifting that. 

I could’ve called it “anti-ableist,” but I chose “anti-exclusionary” because I wanted it to be accessible. Sometimes terms like ableism feel too academic or abstract. But exclusion? That’s something everyone can understand. Leaders need to ask: How am I intentionally creating systems that work for students who have historically been excluded? 

Tim Villegas: That makes a lot of sense. It’s not that you’re avoiding the concept of ableism—it’s that you’re broadening the lens to include all forms of exclusion. And I think that framing helps people engage with the work more deeply. 

Another term you use in the book that stood out to me is person-first culture. We’ve talked a lot on this podcast about person-first versus identity-first language, but I’d love to hear what you mean by person-first culture. 

Toni Barton: Great question. And yes, people often assume I’m talking about language when they see that term. But this chapter is really about behavior and social-emotional support systems. 

In my work with school leaders, we often talk about the “big three” systems: data, culture, and instruction. Culture includes everything that shapes how adults and students behave in a school—so behavior and discipline systems fall under that. 

When I coach leaders, I intentionally avoid using the terms “behavior” or “discipline systems.” Those words carry a negative connotation and frame the issue as a student problem. But when we’re talking about students with disabilities—especially those with diagnosed behavioral challenges—we’re really talking about social-emotional needs. 

So, a person-first culture means designing systems that support each student’s individual needs. It’s about seeing students as people first and building a culture that supports them holistically. 

At the top of each chapter, I include a specific call to action. For this one, it’s: Reframe discipline systems as social-emotional support systems. That shift in mindset changes everything—from how we design rules and procedures to how we respond to student behavior. 

Tim Villegas: Yes! And it’s about designing systems for the students you actually have—not just implementing a generic framework. That’s the essence of being culturally responsive: responding to the real needs and identities of your school community. 

Toni Barton: Exactly. And while the book is aimed at school leaders, it’s also for educators, parents, policymakers—anyone involved in the school system. Everyone has a role to play. 

Tim Villegas: I love that. And I really appreciate how the book is structured—with stories, calls to action, and practical examples. It’s going to be such a valuable resource. 

Toni Barton: Thank you! I also had the incredible opportunity to get feedback from some of my role models. Zaretta Hammond read my chapter on instruction and gave feedback—she’s the author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. Katie Novak, who does amazing work on Universal Design for Learning, also gave input. And Paul Gorski, a leading voice in equity, wrote the foreword. 

These conversations helped me realize how special education needs to be part of the broader equity conversation. We need to push this work forward together. 

Tim Villegas: That’s amazing. I’d love to help bring that group together for a conversation. Let’s make it happen! 

One more thing I want to ask about is your use of the phrase data urgency. That really stood out to me. Can you unpack what that means? 

Toni Barton: Absolutely. We get information about students every single day. But when I was a special education teacher, no one cared about data related to my students until it was time to submit IEP progress reports—every nine weeks. That’s not urgent. 

We can’t wait nine weeks to find out if students are making progress. The data for students with disabilities hasn’t changed in 20 years. We need to do something different. 

We can’t wait for students to fail. We have so much information in their IEPs—how are we using it regularly to make decisions about their programming? 

If we want to close the performance gap between students with disabilities and their peers, we need to be checking in constantly. Did my students understand today’s lesson? If not, what am I doing about it tomorrow? 

In the book, I include meeting protocols and practical tools to help teachers and leaders do this. It’s about being proactive, not reactive. Every minute matters. 

Tim Villegas: I love that—“every minute matters.” Are you familiar with the TV show The Bear? 

Toni Barton: No, I’m not. 

Tim Villegas: Okay, then this metaphor might not land perfectly, but I’ll try! The Bear is a show about a chef in Chicago who takes over a family-owned restaurant. He’s trained in fine dining and worked in top-tier kitchens. In one of those kitchens, the head chef had a plaque on the wall that said, “Every second counts.” That theme runs throughout the show—this sense of urgency, that everything you do matters. 

And I think teaching at a high-impact level feels the same way. Every minute counts. There are no wasted seconds in an engaging classroom. So your point about urgency really resonated with me. 

Toni Barton: I love that connection. And it ties back to what we discussed earlier about locus of control. Teachers can plan for those moments—anticipating which students might struggle, preparing supports, checking in during and after the lesson. That’s within their control. 

Leaders, on the other hand, have the power to look at the bigger picture. They can ask: Do we have the right schedule? Are the systems in place to support teachers in doing this work? Everyone plays a role. And while the book is geared toward leaders, there are plenty of concrete actions that teachers can take on their own. 

Tim Villegas: That’s great. For leaders engaging with your book, is there a way for them to self-assess where to begin? With six principles, there are a lot of entry points. 

Toni Barton: Yes. At the end of each chapter, I include tools for self-reflection and goal setting. There will also be supplemental tools on my website to help with prioritization. 

Each principle includes a set of core practices. Leaders can reflect on which of those practices they’re struggling with most and start there. That said, the principles are somewhat hierarchical. I recommend starting with Principle 1: Anti-Exclusionary Program Design. It lays the foundation by addressing the broader systems and structures. 

Some principles, like data and instruction, are closely linked and should be tackled together. Others, like culture and behavior, can be addressed more independently. But ultimately, if you want a truly inclusive school, you need to engage with all six principles. There’s no shortcut. 

Tim Villegas: Got it. That makes sense. As we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience of educators? 

Toni Barton: Yes—one big thing. People can’t do what they don’t know. 

We often talk about mindset as a barrier to inclusion, but I believe most people do want to be inclusive. The issue is they haven’t seen it done well, or they don’t know how to do it. That’s why your podcast is so powerful—it shows what inclusion looks like in action. 

I wrote this book to be that vision. Here’s what it looks like. Here’s what you do. I encourage leaders to use it as a book study with their staff or leadership teams. There’s even a chapter on inclusive professional learning that outlines what educators need to know to lead inclusive schools. 

Let’s build people’s capacity. Don’t assume resistance—assume a lack of exposure or support. 

Tim Villegas: You’re so right. I rarely meet people who don’t want to be inclusive. They just don’t know how. Your book is going to be such a valuable resource for helping them move forward. 

Where can people find more information about you and your work? 

Toni Barton: You can visit my website: thetonibarton.com. Everything is there—links to order the book, my podcast, book excerpts, and tools that go along with each chapter. 

Tim Villegas: And what’s the name of your podcast? 

Toni Barton: School Disrupted. 

Tim Villegas: Perfect. Everyone, go follow and subscribe to School Disrupted as well. 

Okay, Toni—are you ready for the mystery question? 

Toni Barton: Yes! I love a good mystery question. 

Tim Villegas: Here we go. This one comes from my 12-year-old daughter, who’s the only one in my family who listens to my podcast. The question is: What is something you don’t mind paying more money for? 

I’ll go first. I’m a bit of a coffee snob. I’ll drink gas station coffee if I have to, but I don’t mind paying extra for really good coffee. There’s a local shop here in Marietta, Georgia, called Cool Beans—shout out to them. Great coffee, worth the extra cost. 

How about you? 

Toni Barton: I love that. I’m the same with coffee—I won’t drink gas station coffee either. But my answer is leggings. Specifically, workout leggings. It might sound superficial, but I do a lot of indoor cycling, and I’ve learned that cheap leggings just don’t hold up. There’s a particular brand I love, and I don’t mind spending more because they’re comfortable and durable. 

Tim Villegas: That makes total sense. It’s like running shoes. I used to run a lot, and I swear by Brooks running shoes. They’re not cheap, but they’re worth it. You get what you pay for. 

Toni Barton: Exactly! 

Tim Villegas: See? Fun mystery question! 

Toni Barton: I love it. 

Tim Villegas: I’m going to run out of mystery questions soon, though. I told my daughter she needs to start writing more for me. 

Toni Barton: Or you could ask ChatGPT! 

Tim Villegas: True! I’ve even thought about having an AI chatbot as a third guest on the podcast to ask us questions. That could be fun. 

Toni Barton: That would be fun! 

Tim Villegas: Toni Barton, thank you so much for being on the Think Inclusive podcast. This was such a great conversation. 

Toni Barton: Thank you, Tim. It was a pleasure. I’d love to come back again. 

Tim Villegas (closing): That’s all the time we have for this episode of Think Inclusive. 

This podcast is written, edited, designed, mixed, and mastered by me, Tim Villegas. It’s a proud production of the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. Our original music is by Miles Kredich, with additional tunes by Melod.ie. 

Special thanks to our sponsor, IXL. Visit ixl.com/inclusive to learn more. 

We appreciate each and every one of you who tunes in. Let us know how you’re using these episodes—whether in your classroom, with your leadership team, or in your advocacy work. Email me at tvillegas@mcie.org. 

And if you’ve made it this far, you probably love what we’re doing. Help us keep it going by donating at mcie.org. Just click the donate button and chip in $5, $10, or $20. It means the world to us—and to the students and schools we support. 

Thanks again for listening. And remember: inclusion always works. 

Download the entire unedited transcript here.