An Open Letter to the Field: Contemplating Special Education's Collaborative Role in Developing Inclusive Education.

This article focuses on the ongoing development and challenges of inclusive education for students with disabilities, emphasizing its global significance and roots in the Disability Rights Movement (DRM) and Disability Justice (DJ) frameworks. It highlights the importance of centering intersectionality—how overlapping identities such as race, disability, and class shape experiences—and dispels myths about inclusion by clarifying that authentic inclusion involves meaningful belonging, flexible instruction, and culturally responsive pedagogy rather than mere physical placement in general education classrooms. The authors discuss the evolving role of special education professionals in collaborative, inclusive settings and advocate for reimagining general education classrooms to support diverse learners through evidence-based, flexible teaching methods. The article concludes with reflective questions aimed at advancing inclusive education through history, theory, research, teacher preparation, classroom practice, and policy.