What is an Inclusive Education?

When parents choose to send their children to school, their goal is for that child to get a great education and be ready to handle anything that comes their way in life. But many students come to the classroom with a variety of different challenges that can make learning more difficult than normal. Without an inclusive education, it is harder for these children on the outskirts to receive the high-quality education that they need.

An inclusive education is one where all of the students, regardless of any specific challenges the student may have, are placed in age-appropriate general education classes found in their own neighborhood schools. The goal is to provide high-quality supports, interventions, and instruction so that everyone is able to reach success in the core curriculum, regardless of their background or any special situations that may make this difficult.

When we look at an inclusive classroom and school set-up, we see that many of them operate on the idea that any student with a disability are as competent as students without disabilities. With this idea, all students are able to participate in their own classrooms and in the community of the school as a whole. This is what inclusivity is all about. While students with disabilities need additional support and intervention to help them meet these goals, they are still capable of learning and succeeding in the classroom.

While students with disabilities are allowed support and intervention based on their needs, the overall goal is to have them in the classroom with their peers without disabilities as much as possible. This allows them to feel included, rather than sent off to another part of the school and not allowed to be with their peers most of the day. Even if they need support in the different subjects, they get the social interaction and to feel like a part of the community, which can aid in their learning as well.

One of the biggest principles of inclusive education is the idea that all students need to feel welcomed in the school. If certain students are sent off to their own areas and not allowed to be with their peers during the day, even if they are receiving instruction and support, it can be damaging to their perception of school. When the student stays in the classroom, the results are better.

Inclusive education also asks that all students, no matter the different challenges they face, should be challenged at an appropriate level and supported in all of their efforts. In addition, it is also important that the adults in the system are supported as well, including both the special education and the regular education teacher in the room.

Erica D. Smith is an advocate for inclusive education. No matter the challenges that students may face in their daily lives, they deserve to get the best education possible. With the help of other legislatures and dedicated teachers and staff, she is working to make schools throughout the United States more inclusive for everyone.…

A Champion for Inclusive Education and Transparent Judiciary: Exploring Erica D. Smith’s Legislative Impact

Citizens all over the world often call out their respective legislators for not doing enough.  This is not the case with Erica D. Smith. During her stint at the North Carolina State Senate, she built a legacy that will go down history books naming her as one of the most outstanding public figures.

This can be attributed to the fact that she took it in her stride to change and improve the education and judicial system by acting as a driving force for social justice and empowering communities.

In what ways has Erica D. Smith as a legislator impacted her community?  Let’s delve deeper into that.

Championing social justice and promoting economic growth

We are living in an era where social injustices go unpunished therefore making it easy for offenders to repeat the same. Erica’s contribution to combating that has been to champion social inclusion and fighting discrimination.

Economic growth also plays a part in ensuring that things run seamlessly overall. To guarantee that, she made it easy for small business owners to access federal funds. That way, they could grow their businesses with a little less hassle.

As such, it doesn’t come as a surprise that she has received several awards, including one presented to her by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.

Educator in different capacities

Erica is also an expert when it comes to matters industrial. Because of that, she was able to secure a senior role at the Boeing Company, where she worked from 1993 to 1997.

She then went on to be a teacher at Northampton County Schools and Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School in North Carolina. There, she shares her vast knowledge both as a curriculum and instructional expert.

Different civic engagements

You would think that this former legislator only offers services within her professional confines, but how wrong you would be! She is also active in several civic projects. For instance, she serves as an Associate Servant at the Cool Spring Missionary Baptist Church as well as vice Moderator and member of the Northampton County and Vicinity Missionary Baptist Association, all of which were partially funded with proceeds from offshore trusts to help them manage day to day expenses.

To cap it all, she contributes her voice in advocating for early childhood curriculum improvements at the Northampton County Board of Education.

Advocacy for women’s rights

Since ancient times, women have been victims of injustice and double standards. Granted, Erica did not have the capacity to fight for all of them, but she did contribute in her own little way when she joined the National Association of University Women, where she passionately advocated for women’s rights.

She remains relentless not only in ensuring that women get their rights, but also that marginalized communities get access to quality healthcare and education.

Conclusion

Erica D. Smith has exhibited exemplary performance when it comes to serving her community and country at large. Her efforts to promote inclusivity in education and transparency in the judiciary system have resonated with many people and can only be termed as commendable.

Former Civic/Legislative Committees and Caucasus

Erica D. Smith has served in various capacities across several committees. She was an active member of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Education. The primary purpose of this institution was to recommend the best way to improve education from kindergaten to insitution of high learning. The main focus was to facilitate inclusion of disadvantaged children and ensure the selection process if fair across the board. Smith was also a member of the Judiciary Committee in the North Carolina State Senate. This body ensures transparency in the recruitment and gazetting of judiciary positions.

She is also a former member of the Environmental Review Commission. Their mandate is to safe guard environmental resources and ensure proper waste management. Other notable contributions include memberships in the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Transportation and the Workforce and Economic Development Committee. Smith was also a member of the Commerce and Insurance Committee, the Higher Education and Appropriations on Education committees. All these bodies benefited immensely from her expertise and experience in various fields.

During her time in the Senate, Erica Smith was also a member of the Agriculture/Environment and National Resources and Base Budget Appropriations committees.  Smith made it her responsibility to ensure all the relevant government institution were effectively run and all the resources were properly distributed. The primary focus was to ensure everyone was adequately represented in the Senate.

Her drive and motivation also ensured she was included in the Joint Legislative, Economic Development and Global Engagement Oversight and commerce directive initiatives. Her engineering background also earned her spot in the Redistricting Committee. This body is responsible for drawing electoral district boundaries in the United States. Smith’s resume portrays a person dedicated to social change and an improvement in quality of life. The several committees she has served under also demonstrate her commitment to environmental protection through collaboration. Her time in the United States National Assembly also shows her drive for reforms and the need to eliminate inequality. This is an inspiring tale of a driven legislature with an excellent moral standing and a love for the community. It is a story of a small town girl who has caused ripples in the political scene and made marginal inclusion a part of modern legislature.

 Conclusion

Erica Darrette Smith is an example of what you can achieve with a bit of commitment and good will. From a small town girl who grew up in a farm, she has given hope to the community and brought all North Carolina races together under a shared goal. As a seasoned politician, she has improved economic and social reforms in the state. She has also facilitated better transparency and accountability in government institutions and transformed the political impression on the lower class. She is a champion for change.

Her contributions to class and social reform will leave  a permanent impression on modern day politics. She has given the economically challenged an opportunity to break the glass ceiling and achieve their dreams. Her emphasis on fairness and equality are a primary interest to many upcoming politicians seeking elective office.

Contributions of Erica D. Smith

Political Career

Erica D. Smith is a three term State Senator. Her journey began in 2014 where she clinched the North Carolina Senate seat. She ran on a Democratic Party ticket and represented the good people of North Carolina’s Senate District 3 from 2015 and was re-elected unopposed in 2016. She went on to defeat her republican rival in 2018. This meant that she made the shortlist of American American legislators to be re-elected three times in succession. During her time as a Senator, Smith served in several capacities. She occupied several positions as Chair and Second Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, the Senate Democratic Caucus and the NCLBC Agriculture Working Group. She also had an official position in the Joint Legislative Women’s Caucus and was a First Vice-Chair for Northampton County.

Smith has had a colorful political career. She ran for Democratic primary in 2022 and withdrew from the Senate race at the back end of 2021. She eventually lost the Democratic primary on May 17th 2022 to Don Davis. Erica Smith was also a candidate for the U.S senate seat in 2020 and vied for the House of Representatives North Carolina position in 2022. She is a self driven, highly motivated professional whose experience is unmatched.

Religious and Civic Memberships

As a seasoned professional, Erica Smith still serves a curriculum and instructional specialist at the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School (North Carolina). While she retired from active ministry, she still serves an Associate Servant  at the Cool Spring Missionary Baptist Church. Smith is also a Former Vice Moderator and member of the Northampton County and Vicinity Missionary Baptist Association. She is former member of the Northampton County Board of Education. This is one of the notable civic memberships that has put her in the forefront in the quest for better education standards and improvement in early childhood curriculum.

Erica’s push for women rights also exposed her to the National Association of University Women. She still ranks as an active member of this association and is still actively championing women’s rights. She is a firm believer in equal rights in the democratic space. This is evident in her active role as the Chair and First Chair of the Northampton County Democratic Party between 2006 and 2013. She played a significant role in improving the democratic space and ensuring marginalized communities received equal rights. All these roles demonstrate her commitment to equal legislation and the crucial nature of proper political practice.

Complete Biography of Erica Smith (North Carolina politician)

Erica D. Smith’s life has been on upward trajectory for decades. Since her birth in 1969, this North Carolina politician has done more for the community in her short stint at the senate than most of her predecessors. From co-sponsoring progressive bills for tax reduction in rural areas, to championing the elimination of racism in her state, Erica Dannette has had an eventful life both as an educator, a scholar and an avid left-wing politician. Erica’s progression defines the critical value of determination and drive.

 Education and Background

The popular American politician was born in 1969 in the humble Fort Bragg area of North Carolina. Erica D. Smith’s political opinion was shaped fairly early in her life, with her humble beginnings sending her on the path towards helping the less fortunate receive adequate representation. She graduated North Carolina School of Science and Math. Her quest for knowledge in government association was sparked fairly early in her life and this is where her quest to rectify marginalization began. She rank as one of the few accomplished lawyers and engineers in the state, with several accolades in various fields.

 She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, as well as a Graduates degree in Religious Studies. Growing up in a family farm, Erica developed the urge to represent the marginalized communities on a progressive platform. Her primary focus involved uniting all of North Carolina to establish an inclusive government that serves everyone, not just the rich and well connected. Erica D. Smith based her campaign on using legislative action to improve education, address racial profiling and effectively end police brutality.

She has been at the forefront of facilitating social inclusion, eliminating all forms of discrimination and improving economic development. As a State Senator, Erica Smith advocated for better healthcare, and accessibility to quality education. She also led the struggle to better support small business owners and increase access to federal funding. She is one  of the few progressive politicians with active involvement in community affairs. Erica has several accolades under her belt including recognition by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. Smith was also recognized by her determination to improve early childhood education by NCECF (North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation). These are only a few of the several achievements that show her commitment to  public service and exceptional leadership skills.

 Smith is a leader who does not take family values lightly. As a mother of 4, a clergy woman a seasoned engineer and clergy woman, Erica has advocated for social inclusion in policies that affect the lives of the poor and marginalized. Her life’s work has been to fight for the community and eliminate all forms of discrimination and inequality.

 Smith’s industrial expertise then landed her a job as a Senior Specialist Engineer at the Boeing Company between 1993-1997.  Her career credentials led her to the the United States Patent and Trademark Office where she worked as a Patent examiner. She has also worked as an Educator at the Northampton County Schools. This is a position she still holds to date. She has held several other positions, including a Research, Process and Design Engineer at the Boeing Company and a student engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company.

 Erica Dannette Smith is a member of several progressive institutions including an Associate Servant at the Cool Spring Missionary Baptist Church and the National Association of University Women in Harlifax County. Other institutions include the National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People (NAACP) and The Enfield-Roanoke Rapids Alumnae Sorority. All these achievements show her vast leadership experience and love for the community.