It's all about progress. Something Jarri Thompson believes is happening within the Mountain View School Division (MVSD).

Thompson, a Ward 4 School Board Trustee with MVSD, announced earlier this month that an important motion was passed at a board meeting. The MVSD Board of Trustees will establish an Inclusive Education Advisory Committee. The committee will include parents/guardians of children with diverse learning needs and abilities, divisional resource staff, one or two Board members, and any other community resources needed.

The purpose is to advise and support inclusive educational practices, share lived experiences, and identify opportunities for improvement in programming and support for children with learning needs and abilities.

"Very exciting to finally get it moving forward. Families have been talking about it for quite some time," said Thompson. "We will make sure students, families, and educators have their voices heard. So we can work together collaboratively in full inclusion for students with diverse learning needs in all schools."

On her Facebook post, one hashtag caught the most attention. #ProgressNotPerfection.

"When you hear about MVSD in the news or wherever, everyone wants us to get things right the first time, but that's not how the real world works," continued Thompson. "We need to go through trial and error to make sure we're doing things right."

Thompson says MVSD already does a lot of inclusive education. While Thompson knows the right decision won't be made every time, she is confident that a great group of board members is working together to make MVSD strong for years to come.

That includes instructors, families, and everything in between.

"Absolutely. I have every belief in our division that we can work together to strengthen our staff and student academic levels," ended Thompson. "I believe if we work hard and really put in the effort, people will start seeing the progress."

One step at a time, MVSD is turning intention into impact.