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Lauryn BoorsteinProfessor StifelReference Paper # 19/30/09Should special education students be accepted to learn in Mainstream Classrooms?In The Morning Call newspaper on September 13, 2009 Paul Carpenter published an article called "Short people need 'Inclusion' funds. The article describes the consequences of having special education students in the mainstream classrooms. Many parents who have children with special needs think that their children should be accepted into a regular mainstream classroom. On the other hand there are many people who feel that when special education students are in a regular classroom this puts a delay on the learning process of the students in the overall classroom.In Carpenter's article he addressed a few constructive points on combining special education in the mainstream classroom. He states, "For a long time, intelligent and hard working students have been required to play on their intellectual keens to accommodate students who can barley add 2 plus 2 or read and write their own names (Carpenter)". What Carpenter is referring to is that students who have the ability to learn quickly should not be held up by slower learners. Even though this may sound cruel, it is my belief that having special education students in the classroom can hold up the learning process for other students. In the article, Carpenter introduces his readers to Professor Robert W. Edwards of Hellertown. Professor Edwards had no problem throwing his true beliefs out there; even know it sounded very hurtful. He stated "Some children are born naturally smarter than others, and you cannot make a rocket scientist from an individual with a special education IQ (carpenter)." This statement may sound very pitiless, but it is the truth. Parents of special education children need to have an understanding and acceptance of their child. They need to accept the facts that some children might not ever be what they assumed they would be. Maybe if parents were more accepting, then the statements that Mr. Carpenter and Professor Edwards conducted would have not been so hurtful.As hurtful as it may sound, I agree with everything that Mr. Carpenter and Professor Edwards was saying. I am going to school to become a special education teacher. This should show people that the last thing I am trying to do is to discriminate against special education students. I have alot of acceptance for the students I will be teaching. Parents need to understand that it will benefit their child more if they are in a learning program that the teacher can take time out and accommodate the student by their specific needs. In the book "Exceptional lives Special Education in Today's schools" the authors define the nondiscriminatory...
