Talking Point #8

Citizenship in School: "Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome"

PREMISE:

• Students


• Disable


• Stereotype


• Opportunities


• Democratic


• Social Place


• Citizenship


• Community


• Integration


• Participation


• Teachers

Author's Argument:

Kilewer argues that in the American schools there is this barrier that prevents children with disabilities to interact with others by placing them in a special educational classroom. Kilewer believes that this barrier must be broken to make school a better place to learn. He thinks that by integration disable and able students will create this social environment that will not discriminate the disable students. Each students should be looked individuality so that they can be able to participate in the classroom.

Evidence:

"...like a lot of people in Mendocino he's accepted for what he is, not what he isn't..."(pg 208).

Kilewer tells this story about a boy who's life changed when he moved to Mendicino, California. When he moved there he felt that people accepted his disable condition. He knew that he could concentrate on what he was able to do without worrying about what others will say or criticize what he cant do. He felt like an individual who was accepted to be part of the community..

"School citizenship requires that students not be categorized and separated based on presumed defect" (pg 207).

Kilewer is referring that teachers should see their students as individual in order to show them how much they valued them. Students shouldn't be judged by any health problems they might have. Teachers should see past that and focus more on the ability of every child. They shouldn't separate students based on their health problems also because that is like taking them out of the community they are living in.

"The challenge is to erase negative attitudes [and] get rid of the stereotypes and break the barriers for people with disabilities" (pg 200).

This statement pretty much supports his argument. He knows that getting rid of stereotype, braking any barriers and erasing negative attitudes towards disable people is challenge in this society where "able people" are dominate. Even though it is a challenge schools across America should find solutions because every citizen has a right to learn and speak even if they are disabled.

Comments:

I think that this article was a strong article. When reading this I felt anger because it is not fair that people who are disabled should be treated the way they are being treated in this society. Not letting them be part of the community is a tremendous error that a school can do. Not integrating them with other "able students" is like making them feel that they are not part of the community. It creates this silence that as years progress will keep growing. Stereotyping them is ignorant because they don't choose to be like that.