Talking Points # 8 Kliewer

In this article, Kliewer argues that down syndrome students should be treated as participating and active members of the school and community, rather than being treated as a burden. It is his hope to re conceptualize their roles and to develop better and more effective levels of communication.

• "Those who appear not to make use of these conditions (supposedly open to all), or who appear to lack the potential to accrue privileges, are systematically devalued as less than full citizens"

Kliewer is following up his piece about utilitarianism, which is a sort of belief system based on the idea that everyone's actions contribute to the overall benefit of a utility, or a society. He believes that this should protect each individual from external threat. He is saying that if this system was in place, or enforced, it would be unjust, or unfair to basically make down syndrome people second class citizens. By avoiding inclusion in classrooms, we are doing just that. We are degrading these students and creating a situation for them that is ultimately harmful. Kliewer uses democracy and community to describe his ideas on the way that disabled students are treated within schools.

• "Dewey believed schools must serve as the sites in which children develop both a sense of commitment to one another and a sense of self direction"

Kliewer is using Dewey's ideas to advocate for disabled students being included in regular classrooms. He is expressing the importance for children to learn and practice the skill of working with others and being committed to other students. This is important for peopel to be able to develop and be a part of society. Kliewer thinks that it is important for all children to seek 'community value' in each other. If disabled students are segregated, they are going to learn and practice a system of alienation.

• "School citizenship requires that students not be categorized and separated based on presumed defect. The phenomenon of categorization at the expense of individual value has been described as a 'disability spread'..."

He believes that doing this takes away from the individual and generalizes and stereotypes all peoples that are disabled. This has an effect on the disabled student, the teacher(s), and fellow students, who, without ever experiencing disabled students on an individual level, will naturally generalize them with the learned 'disability spread'. This follows up on his earlier ideas about making disabled students equal and participating citizens of the school community. This helps to acclimate the disabled student, which will eventually makes his entire learning experience better, but also to help fellow students to acknowledge and understand disabled students. Without learning about and getting to know disabled students as individuals, children will continue to believe stereotypes that are usally harmful.

I enjoyed this article, it was informative and included interesting characters. Kliewer has a nice balance between analysis and research, and story-telling. He presents realistic characters that are very likeable. He also includes some analysis of John Dewey, who has been imlemental to educational reform in the past. Dewey had some really awesome and groundbreaking ideas that should be considered when looking at problems of modern education like inclusion and tracking.