Cate Fox

There is clear evidence that separating students with disabilities from students without is harmful. I am a senior at Concord High School and my education and high school experience has been vastly improved by being surrounded with people of differing backgrounds, opinions, and abilities. The special ed program, in particular, improves the environment of CHS. The classes I have had with students in that program have been some of the most engaging classes I have ever been in (in all 13 years in the district). Separating students that have disabilities does not help them, it does not help us. Instead, it just feeds into a lack of knowledge and understanding of those different from ourselves. Empathy is a skill best learned by being surrounded with those with different experiences. Please don’t feed into the divide that is spreading across our country.