Lee Thurston, a fifth-grade teacher at Washington Elementary School, has had seven very successful years of teaching. His students love him and parents of students who are in the fourth-grade classes request that their children be placed with him during

Question

their fifth-grade experience. Last year Lee was voted "Teacher of the Year" by the faculty in the district.
In the spring of the year, Lee is told that, because he is such a good teacher, he will be getting David Spears as a student in next year's class. David, during his fourth-grade year, had been identified as having a behavior disorder after confronting another student with a knife.
Lee had some concerns about David, but decided he was willing to try to help. He would come up with some ideas for working with David as he attended graduate school over the summer.
A week before school started, Lee met with Ellen Lansing, Washington School's principal. "It's been a busy summer," remarked Ellen. "I'm afraid some of your students' parents have requested to have another teacher since you will have David Spears in your class. They are worried that you won't be able to control him or that at some point you won't be available to help if things get out of hand."
"With inclusion, situations are going to come up like this more and more," replied Lee. "What do you think we should do?"
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to full inclusion, mainstreaming, and other options related to student placement. What would you do to solve Lee's problem?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Advocates of David Spears would argue that he has the right to a public education and that the school can provide services to help with his emotional and behavioral problems. Parents who do not want their children to be in class with David would argue that everyone has the right to a safe classroom environment.