Editorial: “Inclusion is an essential part of education and life”

Image from "Mr. Connolly Has ALS," film by Dan Habib

The Concord Monitor Editorial Board praised former Concord High School Principal Gene Connolly for advocating for inclusion in schools. “It’s his push for inclusion in schools that we believe could have the greatest long-term impact,” the Editorial Board wrote.

A new documentary by New Hampshire filmmaker Dan Habib follows Mr. Connolly’s last year at Concord High School, before he left due to his diagnosis of ALS. During a panel discussion of the film, Mr. Connolly talked about diversity, compassion, and empathy:

“I truly believe that our public schools are the spaces where we have to be pushing for inclusion. That by pushing for inclusion in this space, it ripples out into our communities and into our world.” He’s right, of course. And so was his daughter, Ally Davis, a teacher at Christa McAuliffe School, when she said: “The compassion, understanding and empathy that they learned through inclusion will be something that lives on forever. The impact of this will reach students far beyond our time at school.”

An inclusive classroom is one that recognizes that all students are unique learners, that every child deserves an educational experience that is the right fit. If a school truly wants to nurture the sense of community among its students, and is sincere in its mission to prepare them for adulthood in the wide world, it hardly makes sense to separate some students from their peers merely because they have different requirements. To do so is to rob the entire student body of a full and meaningful educational experience that not only embraces diversity but celebrates it.

Tickets for the film go on sale starting Tuesday, May 30. Screenings run June 2 through June 8. Get more information at the Red River Theatres website here.
Source: Concord Monitor |Editorial: A strong voice for inclusion