Helping Ellie learn: ‘I want her to be a part of everything, just as she is’

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires children with disabilities be educated to the “maximum extent possible” with non-disabled students. At Meadow Ridge Elementary School in Rockford, Michigan, a team of educators is doing just that for Ellie Gard, a student with Down syndrome, who learns in a general-ed classroom alongside her second-grade peers. We talk with two of her teachers and her mother about how they work together to make this work.For more great stories about the changes and challenges of school districts in West Michigan, check out our website, School News Network.org. And if you have ideas for future programs, feel free to send them to us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening, and happy studying!