Getting to know Special Ed students in our community
Letter from the Editor
Dear readers of The Lowell,
At Lowell, we often hear and see Special Education students in the hallways. But how much do general education students actually know about the program?
When reporter Katherine Nguyen, who has an autistic brother, first started this story, Nguyen didn’t even know where the Special Ed classrooms were on campus. Over the course of investigating the story, Nguyen — along with the story’s editors — began realizing that Special Ed students deserve to have their voice heard more often.
To tackle this issue, we explore the stories of Gerard Tavares, the first Special Ed student to join the Lowell swim team without accomodations, and Lilee Consoer, who has grown to become an active member of the choir program.
Both these students are activitists with The Directions: Ability Advocates — a Lowell-based organization that raises awareness and promotes inclusion.
Through these stories we hope to connect with students who fall across the educational needs spectrum. We also hope to unmask the ways general ed students can help create a brighter atmosphere for Special Ed students, and in turn, they can help us understand who we are as a community.
Editors-in-Chief,
Ophir Cohen-Simayof, Cynthia Leung
