Taking Sides: InclusionAccording to Stout (2001) the concept of inclusion can be differentiated into mainstreaming, inclusion and full inclusion, each of which describes the amount of time that special education students they become part of normal education classes. “Inclusion is a term that expresses the commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent possible, in the school and classroom they would otherwise attend” (definitions section, par. 2). This commitment is based on the belief that students with special needs would benefit from the mainstream classroom environment (Noll, 2014, p. 225). According to Stout (2001) research-based evidence supports this belief as “recent meta-analyses confirm a small to moderate beneficial effect of inclusion education on the academic and social outcomes of students with special needs” (Research section, par. 3). There are many who also believe that inclusion is good for the whole class as it can teach empathy and “teaches us to think about us rather than me” (Sapon-Shevin, 2008, p227). There are others, however, who believe that “Contrary to some egalitarians, a good society honors those who through intelligent goodwill, artistic talent, athletic ability, or honest hard work make our lives better” (Carpenter, 2008 , p.235). and therefore believe that it is right to think of "I" and not of us. Educators may have strong feelings on the topic because having students with special needs in a regular classroom can have a big impact on the classroom community. Those who believe in inclusive classrooms realize that a lot of classroom management and differentiated instruction is required to be successful, but they believe the benefits are worth the work. Those who do not believe in inclusion believe that it leads to “l… middle of the paper… evaluating case by case with the good of the entire class in mind. “Equality and socialization should accompany – and not replace – judgment and education. Replacing the former with the latter, or vice versa, is a dangerous practice, pure and simple” (Carpenter, 2008, p. 236). Works Cited Carpenter, W. (2008, Spring). The other side of inclusion. In J. W. Noll (Ed.), Taking a Stand: Conflicting Views on Educational Issues (17th ed.) (pp. 233-237). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Sapon-Shevin, M. (2008). Learning in an inclusive community. In J. W. Noll (Ed.), Taking a Stand: Conflicting Views on Educational Issues (17th ed.) (pp.226-232). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Stout, K. (2001). Special educational inclusion. Wisconsin Education Association Council. Retrieved from http://www.weac.org/issues_advocacy/resource_pages_on_issues_one/special_education/special_education_inclusion.aspx