I went to DC public school in the late 80s/early 90s, which was one of the poorest school systems in the country at that time. Every day the older kids from grades 4-6 would babysit grades 1-3 for an hour during lunch. Each class had a minimum size of 30 and didn't have separate ESL or special needs, so we often watched younger kids with physical disabilities, autism, Down syndrome etc. It taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life: how to respect, include, and appreciate the differently abled. Not sure why this isn't done in schools anymore- it's a lot more important than learning the state capital of Kansas!