Katie, Age 6
A place for students, parents, educators, and supporters of New York's students to connect and bring meaningful and positive reform to New York's schools.
Join the Cause!
Enter your email address in the box below to become one of our community supporters. We'll send you periodic updates of The ARISE Coalition's efforts to compel special education reform and let you know how to make your voice heard. As long as you've entered your email address correctly there's no need to submit more than once.
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For those of you who missed our most recent Assistive Technology event, INCLUSION REQUIRES PARTICIPATION: Student Demonstrations of How Technology can be used to Improve Access to Education, you can now watch the footage of the seven students with disabilities who shared their experiences using technology solutions to address learning, communication, and physical challenges in their classrooms.
The footage can also be viewed here.
To see even more from a few of our presenters see:
- Jasmine here,
- Maya and her family here, and
- Randy from an earlier event with the ARISE Coalition here.
Thank you to the students who presented, the members of the ARISE Coalition and staff of the Cognitech Café who organized and staffed the event held at Pace University School of Education.
Thank you also to our co-hosts who kept everyone fed during the day: Advocates for Children of New York, Parent to Parent of New York State, Parents for Inclusive Education, United We Stand, and the United Federation of Teachers.
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INCLUSION REQUIRES PARTICIPATION:
Student Demonstrations of How Technology can be used to Improve Access to Education
Come join the ARISE Coalition
and the Pace University School of Education
to learn directly from students with disabilities about technology solutions that have helped them to address learning, communication, and physical challenges in their classrooms.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
8:30 – 3:00 pm
Pace University, New York City Campus
Student Union on B-level
One Pace Plaza
New York, NY 10038
This is a free event, but due to limited seating capacity, it requires registration.
Please RSVP here.
To see what one student in NYC's District 75 has done with the help of assistive technology we urge you to watch this video.
To experience one familly's journey with assistive technology visit Uncommon Sense.
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The ARISE Coalition has submitted a Freedom of Information Law request to the Department of Education, asking for extensive information about the first phase of the special education reform which took place over the 2010-11 and 2011-2012 school years. We are seeking information about changes in placements, aids and services for students with disabilities, class size waivers, specialized programs, school and network budgets to support the reform, discipline, hold overs, and requests for help or due process specific to the reform. The FOIL can be viewed here.
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The bus strike is over and students should all be returning to school this week. There are a few things we wanted to make sure you're aware of:
- Parents whose children receive busing from their home, or students in grades K-6 receiving yellow bus service from a school bus stop who live in areas where public transportation between home and school is not readily available, can seek reimbursement for actual transportation costs during the strike. You have a month to submit the proper forms which can be downloaded here or by calling 311.
- Families of students who missed school as a result of the strike should work with their schools to discuss additional supports that may be appropriate.
- Students who were assigned new bus routes during the strike should continue to be served by that route until they hear otherwise from OPT.
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PARENTS AND FRIENDS
BUSING - WHAT'S NEXT?
Did your child miss instruction because of the bus strike?
Did your child miss other special education supports and services or afterschool programs?
Have you been reimbursed for your expenses during the strike?
Join us at a PUBLIC SPEAK OUT!
Sponsored by The ARISE Coalition &
The Citywide Council on Special Education
Invited DOE representatives will be in attendance to answer any questions that you may have and provide updates
Thursday, February 21, 2013
6:00 pm
Brooklyn Borough Hall
209 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY 11210
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See the ARISE Coalition's oped in the New York Daily News,
"Disabled students, left out in the cold."
February 13, 2013
Four weeks into New York City’s bus strike, thousands of students with disabilities are still not getting to school each day. Last Friday’s attendance rate in District 75 schools — the schools that serve students with the most serious needs — was just 72.7%, 12 points below its prestrike average .
In any given day, about 2,500 young people in these schools aren’t getting the education they need and deserve.
Yet Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg chose to ratchet up the conflict — announcing the bids for companies that would replace those currently contracted to do the work — rather than moving closer to a real resolution.
Lost in the standoff is the fact that this unacceptable and outrageous situation could continue until the end of the school year. Also lost is how profoundly the city has failed to provide for parents and students from the beginning of the dispute. They’ve been the true victims from day one.
Initially, the city offered only MetroCards and reimbursement for carfare as an alternative to yellow bus service. Public transportation and taxicabs, hardly accessible to people with disabilities in the first place, are an impossibility for large numbers of children and their families.
The city offered no plan for students who needed accessible transportation, no plan for children who needed an adult to accompany them to school and did not have a parent available, no plan for families with more than one child in different schools and no plan for families who could not afford to put out carfare twice a day and wait for reimbursement.
Some students with disabilities attend school so far from their homes that a car service would end up costing hundreds of dollars each week — a burden even for middle-class families.
A week into the strike, under pressure from advocates, the Department of Education finally started to put a plan in place that would allow some families to access car services paid directly by the city. But the rollout has been rocky at best, and many problems remain to be resolved.
The members of the ARISE Coalition — parents, advocates, educators and academics who work together to improve special education in the five boroughs — have heard from countless families struggling to get their children to and from school during the strike.
One mother told us how her son, who uses a wheelchair, has not been able to get to school because of lack of accessible public transportation and her need to bring his three younger siblings along if she finds an alternative.
Another parent, who uses a wheelchair herself, has a son attending a special education program in Westchester County. Laying out carfare in advance would be prohibitive, and this parent needs to either ride back and forth with her son to school or find someone else to accompany him. Initially, the DOE refused to pay the carfare upfront or cover the cost of the parent’s return trips (i.e., when her son is not in the car).
With recent updates to DOE policy and aggressive advocacy on his behalf, this student is finally back in school, but first the family struggled to find a car service to accept the DOE’s vouchers. Just last week, the DOE added him to a bus route that is still running.
For another family, it took until last week to get their daughter from Staten Island to Manhattan to attend school. In the first few days of the strike, the parent made the trip herself, but as it became clear there was no end in sight, the trips began to take their toll. Arranging an accessible ride from Staten Island to Manhattan turned out to be next to impossible, with the family finally lining up one service that then failed to show.
The city’s leaders seem to have forgotten they have a duty to these kids — a duty to provide them with an education that does not end because of a contract dispute.
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The ARISE Coalition and our member organizations are continuing to push the Department of Education for a solution that works for all of our youth, but we wanted to write now to make sure that you are aware of some more specific resources available to help get your children to school during the strike.
- For general information about the use of MetroCards and reimbursement for driving or taking a taxi or other car service see here. A few things to note about these options:
- MetroCards are available for all students who use yellow bus services through school offices.
- MetroCards are available for some parents of students who use yellow bus services to allow them to accompany their children to and from school. These MetroCards allow parents to travel in both directions (to and from school) each day.
- Parents of all preschool and all school-age children with IEPs are eligible.
- Parents of general education students in grades K-6 are eligible.
- Parents of students in grades K-6 who receive yellow bus services will be reimbursed for driving costs at a rate of 55 cents per mile upon completion of reimbursement forms.
- Parents of students in grades K-6 who receive yellow bus services may also be reimbursed for cab fares upon completion of reimbursement forms.
- Families of students who are eligible for yellow bus services who cannot utilize public transportation and cannot afford to pay carfare costs up front and then seek reimbursement should reach out to their school administrator or CSE for further assistance. If the family qualifies for free or reduced price lunch and the child receives specialized transportation, or if the family can demonstrate otherwisde that travel to and from school is a hardship protocols have been set up to arrange to have families’ fees for car services assigned to and paid by the DOE. A list of car service providers is available on the DOE website or by calling the Office of Pupil Transportation’s Customer Service number at (718) 392-8855. Families who can demonstrate financial hardship regardless of Title 1 status should reach out to their schools as well. If that is not successful, contact your Committee on Special Education.
- Students who have IEPs that require paraprofessional or nursing support for transportation should continue to get those services. Speak with your school directly about this.
- Students who don’t generally have paraprofessional support on their yellow buses, who are traveling during the strike to school by subway or through a car service, and whose families are, for whatever reason, unable to accompany them, but who still may need an adult other than a parent to travel with them by train or by car, should also speak directly with their schools to determine what arrangements can be made under the circumstances.
- For information specific to finding an accessible ride, go here.
- For a copy of the travel reimbursement forms in multiple languages, see here.
As always, we urge you to continue checking back on the DOE’s website or contacting 311 for updates and to advocate with your schools and central DOE offices if you need assistance. If you are confused or encounter unexpected obstacles obtaining MetroCards, reimbursement, securing accessible transportation services, or arranging for other forms of assistance, reach out to one of the ARISE Coalition members available here.
(Posted 1/23/13)
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As you may already have heard, there is a chance of a system wide bus strike that could impact your children's transportation services in New York City in the very near future. We want to make sure that all families, including families of students receiving preschool and school-aged special education services, have the information needed in the event of a strike. We want you to know your options.
The DOE is sending a communication from the Chancellor home to families today detailing the protocols that will go into effect for the duration of the strike and include the use of MetroCards and reimbursement for actual transportation costs. To see that letter in multiple languages, visit the DOE’s website here. We recognize that for some of you these protocols may not be enough. If you can’t wait for reimbursement or your child needs accessible transportation services, we suggest you contact one of our Coalition members.
To get updates as the threat of the strike progresses, we urge you to return to the website frequently at http://schools.nyc.gov/default.htm or call 311.
(Posted 1/4/13)
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We urge everyone to read Mark Alter and Jay Gottlieb's article," Reform for NYC Special Education: The Thirteenth Labor of Hercules," in the November/December 2012 issue of Education Update.The peice asks and demands an answer to the question, "Why the New York City educational system, despite several reforms during the past 25 years, continues to produce limited results for students with disabilities." See page 23 of the journal for the full text.
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For information related to Hurricane Sandy about school openings, closings, and relocations, as well as transportation issues, registration procedures for evacuees, and cancelled or rescheduled DOE events please see the DOE website here. (Posted 11/5/12)
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The Citywide Council on Special Education, an ARISE Coalition member, has developed a short survey to gather feedback from parents on issues regarding related services in New York City. Since the beginning of the school term, they have received many complaints from parents whose children have not received related services. If you would like to participate in their survey it can be found here in English and her in Spanish. The CCSE is hoping to collect data on whether the lack of services performed is due to a shortage of therapists in a related field, confined to a specific borough or district, or a function of a more systemic problem unrelated to the therapists and specialists who work with children in need of services. (Posted 10/23/12)
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As we approach the new school year we want to remind parents advocating on behalf of their children with disabilities who may require new or different placements to:
- First, work with your school to address your concerns.
- If that is unsuccessful, the DOE then recommends that parents seek help at one of the following sources:
- Contact the Network that supports your school - This information is available on each school’s public website or you go to the DOE's website to download a list of all schools and their support Networks.
- Call 311, or
- Visit the DOE's Special Education Family Office Hour which are scheduled to run through the end of September.
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The Fund for Public Advocacy released a new report,"Educating All Students Well," that investigates New York City’s upcoming overhaul of Special Education in public schools.
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For information about where to go and what to do as the new school year begins and the special education reform in New York City continues to roll out, see the DOE’s webpages on Back to School and a fact sheet from Advocates for Children answering questions for families of students with disabilities in English and Spanish.
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The NYC DOE has announced Special Education Family Office Hours and a P311 hotline for parents of students with disabilities. We urge parents with concerns about their children’s special education supports and services as anticipated for the 2012-13 school-year to visit the office hours (beginning on July 31, 2012), call P311 with concerns, or call the DOE’s new hotline at (718) 935-2007 (available from August 1, 2012).
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All NYC public school parents should have received a communication from the Department of Education on the special education reform sent home with students on the last days of school in June. If not, a copy can be downloaded here in English or here for all other languages. Over the summer the members of the ARISE Coalition urge parents to take time to review the changes they may expect as a result of the reformas outlined in that letter and to familiarize themselves with the DOE's website for parents. To make sure you understand your rights as parents under the reform, we hope you will look again at the ARISE Coalition's fact sheet on the reform available in both English and Spanish.
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On June 12th, at the City Council Education Committee’s hearing on the special education reform, when asked about the path for parents to follow when seeking information or help regarding special education services and changes resulting from the reform, the DOE testified that, “We believe the best information for a school’s particular program can be found at the school-level, so we recommend that families with questions first reach out to their local schools. If families need additional information or wish to address an issue that could not be solved at the school level, we recommend that they email our team directly at specialeducationreform@schools.nyc.gov or visit their local District Family Advocate. If a family is new to New York City, we recommend they visit their local Committee on Special Education.”
The ARISE Coalition urges families seeking help from the DOE that cannot be addressed at the school level to reach out to the DOE at the email address above, or by contacting their District Family Advocate and their CSE.
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On June 12, 2012, the ARISE Coalition and many of our members delivered testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Education on the Department of Education’s Special Education reform. In our statements we laid out some significant concerns regarding the implementation of the reform including calls for the DOE to:
- Provide on-going, intensive at-the-elbow support for school level staff to support the additional needs of increasing numbers of students with disabilities in their schools
- Issue a clear statement of timelines and process for all schools – elementary, middle, and high school - to review incoming IEPs, develop class configurations, and identify or request resources when needed so schools are ready to serve all students on the first day of school next September
- Create and publicize a process for reviewing circumstances where students who need programs and services that their local school does not plan to offer can obtain a seat at another school with that needed program
- Assure parents and advocates that the new fair student funding structure will actually work as they say, and will not result in a reduction of money available at the school level to serve our students with disabilities
- Dedicate and publicize a clear path for parents to follow when issues of how and where to provide supports and services to an individual child with a disability remain unresolved at the school level
- Articulate and implement a plan to engage parents in the reform at the local level
- Release a detailed review of the first phase of the reform. The public needs to know what actually happened in the 260 schools where this has been piloted
Our testimony concluded with the following plea,
“The ARISE Coalition believes there is cause for reform in special education. We came together to call for reform and have not backed down from that position. We want this reform to succeed, but we have some grave concerns that without addressing the issues I have just outlined, the necessary and hard-fought goals of the reform are in jeopardy. There is still time for the DOE to act and make this reform beneficial to all students – with and without disabilities – but that time is passing dangerously fast.”
You can read the full testimony here.
To read testimony presented by some of the Coalition's members at the hearing follow these links -- Advocates for Children of New York, Center for Hearing and Communication, Center for the Independence of the Disabled, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Parents for Inclusive Education,Sinergia, the United Federation of Teachers.
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We urge you to download two new handouts created to help parents understand their rights in the NYC special education reform. The first is from the Coalition and stresses that your rights as a parent have not changed (see here for English and here for Spanish). The second is from one of our member organizations, Advocates for Children of New York, and focuses specifically on kindergarten placement for students with IEPs (see here for English and here for Spanish).
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The U.S. Department of Education has issued a publication that outlines principles for educators, parents and other stakeholders to consider when developing or refining policies and procedures to support positive behavioral interventions and avoid the use of restraint and seclusion. The resource is applicable to all students, not just those with disabilities and can be found here.
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The NYC Department of Education has created a new site for parents of students with disabilities, "Understanding Special Education in New York City." We urge parents to take a look at it and use it as a resource. At the same time, please let us know if there is information you would like to see added to the DOE's site that would help you as a parent of a student with special education needs. We will pass your suggestions along to the DOE.
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The DOE has created a two page handout for famlies entitled," RAISING THE BAR FOR ALL STUDENTS - New York City's Special Education Reform." Read it to see how they descirbe the special education reform and changes families should expect to see.
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ACTION ALERT: Tell Legislators to Stand Firm and Protect Access to Early Intervention Services in the Final Budget (Posted 3-23-12)
Background: Brain research demonstrates that the stimulation and interaction a child receives during the first five years of life are critical to permanent brain development. As part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Early Intervention (EI) program provides evaluations and services to infants and toddlers who have developmental delays or disabilities and their families. Early Intervention is cost-effective and helps infants and toddlers at the time when services can make the biggest difference.
Budget Proposal: Governor Cuomo’s 2012-2013 Executive Budget proposal would restructure Early Intervention, linking EI services with health insurance coverage. While we support the goal of requiring private health insurance companies to contribute to the cost of EI, we are concerned about parts of the proposal. Among other provisions, the budget proposal would:
- Allow a health insurance representative to be part of the team that develops and reviews a child’s Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP), giving the health insurance company a voice in determining a child’s EI services for the first time.
- Require EI providers to join health insurance networks, negotiate their reimbursement rates with health insurers, and exhaust all appeals of claim denials by health insurers before being paid by EI, likely leading to a further reduction in the number of experienced EI providers available to serve children.
- Require children to be evaluated and served by evaluators and service providers within the children’s health insurance network unless no provider is available or the health insurer determines that a child needs an out-of-network provider, restricting access to specialized service providers.
- Require children’s evaluators, service coordinators, and service providers to come from different agencies, making it even more challenging to find services for English Language Learners and children who require evaluators and service providers with expertise in serving children with specific needs.
While the Assembly and Senate versions of the budget rejected these proposals, Governor Cuomo is still requesting to include the proposals in the final budget. Budget negotiations are happening now!
TAKE ACTION:
Call or e-mail your state legislators and tell them to stand firm in their opposition to Governor Cuomo’s Early Intervention budget proposals, which would make it harder to access high-quality EI services. Tell legislators that you were pleased that the Assembly and Senate versions of the budget rejected the proposals to link health insurance coverage and EI services and rejected the proposed restrictions on the evaluators, service coordinators, and service providers available to serve children. Ask them to ensure that the final budget rejects these harmful provisions. A sample e-mail is below.
To reach your state legislators, call the Senate switchboard (518-455-2800) and Assembly switchboard (518-455-4100) and give your zip code. Alternatively, you can find your NY State Senator at http://www.senate.state.ny.us/ and your NY Assembly Member at http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/. E-mail lists are available at http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?sh=email and http://www.nysenate.gov/report/member-directory-212012.
Key legislators include:
Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried - GottfriedR@assembly.state.ny.us - 518-455-4941
Senate Health Committee Chair Kemp Hannon - hannon@nysenate.gov - 518-455-2200
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver - Speaker@assembly.state.ny.us - 518-455-3791
Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos - skelos@nysenate.gov - 518-455-3171
Sample e-mail:
Protect Early Intervention
As a [parent of a child who receives Early Intervention services], I am very concerned about Governor Cuomo’s Early Intervention budget proposals. First, just as health insurance representatives do not participate in meetings between doctors and patients, health insurance representatives should not be able to participate in IFSP meetings. Second, I am concerned that the proposal would restrict access to services by requiring evaluators, service coordinators, and service providers to come from different agencies and by requiring the use of in-network evaluators and providers. Young children should have access to the most appropriate EI providers regardless of the agencies or networks for which they work. Third, I am concerned that the requirements that providers negotiate their rates with health insurance companies and file appeals of health insurance claim denials will drive experienced providers from the EI field, making it harder for young children to access the services they need. I was very pleased that the Assembly and Senate budget proposals rejected these harmful provisions. Please stand firm and ensure that the final budget rejects these proposals and protects access to high-quality EI services.
To read a letter from one of our members, Advocates for Children, regarding this proposal, please go to http://www.advocatesforchildren.org.
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Two separate sets of meetings run by the Department of Education for parents of students with disabilitieswill be occurring over the next several weeks and the ARISE Coalition strongly urges parents and advocates to attend these meetings and ask any and all questions you have about the process for application and enrollment to kindergarten and about the special education reform. The DOE needs to hear your concerns.
- The first is another round of Kindergarten Orientation Meetings for parents of students with special needs who are applying now for kindergarten next fall. The DOE did a first round at the end of 2011 that a number of you attended. The list of dates, times, and locations of those kindergarten orientation meetings can be found here.
- The second are information sessions for families of students with disabilities “to learn about New York City’s Special Education Reform and the Individualized Education Program (IEP) including parent and family participation throughout the IEP process. These are intended for all parents of students with disabilities from kindergarten through 12th grade. That schedule can be found here.
Remember, as you make your way through this application process and attend your children’s IEP team meetings, there is a host of resources to support you in learning about and understanding your rights in special education available on our resources page.
As always, feel free to share your concerns with us as well. The more we know about your everyday experiences as you navigate your way through the special education process, the more we can advocate on behalf of change that will benefit all our students with disabilities in NYC.
(Posted February 15, 2011)
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On January 24, 2012, the Comptroller for the City of New York released an "Audit Report on the Procurement of Direct Student Services by the Department of Education." The report concludes that the New York City Department of Education (DOE), by its own accounting, has failed to provide related services to more than tens of thousands of students with disabilities in New York City. On January 30th, the ARISE Coalition released a statement calling on the DOE to live up to its obligation to provide all supports and services necessary and appropriate to enable students with disabilities to make educational progress, and specifically requesting that the DOE respond publicly to the Comptroller's report with an action plan to address gaps in service delivery. To read the full statement see here.
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We want to urge all of you to be open to considering new ways to educate our students with special needs, such as more flexible scheduling or increased time in general education classrooms with support as the DOE continues its special education reform efforts. At the same time, we remind you that your rights as parents have not changed:
- You have the right to receive a thorough evaluation of your child at the school level and to be provided with a copy of that evaluation five days before your meeting date. This assures that you have time to read and identify critical points in the evaluations or points about which you seek further explanation. If you disagree with the DOE evaluations, you have the right to ask the DOE to pay for an independent evaluation of your child. Alternatively, you may provide the DOE with independent evaluations you have obtained on your own, and have the IEP team consider those evaluations.
- All students with disabilities are still entitled to receive all the services on their IEPS.
- IEP teams may decide to modify the supports and services an individual student receives, but those modifications must still be based on the strengths and needs of each individual student, not on what the school actually has available.
- Your child’s IEP and program should not be changed without an IEP meeting being held that you have been invited to attend. However, there is opportunity for IEP amendments which may be made with parental consent and may be used to sidestep a meeting that is not an annual or triennial review. For more on that amendment process you can look at the DOE’s Standard Operating Procedures Manual on Special Education which requires the IEP team to clearly describe all proposed changes for you in writing at the time they seek to amend the IEP. If you receive written notice that your school is recommending a change in IEP services, with regard to related services, and the school requests your consent to do so through amendment and without a meeting, you have the right to insist on an IEP meeting. If one person in particular seems to be advocating for that reduction make sure you know how other providers working with your child feel. We strongly recommend that you take the time to talk with all your child’s teachers and providers about proposed changes in services. If you don’t agree with the amendments recommended discuss them with the full team at an IEP meeting rather than consenting 4in writing and foregoing a meeting.
*In order to fully participate in your child's IEP meeting, it is important to understand the factors school personnel consider in making service recommendations and helpful to have a vision of all the service delivery methods available. To see the DOE’s latest guidance on services, you may want to look at their School Based Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Practice Guide, which strongly promotes use of group, integrated (in class) and consultative (collaboration with school staff without direct student contact) models, in contrast to use of direct individual therapy.
- While you and the IEP team work on the IEP you have a right to see the text as it is written and altered.
- You have the right to know the group size and location for your child’s related services.
- A move to a less restrictive environment without the supports and services needed to make that move successful is not appropriate. The DOE’s reform is not intended to be and must not become a means to simply reduce children’s special education supports and services.
- You continue to have the right to agree or disagree with the suggestions your school makes that could lead to changes to the IEP regarding supports, services, or placement recommendations for your child. If you’re not comfortable with changes proposed to your child’s plan, you can, and should, say so. The new IEP includes a place to reflect parental concerns and you have the right to ask that your concerns are included in the document.
- You must be provided with a copy of that IEP once it has been completed.
- You have the right to take disputes regarding the IEP to mediation or an impartial hearing.
If you want to learn more about your rights as a parent, spend some time reviewing the resources on our Resource page.
We are eager to see special education enriched here in NYC – bettering day-to-day experiences for youth with disabilities and their families and significantly improving long term outcomes for students with IEPs. We remain eager to hear from you about your experiences with the reform effort. With your stories, we can make our advocacy on behalf of students with disabilities even stronger.
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Please be alerted that there is a possibility of a system wide bus strike that could impact your children’s transportation services as early as the afternoon of November 18th. While a strike will be disruptive to many, there are some additional concerns regarding pre-school and school-age children with IEPs requiring specialized transportation services and we want to make certain you know your options. The DOE is sending information home with students this afternoon laying out some protocols that will be in place throughout the strike. To learn more about the DOE’s plan or get updates we urge you to go to the DOE’s website call 311. (Posted November 18.2011)
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The NYC Department of Education has posted information about kindergarten enrollment for families of students with disabilities for the 2012-2013 school-year. The site links to information about the special education reforms and a copy of their orientation guide for families of students with disabilities entering kindergarten next year. It lists upcoming orientation meetings to be held in each borough from late November to mid-December to help families understand and begin to navigate the application and IEP processes. For a greater understanding of your rights as a parent of a student with a disability you may also want to take a look at Advocates for Children's Guide to the Transition from Preschool Special Education to Kindergarten
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We have learned that the New York State Regents are expected to discuss mandate relief at their November 14th meeting in Albany. We do not know for sure what will be on the table during that discussion, but we have written to you before about proposed regulatory changes, in the name of mandate relief that were previously before the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and are still floating around and might be addressed. Members of the ARISE Coalition have some concerns about the proposals. Examples of comments submitted by a few of our members to NYSED and the Regents can be viewed here, here, and here to give you a fuller understanding of those concerns.
We have heard that the Regents want to hear from parents. If you have not yet spoken out on these issues and want to do so, we urge you to reach out to the Regents before this Friday, November 11. Contact information for each of the Regents can be found here.
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Members of the ARISE Coalition met earlier this summer with Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott. We wanted to share with you a letter we sent him recently as a follow up to that discussion. It highlights many -- although certainly not all -- of the issues we are working on:
- Addressing parent alienation;
- Ensuring quality special education programs throughout the school system;
- Including special education concerns in broader DOE reforms;
- Providing basic assistive technology and expanding resources to include more youth with disabilities;
- Holding principals accountable to students with disabilities and clarifying lines of responsibility and accountability for special education within the network structures;
- Reducing the overuse of alternate assessment and modified promotional criteria; and
- Ensuring meaningful reform despite budget constraints
The full letter can be downloaded here.
This is the start of a conversation that will continue over time. As always, if you have system-wide issues regarding special education supports and services in NYC that you feel should be addressed, please let us know.
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Inclusive Technology
The ARISE Coalition has been working in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education and the Teachers College Inclusive Classrooms Project to increase and improve the use of technology to foster inclusion and education of diverse learners in our schools. We had a kick-off event in June and wanted to share some video from the event with you at this time. You can watch our keynote speaker David Rose from CAST here and some other highlights of the event here and here . We will keep you updated as we move forward with our efforts to improve inclusive technologies in our NYC school system.
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ATTENTION PARENTS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Albany is considering legislation RIGHT NOW that will make it harder for you to go to a hearing to enforce your rights or obtain additional academic support for your child.
Why should you be concerned? Two bills before the Senate (S5816 and S5758A) would:
- Reduce the amount of time you have to enforce your rights against your school district by cutting the statute of limitations to 180 days for parents who unilaterally place their children in nonpublic school and to one year for everyone else.
- Eliminate the right of parents who home school their children or who pay private school tuition to get related services for their child unless they tell the school district that they plan to do this by April 1 of the year beforethey want the services.
- Force parents who home school their children or pay for private school tuition to go through mandatory mediation before they could file a due process hearing.
- Allow school districts to cut Academic Intervention Services for students with IEPs.
Call your legislators (518-455-2800 for your State Senator and 518-455-4100 for your Assembly member) and Governor Cuomo (518-474-8390) IMMEDIATELY and let them know you oppose S5816 and S5758A for these reasons. Make it clear that none of the special education mandate relief provisions above should be included in any legislation or session-ending deal.
(Posted June 6-23-11)
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In June, the DOE will be holding parent meetings to explain the new IEP forms. See here for meeting information and a brief FAQ.
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ARISE and a number of our members including Advocates for Children of New York, Bronx Independent Living Services, Brooklyn Center for the Independence of the Disabled, the Metropolitan Parents Center of Sinergia, Parents for Inclusive Education, the Staten Island Special Education Center of Parent to Parent NY, Inc., and United We Stand co-sponsored a series of speak outs in the 5 boroughs on New York City during April, 2011. We invited parents and guardians, and others concerned with the education of students with disabilities are receiving to come and share their stories. Thank you to all of you who were able to make the speak outs and represent not only your own concerns, but those of so many of your peers. Your voices are critical to our efforts to improve special education here in NYC, and we heard you loud and clear.
What we heard painted a slightly different picture in each of the boroughs, but overall illustrated a system ripe for reform. There were a few themes that particularly stood out:
- Families with concerns about their children’s special education placements – requiring multiple moves in short periods of time, interrupting the learning process
- Parents struggling to obtain appropriate supports and services for their children
- Parents and students frustrated with the education they were getting but fearful about advocating for what they really needed in the face of possible repercussions at the school level
- Principals, teachers, and paraprofessionals not sufficiently trained to deal with the needs of many youth with disabilities
- Disturbingly low expectations in the schools for our students with IEPs, and
- Outrageously bad communication from schools to families –with families feeling left out of the whole school culture, or worse, discriminated against, and ill-treated as a result of the young people’s needs.
We held these speak outs to be sure that when we push for changes here in NYC to improve special education, and to assure more positive day-to-day experiences and outcomes for students with disabilities, we push for the things most meaningful and immediate to our youth with disabilities and their families. If you weren’t able to make any of the speak outs and have thoughts you’d still like to share, please know that we always are eager for your input!
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On May 26, 2011the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance on the legal obligation to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of technology. See here for the press release from OCR, the Dear Colleague letters sent to elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education, and the FAQ on the legal obligation to provide students with disabilities that opportunity.
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On April 3, 2011, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and the ARISE Coalition launched “Students with Disabilities Month.” To mark the occasion, Public Advocate de Blasio announced a new survey intended to give voice to the thousands of parents who fight on a daily basis for the needs of their children with disabilities. The ARISE Coalition will host a series of “speak-outs” for students with disabilities and their parents and guardians (below).
Parents and Guardians of Children with Special Needs:
Are you happy with the education your children are receiving?
We want to hear from you.
Join other parents. SPEAK OUT. Make your voice heard.
Elected officials and press will be invited to attend.
Join us at any of the following locations:
BRONX Co-sponsored by the Bronx Independent Living Services 4419 Third Avenue, Suite 2C |
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QUEENS Co-sponsored by Parents for Inclusive Education and Advocates for Children of New York 25-09 Broadway http://www.facebook.com/pages/Parents-for-Inclusive-Education-PIE/139569776103532 and www.advocatesforchildren.org |
MANHATTAN Co-sponsored by Sinergia 2082 Lexington Avenue, 4th Floor |
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STATEN ISLAND Co-sponsored by Parent to Parent NY, Inc. 1050 Forest Hill Road |
BROOKLYN Co-sponsored by United We Stand and the Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza www.bcid.org and http://www.uwsofny.org/ (ahaught@uwsofny.org) Spanish translation will be available in the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. |
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You can also email your stories to arise.coalition@yahoo.com
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NEW REPORT FROM THE ARISE COALITION - OUT OF SCHOOL AND UNPREPARED: The Need to Improve Support for Students with Disabilities Transitioning to Adulthood
MARCH 2011
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With the release today of a policy paper entitled Out of School and Unprepared: The Need to Improve Support for Students with Disabilities Transitioning to Adulthood, the ARISE Coalition kicked off its new, “Next Step” campaign which aims to improve transition planning for students with disabilities in New York City (NYC). The group is calling on NYC and New York State to follow the law with respect to transition planning and to give post-secondary transition for students with special education needs the same high priority they are beginning to give college and career readiness for other students. See here to get a copy of the press release and download a copy of the full report. |
Another round of Turning 5 Orientation Meetings has been scheduled for February and March, 2011.
See here to view the list of dates and locations.
The ARISE Coalition Wants Your Input
Happy New Year!
NYC has a new Chancellor of the Department of Education, Cathie Black. Not surprisingly then, one of the Coalition's goals for this year will be to connect with her and present her with our thoughts and concerns about special education in NYC. We will continue to push with her, as we did with her predecessor, our Agenda for Change – and, more specifically, our goals of to promote systemic reform to improve special education, enforce greater transparency and accountability of the education system, and assure more positive outcomes and options for all students.
As always, the ARISE Coalition seeks to provide a voice on behalf of students with disabilities and their families in NYC. As such, we are writing today to encourage you to get back to us with your own answer to the following question:
What is the single most important issue related to students with disabilities that you believe we should highlight for the Chancellor this year?
We eagerly await your responses.
If your child with disabilities will be entering kindergarten next fall please read below
The enrollment process for students with disabilities turning 5 is beginning now. At the urging of parents and advocates, including a group from the ARISE Coalition, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) has made some major changes to the process this year. We hope these changes will make what has traditionally been a complicated and stressful process for parents run more smoothly. We also want to let you know about some great resources you can use to help navigate your way through your child’s transition to kindergarten.
- The Division of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners at the DOE just released an Orientation Guide for Families of Students with Disabilities which includes a timeline for students who will be transitioning to school-age special education services (Turning 5); an explanation of parents rights during that process; a description of the services available under the Continuum of Special Education Services; as well as contact information about how to contact the Early Childhood Direction Centers, Parent Training and Information Centers, and Committees on Special Education.
- The DOE also has posted information about their Turning 5 Orientation Meetings that will be happening around the city beginning next week. We strongly urge you to attend one of them.
- If your child is likely to be receiving special education services from District 75 next year, you can view a list of District 75 schools open for kindergarten visits this year.
- In addition I’d like to suggest those of you with children in this process take a look at the recently released Advocates for Children Turning 5 Guide. In question and answer format the guide gives families of students with disabilities who will be entering kindergarten next year information they will need to know on: eligibility; referral; evaluation; preparation for Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings; the meeting itself; placement; what to expect next year; and how to resolve concerns.
As always, we want to know about your experiences. We want to know how the process works, and how it doesn’t. You can reach us at mmoroff@advocatesforchildren.org or by calling (212) 822-9523.
The CCSE Meeting on November 18th will include a discussion with the Office of Pupil Transportation.
All are invited to attend. Download the flyer announcing time, place, and agenda.
The ARISE Coalition wants to know how the school year is going
Now that we’re a few months into the 2010-2011 school year we wanted to check in with those of you who are parents of NYC public school students who receive special education supports and services. We want to know how your children’s school year is going.
- Are they settled into their placements at school and do you think they’re in the most appropriate placements to meet their needs?
- Are they getting the supports and services you believe they need?
- Have any of you had IEP meetings since the beginning of the school year that you’d like to share?
- Do you feel like your children are getting the access they need to the general education curriculum to enable them to move forward this year?
There is a lot going on at the Department of Education – one example being the reforms we’ve written about before, and other efforts to build capacity in schools to meet your children’s needs. We want to know how those efforts play out for real families in the school system.
Please feel free to write us back at mmoroff@advocatesforchildren.org and keep us informed. As we have said before, when we push the NYC DOE to make improvements with regard to special education, we want to be certain we speak for families with students and students with disabilities in our schools. We promise not to share any specific, personal information without speaking to you first, so you don’t need to worry about confidentiality.
As always, thank you for all the valuable information you’ve given us before.
S.ave O.ur S.chools
Emergency Educational Action Plan to Address the 2010 Test Score Crisis
The release of the 2010 New York State reading and math test scores was a sobering moment for our city. While many parents, educators and testing experts raised concerns about the validity of the test score increases over the last few years, it was shocking to see their worst fears confirmed. As a result of NYS recalibrating the test scores to align with college-ready standards, citywide reading scores declined by 27 points, math scores went down 28 points, and the racial and income-based achievement gaps have grown. Only 13% of students with disabilities and 14% of English Language Learners scored proficient in English Language Arts (ELA). Tens of thousands of additional students are NOT on the road to college and career success. See here to read more of the statement.
Sign the related petition calling for immediate action at the DOE to address the scores and:
- Provide intensive interventions for all students who scored in Levels 1and 2, including those now in high school.
- Suspend for one year all high stakes policy decisions that use standardized test scores as the basis for making policy decisions, including school closings, progress reports, bonuses, and student promotion decisions and fundamentally revise the school system’s current accountability strategies, measures, and tools, as well as the rewards and sanctions based on them.
- Provide comprehensive support and guidance to the city’s most struggling schools.
The New York City Department of Education Division of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners is hosting a series of parent workshops in September and October.
Download the flyer announcing the workshops in Queens on September 20th, Manhattan on September 21st, the Bronx on September 22nd, Staten Island on October 27th, and Brooklyn on October 28th. Registration is required.
Update on the NYC DOE's Reform of Special Education
August, 2010
Last February the New York City Department of Education (DOE) announced plans and identified guiding principles for reform to better educate students with disabilities in community schools. The DOE has been working since then to ready 265 of NYC’s public schools to use more flexible classroom options to support those students, while also working to improve outcomes for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). While the ARISE Coalition is eager to see the DOE improve special education in the City’s schools, we are also watching closely to monitor how this reform plays out in our schools for our students and their families, and to make sure that things are actually improved under the reform.
Who is leading this effort?
The Division of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners at the DOE is spearheading the reform.
How long will it take for reform to get to all New York City Schools?
The DOE is rolling out the reform over the course of the next two years – with 265 schools participating in the 2010-2011 school year and all the remaining public schools participating in the 2011-2012 school year.
How will I know when changes are coming to my child’s school?
Families of students currently enrolled in the 265 schools should have received at least one communication from the schools’ principals accompanied by a cover letter from Deputy Chancellor Laura Rodriquez notifying them that their schools had been chosen to be part of the new initiative.
What should I expect to see in my child’s school this fall?
Families with students who have IEPs in one of the 265 schools should expect changes this fall. In some schools they may be dramatic; in others less so.
- All students are still entitled to receive the services on their IEPs.
- Your child’s IEP should be reviewed by the IEP team at your school to make certain that he or she is being educated in the most appropriate and least restrictive environment in which he or she can progress. Don’t forget, you are a critical part of that team.
- IEP teams may decide to modify the supports and services an individual student receives.
- Students best served by District 75 programs should expect to continue to be served there.
What should not be happening in the name of reform?
The reform should not be used to justify inappropriate cuts in special education services. You should not see:
- IEP or program changes until an IEP meeting, which you participate in, has been held.
- Sudden or large scale moves of students out of the school.
- A move to less restrictive settings without additional supports and services necessary to make that placement successful. The reform should not mean a mere reduction of special education services and supports.
What should I do if something goes wrong in the process?
The reform in no way changes the rights you have as a parent under law when your child is getting special education services.
- You should still be an active participant in the development of your child’s IEP.
- You have the right to receive updates and reports about your child’s experiences and progress in school. Those can be used to monitor the effects of any changes made as part of the reform as they pertain to your child.
- You continue to have the right to agree or disagree with the suggestions of the school in the development of the IEP and the supports, services, and placement recommendations made for your child. If you are not comfortable with the changes proposed to your child’s plan or placement, you can, and should say so.
- If you and the rest of the IEP team cannot come to agreement, you can still turn to mediation or litigation as means to resolve disagreements.
How do I get help?
To learn more about parents’ rights you may want to carefully study the DOE’s own Parent’s Guide to Special Education Services for School Aged Children or look at our resource page for links to guides and brochures from the advocacy community. You can also work you way up the DOE's own escalation path for more help.
How do I have a voice in making things work better?
We are eager to see special education improved in New York City and better outcomes for youth with disabilities who have been left behind repeatedly as the rest of the system progresses. We want to hear from you as the year unfolds; especially those of you in the 265 Phase 1 schools. We want to know how things change in your school, assuming they do change with regard to the delivery of special education supports and services. We want to know when the reform succeeds in making your school more welcome to students with disabilities and their families and when it does not succeed. We want to know how your children fare under the reform. With your stories we can make our advocacy efforts on behalf of students with disabilities even stronger. To share your experiences please email us at mmoroff@advocatesforchildren.org.
To read the information above in Spanish see here.
To read the DOE's FAQ about Changes to Special Education see here.
New York State Releases New Proficiency Standards for all students and results from this year on Math and English Lanague Arts (ELA) exams for students in grades three through eight.
July, 2010
Determining that results of their proficiency testing in ELA and Math for third through eighth graders have been inflated, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) has recalibrated the way it determines results. Consequently results reported this year are especially alarming. While only 53% of general students were proficient in English in 2010, an even more alarming 15% of students with disabilities were considered proficient in English. In math, 61% of general education students were considered proficient as compared to only 25% of students with disabilities. To read NYSED's presentation on the new proficiency standards see here. Go here to see the City's data.
REPORT: Students with Interrupted Formal Education: A Challenge for the New York City Public Schools. May, 2010
Advocates for Children has released a report examining data on Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) and profiling twelve immigrant students who should have been identified as SIFE by their schools. While few of the students were identified as SIFE, half were identified as having special education needs. The report questions whether students are being inappropriately identified as having disabilities. The report also looks at the overlap of SIFE and students identified as having special education needs, and concludes that, “For those SIFE who have disabilities requiring special education services, the DOE’s current approach seems to be to serve these students primarily through the special education system rather than through a coordinated response with integrated services.” Recommendations in the report that relate to the overlap of the populations include:
- The DOE should examine the policies, procedures and services at schools with high rates of referral for special education for their SIFE.
- The DOE should train special education evaluators on SIFE and how to identify special education needs in that population.
- For SIFE with special education needs, the DOE must integrate appropriate bilingual services and SIFE supports into special education programs and services.
The NYC Department of Education Has Posted a New "Parent's Guide to Special Education Services for School-Age Children"
See here to download a copy.
The ARISE Coalition Releases a Statement on the City's Graduation Rates for the Class of 2009
Last week, the New York State Education Department and the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) released graduation rates for the class of 2009. New York City quickly celebrated the improvements on behalf of students in general education. The data regarding graduation rates for students with disabilities was, however, nothing to be proud of. Buried at the end of the statistics and the DOE’s press package was the deeply disturbing fact that only 1 in 4 students with disabilities in the class of 2009 graduated within 4 years.
In a statement released on March 19, 2010 the ARISE Coalition calls for accountability and responsibility of all NYC schools, districts, School Support Organizations, Children First Networks, and the Central DOE administration for improving graduation rates for the overwhelming majority of NYC’s students with disabilities who for far too long have been left behind. See here to read the full statement.
The ARISE Coalition releases a response statement to the DOE's plans for reforming special education in NYC.
On Monday, February 1, 2010, the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) released an outline of their proposals for improving special education services in NYC. Their plan set out five guiding principles to foster education, inclusion, and respect for students with disabilities and their families – all things the ARISE Coalition has called for repeatedly. To the extent that the DOE’s guiding principles indicate the removal of roadblocks to quality supports and services for youth with disabilities, we applaud the DOE’s new stance. However, the Coalition has some grave concerns that the DOE’s plan is short on both detail and accountability. See here for the full statement.
For a take on the DOE's plans from the UFT, an ARISE Coalition member, see here.
On February 1, 2010 the Chancellor and Chief Achievement Officer Announced New York City Department of Education's Implementation Plan for the Reform of Special Education: A Two-Year Phase-in Process Focusing on the Advancement of Student Learning and Achievement.
See here to view thier plan. See here to view the list of Phase 1 schools.
The ARISE Coalition has released a statement in anticipation of the Chancellor and Chief Achievement Officer’s plan for improving achievement and educational opportunities for New York City’s children with disabilities.
Outcomes for students with special education needs in NYC are abysmal: 19% graduate in four years; and less than 5% of those youth who receive their services in self-contained, or segregated classrooms graduate at all. Another re-organization of the Department of Education (DOE) is upon us (see the Gotham Schools piece on 1-21). Some of it will be very specific to special education. To make a significant difference in outcomes and experiences for students with disabilities and their families here in NYC some very specific things must change. The DOE must immediately:
- Improve accountability pertaining to: outcomes for youth with disabilities; access to programming designed to meet the needs of students; and compliance with laws and regulations regarding the delivery of special education services. This must happen at every level of the DOE from the Central offices to the school staffs;
- Increase transparency of all relevant information for families of students with disabilities and those who work on their behalf;
- Significantly increase professional development opportunities and requirements to foster meaningful planning for students with disabilities;
- Provide sufficient resources to support the delivery of special education services in all schools; and
- Foster a system-wide culture that respects families of students with disabilities and works with them as true partners.
Success of any reform to special education will require strong leadership and a full commitment from the Department: from the Chancellor’s office, the Chief Achievement Office of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners (CAO), all Central DOE offices, the districts, the expanding Children First Networks, and each and every one of the City’s 1,400 public schools. Working on behalf of our students, with or without disabilities, every staff person, led by a well informed and committed principal, must be part of a unified effort to bring about long-lasting, systemic reform. See here for the full statement.
HOW TO GET HELP FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IF YOUR CHILD HAS SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS
Last July Chancellor Klein of the New York City Department of Education announced the creation of a new cabinet level position at the DOE dedicated to improving outcomes for NYC’s students with disabilities and English Language Learners. That office now manages the Office of Special Education Initiatives, the Department of Education’s District 75, and the Office of English Language Learners (ELLs) – all of which previously operated in fairly separate realms. Parents and advocates who have difficulty arranging special education supports and services for students with disabilities can now turn to the Chief Acheivement Office for help once they’ve gone up the ladder and sought help at various levels – from their child’s school upward – without success. Below is a chart with links showing you how to climb that ladder.
- Principal or Parent Coordinator at the child’s school (see the DOE’s website or Inside Schools to find that information).
- If you know what School Support Network your child’s school works with, you can reach out to the Network leader for help. (Look on the school's webpage to find the Support Organization and see here for information about the School Support Organizations).
- If that doesn’t work, contact your District Superintendent, or District Family advocate.
- Then, if all else fails, go directly to the Division of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners,
- In addition, parents seeking help from the Special Education Call Center can call 311 and ask for help. Please note that In the past families have reported that’s not been an easy thing to do, so if you do try this, we would really like to hear from you about your experience.
CONTRACTS FOR EXCELLENCE
The New York City Department of Education (DOE) recently released their proposals for spending 2009-2010 Contracts for Excellence money from New York State. Click here to view the ARISE Coalition’s comments on the plan, submitted to the DOE on October 8th, arguing that the DOE’s proposal for spending the funds failed to include, or even consider, a substantial percentage of New York City's students with the most profound disabilities.
DOE SPECIAL EDUCATION REORGANIZATION
On July 3, 2009 Chancellor Klein created a new cabinet level position at the DOE. He appointed Laura Rodriguez as Chief Achivement Officer for Special Education and English Language Learners. That same day Garth Harries provided the Chacellor with a memorandum listing recommendations regarding New York City's special education system. On August 13th, the ARISE Coalition wrote to Chancellor Klein providing detailed comments on Garth Harries’ recommendations regarding NYC’s special education system submitted in July. See here to download a copy of the ARISE Coalition's response to Chancellor Klein.
REPORT FROM THE ARISE COALITION - EDUCATE! INCLUDE! RESPECT! - April 2009
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The past seven years of education reform have not significantly improved outcomes, experiences or services for New York City’s160,000 public school students with disabilities, according to Educate! Include! Respect! a report issued April 23, 2009 by the ARISE Coalition. The report is a review of the reform initiatives and performance data as well as the experiences of parents under the leadership of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel Klein. It describes how Mayor Bloomberg’s Children First reforms have left students with disabilities out and calls for the Department of Education (DOE) to focus on specific reform priorities. Click here to see the full press release and download a copy of the report.
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HELP FOR IMMIGRANT PARENTS OF STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and Advocates for Children of New York, both members of the ARISE Coalition, are working to assist immigrant parents of students receiving special education services. Parents whose primary language is not English have the right to receive translation and interpretation services from the DOE. Form request letters and fact sheets intended to aid parents who are not fluent in English to participate in planning their children’s special education program can be downloaded here and here. All documents are available in Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu.