HEALTH AND WELLNESS
More than 1,200 preschoolers with disabilities
left waiting for special education seat last year
BY ALEJANDRA O'CONNELLDOMENECH
New York state will still require
schools to keep current
mask requirements for students
and staff while indoors,
but is allowing localities to
drop outdoor mask-wearing
requirements for schoolchildren,
Governor Andrew
Cuomo last week.
The reversal comes after
state Health Commissioner Dr.
Howard Zuckersent a letter to
Rochelle P. Walensky, director
of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention revealing
the state planned to lift mask
requirements for schools and
camps.
“Indoors, mask use will
be strongly encouraged but
not required for students,
campers and staff/teachers/
counselors who are not fully
vaccinated,” the letter reads.
Outdoors, masks are not required;
students, campers,
staff, teachers and counselors
who are not fully vaccinated
are “encouraged” to wear a
mask in certain higher-risk
circumstances.
Despite the easing of state
mask requirements, the New
York City Department of
Education said it planned to
keep its current health and
safety protocol in place for
schools and require all students,
faculty and staff to continue
to wear masks indoors
with backing from the city’s
teacher union, the United
Federation of Teachers.
“The health and safety of
our students, educators and
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staff remain our top priority.
Per state guidance, local
districts may implement
standards that make the most
sense for their communities,
and we are continuing with
our universal mask policy at
our schools,” DOE spokesperson
Danielle Filson said.
The policy reversal comes
after the CDC told state officials
it will not issue changes
to its mask-wearing guidelines
for “several weeks,” according
to the governor. “In New York
state we are going to modify
the CDC guidance and allow
schools to choose no masks
outside for children … We
spoke to the CDC. It has no objection
to that,” Cuomo said.
The change also came
shortly after the governor
announced the state would
ease more COVID health and
safety guidelines once 70 percent
of adults in New York
state receive at least one dose
of a COVID-19 vaccine. “There
will still be some institutional
guidelines, large venues,
schools, public transportation,
hospitals, nursing homes but
when we hit 70 percent we will
be back to life as normal or
as normal as you can be post-
COVID,” the governor said.
Reach reporter Alejandra
O'Connell-Domenech by e-mail
at adomenech@schnepsmedia.
com.
BY ALEJANDRA O'CONNELLDOMENECH
More than 1,200 New York
City preschoolers with disabilities
did not have a seat
in a special education class at
the end of last school year, according
to an analysis of Department
of Education data.
Education advocates with
the New York City-based nonprofit
Advocates for Children
determined 1,215 preschoolers
with disabilities waited
for special education seats at
the end of the 2019-2020 school
year after conducting a data
crunch with numbers published
ina report by the DOE
on the status of preschool
special education posted last
week. Department officials
are now required to release a
data breakdown on preschool
education every year on Jan.
15, per a New York City law
passed in 2019. But the first
of its kind report was posted
nearly five months late, according
to advocates.
Although federal COVID-
19 relief funds will allow Mayor
Bill de Blasio to add 16,000
3-K and pre-K seats this fall,
expanding both programs to
all 32 districts, preschoolers
with special needs will be
again be left behind this year,
advocate say, since initiatives
to address preschool special
education shortages like
the creation of more special
education classes and hiring
more education specialists
will not take effect until the
2022-23 school year.
“The city and state continue
to expand prekindergarten
while preschoolers with the
most significant needs are
stuck waiting for seats in violation
of their legal rights,”
said Kim Sweet, executive director
of Advocates for Children
of New York. “Parents
of students with disabilities
want to know why their children
always come last.”
Comfort Mensah, who
has a child with autism, felt
the department was putting
her son’s needs on the back
burner. Her 4-year-old son
Gabriel had to wait a year
before being placed in a preschool
with special education
classes. And the difference in
Gabriel has been night and
day. Before attending special
education classes, Gabriel
was practically nonverbal
and would not engage with
other toddlers at school, Mensah
told amNewYork Metro.
But since he started receiving
services in April of this year,
he speaks more and is excited
to go to school for in-person
days every other week.
“He gets up in the morning
and says good morning,
Mommy,” Mensah said. “Do
you want breakfast, mommy
… It’s been amazing to see
him show improvement and
I’m hopeful.” Not only are the
specialized classes good for
Gabriel’s learning they are
good for his family’s finances
as well. Mensah is now working
full-time again as a sterile
processing technician after
quitting her job last year
to focus on finding Gabriel
the specialized attention he
needs.
“The state and the city
must end this civil rights violation,”
Policy Director of Advocates
for Children Randi
Levine said. “Advocates are
urging the city help prevent
further seat shortages by taking
steps to stop public school
special education teachers
to take jobs at communitybased
organizations where
they can make thousands
of more dollars. One step
would be approving a salary
parity for public preschool
special education teachers
with pre-K special education
teachers at community-based
organizations.”
“We’re making an historic
investment in preschool special
education to ensure all
children with disabilities
have access to a strong start
and the programs they need,
including high-quality inclusive
setting,” DOE spokesperson
Sarah Casasnovas said.
“This investment will build
on the progress we’ve made
in recent years to serving our
youngest students with disabilities
by creating hundreds
of new special class seats, hiring
additional teachers and
more.”
Reach reporter Alejandra
O'Connell-Domenech by e-mail
at adomenech@schnepsmedia.
com.
Photo via Getty Images
Photo via Getty Images
New York state relaxing school
mask requirements for outdoors
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