Fix school funding inequity and stop
hurting children with disabilities
By Marco Damiani
The education system for
New York City students with
autism and other developmental
disabilities has reached a
crisis. For decades, special ed
preschool and school age programs
have not been funded
at the same level as public
schools. With the stroke of her
pen, Gov. Kathy Hochul can
resolve this funding inequity
crisis.
As a provider of education
programs for some of our city’s
students with significant disabilities,
we can’t accept anything
but funding parity. Over
the last five years, 33 4410 preschools,
as their known, have
closed in New York City; that’s
more than half of the closures
across the state. The impact
of these programs closing is
not only hurting our children,
their families and school staff,
but it also will come at a steeper
cost to society if we don’t
do something now. Research
shows that special education
programs can enhance a child’s
independence and likelihood
for a productive future.
Children are placed in
these state-approved specialized
schools because New York
City’s public school districts
don’t have appropriate services
to support them.
Since 2012, state aid for local
school districts has increased
46%. During the same period
of time, the 853 schools
– which serve school aged children,
Photo via Getty Images
have seen a 26% increase
in funding, while 4410 schools
have only seen a 10% increase.
This year, the State Education
Department requested a 7%
increase for our schools but
the NYS Division of Budget
approved only 4%. You do the
math.
Without meaningful annual
increases at the same level as
every other public school in
the state, it will be impossible
for these schools to retain and
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recruit certified special education
teachers. The New York
City Board of Education can
lure them away with salaries,
often, $30,000 or more higher.
We need certified special
education teachers to implement
Individualized Education
Plans. You can’t blame teachers
for leaving. But how do you
explain staff turnover to a 4 or
5-year-old with autism and to
their parents? Many of our children
thrive on familiarity and
routines. Changing teachers at
any point during the school
year can erase the progress that
a child has made, and possibly
lead to regressions.
Chris Treiber, associate
executive director of children’s
services, with the InterAgency
Council of Developmental Disabilities
Agencies, Inc., said this
day was inevitable, after years
of unequal funding.
“Our schools always knew
their teachers would stay a year
or two,” Treiber said. “They’d
get experience, leave for public
school and make more money.
It was a revolving door. The
problem now is that no one
is coming in and everyone is
leaving.”
A recent IAC survey found
that 98% of IAC member 4410
and 853 schools in the city have
received fewer resumes than
the previous year. With a severe
staffing shortage, 90 preschool
classes remain closed, while 34
school age classes can’t open.
The teacher vacancy rates in
both the 4410 and 853 schools
nearly doubled since the 2016-
2017 school year, the survey
found. Last year, there was a
33% teacher vacancy in the preschools
and 29% in school age
programs, according to IAC.
A parent of one of our preschoolers
extended an open
invitation for the governor to
visit our schools and see what
our students need.
The students we support in
our programs are public school
students. They deserve the
same benefits as any other students
in the school system.
Without the governor’s signature,
there will be more closings
and no guarantees that
preschoolers and school-age
students with significant disabilities
will have access to a free
and appropriate education.
“I want to see this come
across the finish line, and make
sure that the governor signs
it into law,” Assembly Member
Charles Fall, of Staten Island,
said during a recent rally.
So do we. Children’s futures
depend on it.
Marco Damiani is CEO of
AHRC NYC.
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