PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lupe Hernandez, Parent of NYC Public School Student
3:45:20
·
3 min
Lupe Hernandez, a parent of a NYC public school student with a 12-month IEP, shared her experiences with the Summer Rising program. She highlighted both positive aspects and significant challenges, particularly regarding transportation, staffing, and program implementation for students with disabilities.
- Transportation issues included problems with bus schedules and unused rideshare vouchers
- Staffing concerns arose when her child was left unsupervised due to confusion about program placement and lack of paraprofessional support
- The Community-Based Organization (CBO) portion of the program failed to provide promised field trips, citing lack of funds
Lupe Hernandez
3:45:20
Good afternoon, chair Joseph, chair Stevens.
3:45:23
Thank you so much for holding this hearing today.
3:45:25
My name is Lupe Hernandez, and I'm here speaking.
3:45:28
My own personal capacity City as a parent of New York City public school student, one that has been participating in summarizing, but also has a 12 month IEP, so has been attending school year round.
3:45:41
And I can tell you that since the beginning of summarizing, although there were some improvements, and I will acknowledge that.
3:45:51
And even acknowledge the fact that his academic day morning was great, and it's because it's the same location he's been going to for all of his elementary school.
3:46:03
But busing for the summarizing piece still seems to be not adequate.
3:46:10
Even with rideshare, we experienced a voucher that never was actually validated.
3:46:16
So therefore, we never got the opportunity to use rideshare during summarizing.
3:46:25
And his first day trying to access the summarizing piece, he has a para.
3:46:31
So that para, unfortunately, I guess, was not there the remainder of the day.
3:46:37
And when he started, they didn't know which program he was supposed to be in.
3:46:42
So he was by himself in the cafeteria with staff while all the other kids were in a in the CBO portion of the afternoon, and he was traumatized because he it was they were asking him what program he's in.
3:47:00
And he had to text and call me to ask me where am I supposed to go, which I find extremely problematic.
3:47:10
And It deterred him from wanting to ever go back and try again, and that was heartbreaking because that was supposed to be the fun part of the day.
3:47:22
CBO, they're they actually testified education alliance and I will speak to the piece of funding because he went to them last year, which I'm still waiting for reimbursements for the rideshare from last year, by the way.
3:47:37
But this year, the orientation stated that they would have field trips every Thursday, Friday.
3:47:46
Not a single field trip.
3:47:48
The CVO did not get to take the kids on a single field trip.
3:47:54
The only field trip he went on was through the classroom, through his through the 12 month IEP, that teacher took the class to the Apple Store.
3:48:02
But that was the only field trip that he got to participate in, and that was, I think, something he was looking forward to the most.
3:48:09
And when he found out they essentially told us in the beginning, we're not doing field trips.
3:48:14
We don't have the money to do field trips.
3:48:17
Meanwhile, there were other CBOs that were actually participating and taking kids every week.
3:48:23
So in equity.
3:48:24
Nest program kids also busing is pick you know, the children are waiting from 12 in the afternoon to when their program ends to get picked up at 3 PM, which we've been advocating and saying this is extremely problematic.
3:48:39
If these kids are gone by 12, the bus should be picking him up and taking him home at 12.
3:48:44
Thank you so much.
