Q&A
Strategies for addressing chronic absenteeism in special education
3:16:20
ยท
3 min
DOE officials outline various strategies to address chronic absenteeism among students with disabilities, including home instruction options and specialized programs. Council Member Rita Joseph emphasizes the importance of accessible school buildings and community-based education.
- Options for home and hospital instruction for medically documented reasons
- Creation of remote and hybrid high schools to address attendance issues
- Emphasis on creating welcoming, inclusive environments in schools
- Discussion of reducing travel distances for students with disabilities
- Joseph stresses the need for accessible school buildings in local communities
Rita Joseph
3:16:20
And students who are chronically absent, how do you how do you address that?
3:16:23
You go to their homes, you engage the family.
3:16:25
How do how do we make sure we're getting them back into the building?
Suzanne Sanchez
3:16:29
Yeah.
3:16:31
When when any student in New York City public schools, whether whether they have an IEP or not, if they're experiencing chronic absenteeism, if it's due to a medical issue, if there's a medically document medically documented reason, that could be physical or psychiatric.
3:16:47
We provide temp we may we have the option to provide temporary home and home and hospital instruction so the student can receive their instruction at home.
3:16:56
This is also a requirement of New York State.
3:17:00
They can also be provided at a hospital or a non home setting.
3:17:04
We are also have remote and hybrid high schools that have been started by New York City public schools, in effort to work towards this issue as well.
3:17:14
School attendance is is the most critical step to any component of a student learning.
3:17:19
Of course, we I mean, if you're not there, you're not learning.
3:17:24
And this is why we have heard you have heard throughout testimony today about our goal to prioritize the expansion of specialized programs that create welcoming inclusive environments for all learners where they feel and their families feel supported and welcomed in their school community.
3:17:44
Chair Choo, often we are focused on having the child who has a disability fit in as opposed to creating programs that work for everybody, and that is a lot that is why, Deputy Chancellor Foti is leaning into this work so deeply.
3:17:59
It's around creating spaces that children and their families want to be there.
3:18:04
Are there seed program chair, which is Saturdays?
3:18:06
We launched seed, during the omicron virus outbreak, and I really thought no one was gonna come.
3:18:13
And not only did they come, they haven't stopped coming.
3:18:17
On Saturdays, parents are getting their child dressed.
3:18:19
They are coming there because they're they say, not me, their child they feel welcome.
3:18:25
They feel like that is a place where their child is understood, and their gifts and their differences are celebrated.
3:18:31
And that's what we're trying to promote throughout New York City Public Schools.
Rita Joseph
3:18:34
I've been saying that since I got here.
Suzanne Sanchez
3:18:36
Well, let's
Rita Joseph
3:18:36
And that's exactly when we talk about the lack of transportation.
3:18:40
I tell students not to hate the school but hate the transportation system.
Suzanne Sanchez
3:18:44
And it when we have more more programs closer to home, that becomes less
Rita Joseph
3:18:48
And but we have to also make those buildings accessible for our students to be able to enter and leave these buildings where they don't have to travel so far to get the same quality education that they can have in their communities.
3:18:59
I've been saying that since 2022.
Suzanne Sanchez
3:19:01
In agreement, agreed, and their families too.
Christina Foti
3:19:05
And, Terry, we gave you proof of concept of that.
3:19:08
We you've been saying it, and we we did it.
3:19:10
We said we were gonna do it in those 3 pilot districts, and we testified today.
3:19:14
2.7 miles on average.
3:19:16
We have our 5 year olds on school buses.
3:19:18
That's down to 1.5 miles.
3:19:20
So we know what to do.
3:19:21
We need to position be positioned to do it.
Rita Joseph
3:19:23
Let's get it done, and let's make sure we have numbers attached to those requests.