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Q&A
Ensuring arts education accessibility for diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds
1:56:17
ยท
139 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about how NYC public schools ensure arts education is accessible to students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. DOE officials discuss strategies and programs in place to address this concern.
- The arts office partners with the Office of Multilingual Learners to provide professional learning for arts teachers
- Professional development focuses on accessibility for multilingual learners in classrooms
- A new website is being developed to provide specific resources for students and teachers supporting Multilingual Language Learners (MLL) needs
Rita Joseph
1:56:17
Of course, Chair Rivera.
1:56:18
Anytime.
1:56:20
Cultural competency.
1:56:21
How does New York City Public School ensure arts education is accessible to diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of New York City public schools?
1:56:29
As I mentioned in my opening, we have about 180 languages spoken in New York City.
Cordelia Veve
1:56:40
So I know that the arts office partners with the Office of Multilingual Learners, and they provide additional professional learning for arts teachers that is grounded in ensuring accessibility for multilingual learners in their classrooms.
1:56:53
And I know Paul can talk with more specificity about what those actual professional learning offerings look like, as well as the arts grants that they make that are targeted towards multilingual learners.
Rita Joseph
1:57:06
And that includes ESL teachers being at those trainings as well, right?
1:57:11
Or bilingual teachers as well.
Paul Thompson
1:57:13
So one of the things that we do, again, to support teachers throughout the year is we have three large grounding full day professional development experiences along with a full annual calendar of professional development that we provide in the boroughs embedded in all of our practices because we believe good MML practices are good for all students In the same way, good SWD practices are good for all students because you just don't know from any given moment who's in your classroom because students that aren't actually diagnosed with an IEP really may benefit from the supports that are provided by embedding these kinds of practices in in all professional development.
1:57:58
So embedded in what we do with all arts teachers are these practices.
1:58:05
There's also we have someone on on the art staff that specifically is tasked with helping to partner and think through the best SWD and MML practices.
1:58:18
And so one of the things that we are working on right now, in fact we just allocated the funding for it, is a web presence, a website that will be able to provide specific resources for students, for teachers in supporting students with MML needs.