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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by Mary Merkel, Equal Justice Works Fellow at The Bronx Defenders

4:14:05

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3 min

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      Mary Merkel, an Equal Justice Works fellow working as an education attorney at The Bronx Defenders, testifies about the urgent need for improvements in special education services for students with emotional disabilities. She presents several asks based on her clients' experiences and shares a detailed case study of a student named Nathan to illustrate the challenges faced by these students.

      • Merkel calls for improved access to alternative school options, ending segregated District 75 high schools for students with emotional disabilities, and decreasing the time for new school placements.
      • She highlights the "special education to School to Prison pipeline" and requests reasonable accommodations and healing-centered supports for students with emotional disabilities.
      • The case study of Nathan demonstrates the severe impact of inadequate special education support, unsafe school environments, and delays in appropriate placement on a student's education and life outcomes.