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Discussion on students awaiting early childhood education special seats

1:54:52

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Council Member Shahana K. Hanif inquires about the number of students still awaiting early childhood education special seats. DOE representatives John Hammer and Simone Hawkins provide information on current numbers and plans to address the issue.

360 students are still awaiting self-contained special class seats, with an additional 90 awaiting integrated seats
DOE is opening additional classes with a $55 million investment
456 seats were opened in September, with plans to open 284 more in the coming weeks
DOE aims to provide partial services and work with families while addressing the seat shortage

Shahana K. Hanif

1:54:52

Thank you.

1:54:52

I wanted to follow-up on the 450 students awaiting early childhood education special education seats.

1:55:01

How many of those students are still awaiting special education seats?

Simone Hawkins

1:55:05

I'm gonna call up my colleague, John.

1:55:07

Thank you.

1:55:08

You are ready.

John Hammer

1:55:12

Thank you for that question, council member.

1:55:21

So, you know, as of the January, there were 360 students that were awaiting a self contained special class seat and there were additional 90 students who are awaiting an integrated seat.

Shahana K. Hanif

1:55:34

So as of so that means as of today, 360 are still awaiting?

John Hammer

1:55:41

Yep.

1:55:41

That that's the that's the data that we have available here today.

1:55:43

I can I'm happy

Shahana K. Hanif

1:55:44

to What are what's what's happening to ensure that these students access special education seats?

John Hammer

1:55:50

We're opening we're opening some additional classes this year.

1:55:53

So there was an investment of $55,000,000 to open additional special class seats across our city.

1:56:00

There were 456 seats opened in September, and we're working to open another 284 seats this month and and in the in the weeks that that the weeks to come to ensure students get access to these seats.

Shahana K. Hanif

1:56:14

And do you anticipate that all of the students who are now not receiving their care will be in a seat.

John Hammer

1:56:21

We're gonna we're gonna do the best that we can with the resources that we have available to us.

1:56:25

We're gonna work with families to arrange partial services in the form of special education itinerant teacher services, speech occupational therapy services as students require to do the best that we can to serve all students.

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Council Member Rita Joseph questions DOE on early childhood center closures and neighborhood assessments

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Council member's concerns about students with disabilities lacking access to special education seats