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Q&A
Council Member Rita Joseph questions DOE on special education services and budgets
2:56:03
·
4 min
Council Member Rita Joseph engages in a Q&A session with DOE representatives, primarily Deputy Chancellor Christina Foti, about special education services, waiting lists, and budgets. The discussion covers preschool special education, integrated special education classes, and various service providers needed for these programs.
- The longest waitlist for preschool special education is for SEIT (Special Education Itinerant Teacher) services
- DOE is working on bringing more services in-house and maximizing the use of existing resources
- There's a focus on increasing inclusive recommendations and reducing reliance on outside services
- The council member requests specific budget and headcount information for various special education programs
Rita Joseph
2:56:03
Which special education services has the longest waiting wait list and what's causing the delay in providing this service?
Christina Foti
2:56:10
For preschool special education the longest waitlist is for, excuse me one second here, I have it.
2:56:29
Thank you, yes.
2:56:31
So our see it services are where kids are struggling to provide those services.
2:56:39
That is not a service that we provide in house, that is a contracted service, that we're looking to do more on that front.
2:56:46
The more that we can make inclusive recommendations, the less reliance we have on outside services.
2:56:52
That is why we've been really pushing for our in house evaluation sites.
2:56:56
Kids are 9% more likely to go to an inclusive recommendation if New York City Public Schools evaluates them.
2:57:03
So that's a big part of this process is why we're pushing for additional evaluators.
2:57:09
Monolingual counseling and vision services are another place that we're looking to do more.
2:57:15
We as you know, recently the division of inclusive and accessible education has taken over taken d 75 back in our umbrella.
2:57:23
That's where vision services lie.
2:57:24
We're looking to maximize those services.
Rita Joseph
2:57:26
You will maximize.
2:57:27
Okay.
2:57:27
What type of service providers are needed for integrated special education classes?
Tina Puccio
2:57:31
You know, teachers are a big
Christina Foti
2:57:33
part of the this puzzle for integrated.
2:57:35
We the chancellor spoke about the 3,700 incoming teachers, preschool teachers will will likely come out in cohort as well.
2:57:43
You heard D.
2:57:44
C.
2:57:44
Hawkins talk about all that we're doing to make the most of our contracts.
2:57:52
That enhancement contract for 4410s has done so much to stabilize the workforce.
2:57:58
So we are not seeing losing providers, which is really great.
2:58:02
That's a big difference from last year.
2:58:04
But we will be doing more and more to bring more 4410s online.
Rita Joseph
2:58:09
What is the current budget headcount and number of vacancies for the committee on preschool special education administrative staff?
Christina Foti
2:58:19
I will need to get back to you on vacancies chair.
Rita Joseph
2:58:21
Okay.
2:58:23
And you said some of these services will be provided in house, correct?
Christina Foti
2:58:27
That's right.
Rita Joseph
2:58:27
And how much would it cost to provide these services in house?
Christina Foti
2:58:32
I can get back to you on the head count needed, Chair.
2:58:36
The related service providers are key for that.
2:58:40
We are also in our last testimony testified needing about 47 more CPSC staff.
Rita Joseph
2:58:46
And what's the long delay with set services?
2:58:49
I mean, that's a lot we're hearing from providers.
2:58:51
Delay for SET services?
2:58:53
Long delays?
2:58:54
What's what's the problem that it's causing a delay with the SETs?
Christina Foti
2:58:58
Chair, just to clarify, do you mean SET?
2:59:01
SET.
2:59:01
SET for preschool?
2:59:02
Okay.
2:59:03
So our See It providers, again, they're largely contracted.
2:59:15
And we would love to bring those providers in house so that we can do assignments just like we we do for our special education teachers and their related service providers.
Rita Joseph
2:59:23
Are we reaching out to community based organizations for that service as well?
Christina Foti
2:59:27
We're working as as much as we can with all of our yes.
2:59:31
We're working as much as we can with our community partners and contracted agents.
Rita Joseph
2:59:35
And trying to hire and bring it in house so we can do that, right?
2:59:38
So, what's the current budgeted and the head counts for SEAT?
Christina Foti
2:59:42
I'd have to get back to you on that, Chair.
Rita Joseph
2:59:43
Okay, and also we'll send those up in the follow-up.
2:59:48
We'll send that up in the follow-up questions for you.
2:59:53
So some of our stuff got baseline, which we're really happy about because that was our sesame word of the day.
3:00:00
Sesame Street word of the day was bus baseline, and I think the administration heard it very clear.
3:00:07
So in the executive plan, the $4,000,000 for high impact tutoring baseline starting in fiscal twenty twenty six, This program works with Expanded Ed schools to bring tutoring to students and most impacted by COVID nineteen.
3:00:20
How many schools have partnered with Expanded Expanded?
3:00:27
Nobody knows?
Daniel Weisberg
3:00:29
We'll we'll get we'll get that number to you, chair.
3:00:32
Sorry.
Rita Joseph
3:00:33
Oh, you'll you'll get that.
3:00:34
Okay.
3:00:34
My partner has a question.