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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Mark Gonsalvez, Co-President of Citywide Council on Special Education, on Special Education Funding Needs
7:51:31
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3 min
Mark Gonsalvez, Co-President of the Citywide Council on Special Education, testifies about the urgent need for increased funding in special education programs in New York City. He emphasizes four key funding requirements totaling $214 million for various special education initiatives.
- Calls for $120 million for autism specialized programs (NEST, Horizon, AIMS) to expand to all 29 districts
- Requests $50 million for additional preschool special education seats
- Advocates for $38 million for preschool special education related services providers
- Urges $6 million for Saturday and weekday Academy programs to provide compensatory services
Mark Gonsalvez
7:51:31
No problem, chair.
7:51:32
Thank you, chair Joseph.
7:51:33
Thank you, chair Brennan.
7:51:35
Appreciate your time.
7:51:36
My name is Mark Gonzales.
7:51:37
I'm co president of the citywide council on special education, but I am speaking here tonight as a parent of two students with IEPs.
7:51:45
The proposed education budget for FY '26 falls far short of what's needed for students with disabilities.
7:51:53
Hundred and twenty, fifty, thirty eight, six.
7:51:57
Those four numbers are just part what we really need for our students with disabilities.
7:52:01
Hundred and twenty million dollars is needed for the autism specialized programs, NEST, Horizon, AIMS.
7:52:08
Fifty million for special education preschool seats.
7:52:11
$38,000,000 for preschool special, related services, and 6,000,000 for the weekend and weekday academy programs.
7:52:21
Chair Joseph and Brennan, you both spoke today earlier about how great Nest and Horizon are.
7:52:26
They're phenomenal.
7:52:27
They started three districts where they guaranteed all kindergartners seats.
7:52:31
We need to get out to the other 29 districts.
7:52:34
Right now, what's happening is you heard from, deputy chancellor Foti.
7:52:39
They are highly sought
Simone Hawkins
7:52:41
Why are they sought after?
Mark Gonsalvez
7:52:42
Because you can't get into one of them.
7:52:44
There's waiting lists.
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And what's happening?
7:52:46
Where are the kids going?
7:52:47
They're going to Carter cases.
7:52:49
That 1,300,000,000.0?
7:52:50
Because the DOE isn't doing their job.
7:52:53
They're going to d 75, more restricted programs, which are costing much more than if we do Nest and Horizon.
7:53:00
That's the reality.
7:53:02
We need the funding.
7:53:03
Hundred and 20,000,000 over the next three years, get it in all 29 districts.
7:53:07
50,000,000 for preschool special education.
7:53:09
We heard testimony from FODI.
7:53:11
Again, 06/2016 kids are waiting today for a seat.
7:53:15
You've invested 55 last year for 700 seats.
7:53:18
We need another 50,000,000 for the 620 seats that are gonna be needed next year.
7:53:23
We know it.
7:53:24
It's happened year after year after year.
7:53:26
38,000,000 for preschool special education related service providers.
7:53:30
We heard testimony today, nearly 11,000 preschool special education kids aren't getting their related services because they don't have providers.
7:53:38
We heard deputy chancellor Foti talk about how they will do with what they got.
7:53:42
Well, they don't have enough money.
7:53:44
They need that $38,000,000.
7:53:45
They need it now so we can have our kids get the services they need.
7:53:48
And we need 6,000,000 for their Saturday Academy and weekday Academy programs.
7:53:53
They're phenomenal.
7:53:54
My younger son has been doing it the last three years because he hasn't been getting the services in his DOE school.
7:54:00
Now I hope next year he doesn't need it, but there's gonna be plenty of other kids who aren't getting the services, and we need to make sure we have the Saturday Academy and the weekday Academy available for those kids so they can get the compensatory seats and services they need.
7:54:14
Finally, I'll say we need more literacy supports and dyslexia supports.
7:54:19
IRead is great, but we heard it's in eight schools and adding three more.
7:54:24
We've got Bronx Literacy Academy, which is phenomenal.
7:54:26
We've got Brooklyn Literacy Academy, which is phenomenal.
7:54:29
That's 80 more seats for next year.
7:54:30
That's a drop in the bucket.
7:54:32
We need a program in every district, minimum.
Rita Joseph
7:54:37
It's not going
Mark Gonsalvez
7:54:37
to happen in twenty years.
7:54:38
It needs to happen in the next two or three years.
7:54:41
We can't afford to wait.
7:54:42
One twenty, fifty, thirty eight, and six.
7:54:45
That's what our students need.
7:54:47
Chair Brennan, you've been talking about investments.
7:54:49
The best investment we can do is investing our own kids and doing it now.
7:54:53
It's the best ROI we've got.
7:54:56
Thank you, chair Brennan.
7:54:56
Thank you, chair Joseph.