THE NYC SPECIAL EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE IS NOW THE COLLABORATIVE FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AS IT EXPANDS PROGRAMMING TO EMBRACE LEADING FOR EQUITY AND INCLUSION
NYC Charter Schools Focus on Inclusive Education for Special Populations
The Collaborative Currently Includes 205 NYC Charter Schools
Expanded Programming Helps Charter Schools Develop High Quality Inclusive Education Programs
(NEW YORK, NY) – The New York City Special Education Collaborative, an initiative of the New York City Charter School Center, is now The Collaborative for Inclusive Education. The change comes as a result of charter schools’ continued commitment to growing their capacity to serve ALL students. As the charter sector has evolved, the Collaborative has expanded its programming to encompass an anti-bias approach to education, helping schools develop high quality inclusive educational environments that ensure equity and access for all students.
“Delivering greater equity and access is essential to New York City students. Over the past several years, the Collaborative has evolved its approach to inclusion – this name change signifies our continued commitment to paving the way and advancing robust initiatives that empower charter schools to serve all students well,” said James Merriman, CEO of the Charter Center. “The Collaborative for Inclusive Education seeks to facilitate the conversation on how we approach equity to ensure that special populations, in charter schools and around the city, not only have access to crucial services, but are also thriving.”
“In a truly inclusive educational environment, students should not all be getting the same thing, but rather all students should be getting what they need to be successful,” said Melissa Katz, Director of The Collaborative for Inclusive Education. “We believe the work to ensure access to equitable opportunities for students cannot be limited to conversations only about their disability or language learner status, as this ignores the multiple identities of our students, and the intersecting forms of oppression they face as they exist in more than one marginalized group.”
The Collaborative for Inclusive Education is a membership-based organization that currently works with more than 85 percent of NYC charter schools. It advocates for equity and access for ALL student populations, including those who are historically underserved, such as students with disabilities, multilingual learners, immigrants, and other special populations. For the 2019-2020 school year, the Collaborative for Inclusive Education will continue to support NYC charter schools through both virtual and onsite support, staff professional development, access to national experts, leadership team learning, advocacy, and a comprehensive resource library.
Read more about The Collaborative’s name change or visit their website at NYCsped.org. For more information on special populations and NYC charter schools, check out our students with disabilities and multilingual learner fact sheets.
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