As the end of the school year marked the exit of several top special education officials at the DOE, we wondered when departing Garth Harries, senior coordinator for special education, would issue his recommendations to improve special education services.
Today, Harries met with the Arise Coalition at Advocates for Children's Midtown offices to share his final report just a few hours before Chancellor Klein announced a new special education head at Tweed.
"There are recommendations in the document we have not seen in prior reports, and, if implemented well, could make a big difference for kids with disabilities," said Kim Sweet, AFC's executive director. In particular, she noted that recommendations called for aligning special education processes, such as admission and school placement, to coincide with general education deadlines. (Read the full report here.)
David Bloomfield, professor of education at Brooklyn College and former parent member of the Citywide Council on High Schools, was less optimistic.
"It's a catalogue of bromides that we've all seen before," he said after the meeting with Harries.
Chancellor Klein sent Harries' recommendations to stakeholders across the city, asking for feedback by mid-August. He also announced the appointment of Laura Rodriguez to a new cabinet position: chief achievement officer for special education and English language learners.
"The naming of a cabinet-level officer to oversee special education and English language learners is a very significant decision that could have very positive consequences for these populations," said Sweet. She said this is the first time that these vulnerable populations will have high-ranking representation, as Rodriguez reports directly to the chancellor.
According to the DOE press release, Rodriguez has held numerous positions within the DOE, including director of high school bilingual education and ESL. Her top deputy will be Dov Rokeach, current District 8 superintendent, who, among his various positions, also served as director of high school special education.
Rodriguez and Rokeach will review feedback on Harries' report, and then decide which recommendations to put into action.
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