Families Helping Families

We are Desperately Seeking and Albanian speaking speech and language pathologist to accept a student's case. If you are an Albanian speaking speech and language pathologist and available to accept the case please notify us immediately and notify us as to what rate you require for this service!

To all enhanced rate SETSS providers and agencies of enhanced rate SETSS providers. If you are confused in the change in law regarding parentally placed students and enhanced rate SETSS, or if you need a better understanding of how your progress reports need to be written to support enhanced rate SETSS, please feel free to contact the Family's Helping Families agency to arrange a consultation with our very knowledgeable and talented advocate. Do not let the changes in the law sneak up on you and cause your students to not receive what they require to make progress. There are easy ways around this law but you need to be aware of them. [email protected]

Eye opening guidance document from NYSED regarding extending student's eligibility for special education service through and until the end of the school year they turn 22 years of age.

www.counsel.nysed.gov

This just in from:

Miriam A. Nunberg (she/her)
Senior Consultant, Education Law and Policy Institute
New York Law School / 185 W. Broadway New York, N.Y. 10013

Dear Parents,

I am writing from the Education Law and Policy Institute (ELPI) at New York Law School to kindly ask that you share the below information with your local communities.

As you may be aware, the ELPI has been examining the NYC DOE’s practices for evaluating students who may have a disability. We are also focusing on the DOE’s evaluation of students suspected of having Emotional Disabilities (ED).

We need your help promoting our confidential survey to parents and guardians of NYC DOE students who might have been:

Given an unhelpful evaluation / told to get their own evaluation;
Classified with an Emotional Disability (ED);
Recommended for District 75 due to an ED label;
Not given adequate support for their mental health needs or;
Given difficulties with 504 plan development, implementation, or annual renewal.

If you know of anyone who might fall into these categories, ELPI would love to hear from them.

We have developed a completely confidential survey, which you can share to your network here:

English form: tinyurl.com/ELPI-parent-survey

Spanish form: http://tinyurl.com/encuesta-parapadres

We hope you consider promoting our survey and encouraging participation by sharing these links to your website, social media platform, networks, and newsletters.

Attached to this letter, please also find a sample email in both English and Spanish (PDF versions) that could be shared with your community members and a graphic that can be shared on social media, websites, and e-newsletters.

All information provided through our survey will be kept confidential unless express consent is provided from the parent or guardian.

Sincerely,
Miriam A. Nunberg (she/her)
Senior Consultant, Education Law and Policy Institute
New York Law School / 185 W. Broadway New York, N.Y. 10013
And
Thom Barranca (he / him)
Racial Justice Fellow NYLS 23'-24'
J.D. 2023 | New York Law School
[email protected]

Encuesta de Educación Especial / 504 del Instituto de Derecho y Póliza Educativa (ELPI) de New York Law School ELPI está buscando padres de estudiantes con discapacidades en las escuelas públicas de la ciudad de Nueva York para ayudar a mejorar la educación especial y los servicios 504 a través de abogacía para una reforma sistémica. Estamos considerando presentar una queja ante la Oficina de Derechos ...

Attention all parents of I.S. and H.S. special needs students: IF THEY NEED IT. DO NOT FORGET TO ADD PAPER TESTS TO YOUR CHILD'S TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS! There is deadline for ordering the tests.

For those of you who have recently received a letter from your school regarding the S*x Ed Curriculum and who want to to decline (opt out). Please see a very ell crafted letter by a parent from PS 37 as your model letter.

Redacting 2023 letter re hiv curriculum
Re: (NAME OF CHILD and GRADE) Growing Up and Staying Safe: New York City K-12 “HIV Education” Curriculum and other “health” or “human body” classes

Dear Dr. Regan,

On or about __________________________ was sent home to parents regarding a curriculum titled “Growing up and Staying Safe: New York City K-12 HIV Education Curriculum”. This curriculum was quietly released by the NYC DOE this September and referenced to in the “parent facing” letters sent home that did little to describe what is actually in the curriculum, and certainly did a good job in being opaque. There is reference to being able to find materials online but then fail to direct where online to find the information. Then there is a very confusing statement about being able to “opt-out” of classes, a tear of sheet offering an opt-out, but then a statement that there are no opt-out lessons for Kindergarten level students.
The DOE and school administrators surely must have anticipated that many parents will take issue with the school’s intention to teach very young students lessons with questionable content that crosses the lines of parental rights and religious freedoms.
There needs to be clarification by the school on exactly what lessons regarding sensitive topics such as s*xuality, s*x, gender, the human body, ge****ls, and political dogma the school will be teaching my kindergarten student, the exact dates those lessons will take place, how to opt-out, and of what you are opting out.
After using my skills to do some independent research, I have taken the time to review in detail the new DOE curriculum called “Growing Up and Staying Safe: New York City K-12 HIV Education Curriculum”. Upon finding and inspecting the actual Power Point presentation slides disseminated to teachers for Kindergarten, I have determined that my child is NOT to be exposed to the materials contained in Lesson 3 titled “My Amazing Body Belongs to Me!” and the inappropriate book “These are my EYES, This is my NOSE, This is my V***A, These are my TOES,” by Lexx Brown-James, in any format, including but not limited to print, audio, visual, electronic media, summary materials or teacher-led lesson.
I hereby DEMAND, that I be allowed to opt-out my (NAME OF CHILD) from the above named lessons, and any lessons with similar substantive content, so that he can attend the rest of the school day and receive his IEP mandated therapeutic speech and occupational therapy sessions without being exposed to s*xual content inappropriate for 4 and 5 year olds.
If the school refuses to allow my requested opt-out, then I hereby DEMAND to be informed of the exact dates on which the above referenced lessons, and any lessons with similar substantive content, are to be presented to my child’s class so that I can keep him home on those days.
The Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures the fundamental right of parents to direct the care, upbringing, and education of my child. See Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997). The Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right of parents to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children. See Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 (2000).
My poor NAME OF CHILD, who has a disability, is doing his best to overcome his/her challenges. NAME OF CHILD who cannot yet even say his own name or make it through the school day without wetting his pants, is too young for certain things. It is my place to explain sensitive and private issues to him when he is ready; it is not the place of the government to interfere.

Sincerely,

_____________________
NAME OF PARENT/GURDIAN

Families Helping Families Spectacular Seasonal Fundraiser is Back for 2021 – Beautiful holiday wreaths and more. Decorate your home and support FHF. Whether you’re celebrating Autumn, Hanukkah, Christmas, or the New Year this Fundraiser works for you! These are fantastic deals with FREE SHIPPING, all for a great cause! Buy a beautiful fresh seasonal centerpiece, wreath, garland, or bough at a great price and with free delivery. Each item ordered will be shipped free directly to your front door! You can even have your gifts ship to different people (grandma, in-laws, aunt, etc.) and locations, all from one order. Every item you order will help support FHF’s efforts to provide quality programs, events, and services
for special needs children and their entire families.
Go to this link and get all of your holiday gift giving shopping done at one time!

FHF Holiday Wreath Fundraiser 2021 ! | Families Helping Families NYC Back for 2021 – Beautiful holiday wreaths and more. Decorate your home and support FHF. ...

Has anyone considered what will happen after September 27th when the teachers who choose not to get vaccinated are fired? I have! I believe that our children's classrooms will be filled with unlicensed teachers, and if they are licensed they certainly will not be licensed special education teachers! How many of you have had situations when your child has had a long term sub and you found out that they were not a licensed special education teacher?!? I don't think the DOE has a hiring plan. I believe they feel that they can coerce all the teachers with this ultimatum but they are wrong! I believe that they not only don't have a hiring plan but they don't have a training plan for the new hired "teachers "and they are relying on their strong arm tactics working, and because of that neanderthal mentality our children will have another wasted year with unqualified substitutes "teaching" them. Think about it, how will the DOE find the time to train all of these these brand new teachers the curriculum, effective teaching strategies, and effective classroom management strategies? Parents you have to go to the CEC meeting and demand that the district superintendent share with us the hiring and training plan! If there is no hiring and training plan this strong arm tactic needs it's to be reversed. Teachers should be able to choose between getting vaccinated and being tested! And please note that I am PRO VACCINE and fully vaccinated but I am also PRO CHOICE.

Please see: New York State Education Department Guidance Document on "Over-aged Students ". Parents, if your special education student "aged out " of the system this school year due to turning 21 years of age, GOOD NEWS! They are now eligible to stay in school one more year!

www.nysed.gov

This just in from the New York State Education Department on Preschool and the Least Restrictive Environment.

www.p12.nysed.gov

If you can't get your disabled child to a vaccination center because of the severity of their disability Notify NYC: In-home vaccinations expanding to NYers ages 75 years & older & those all ages with disabilities: on.nyc.gov/vaccineathome or 877-829-4692

[ NYC] COVID-19 Vaccination - Homebound Residents New York City is offering in-home COVID-19 vaccinations to any City resident who requests one. Any New Yorker requesting in-home vaccination will now have the option to request their vaccine brand preference (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson).