14. Activism for educational justice for and by students of color and Disabled students is underway today. It is as important in the present as it has been in the past.

Activism for educational justice for and by students of color and Disabled students is underway today. It is as important in the present as it has been in the past.

Disabled students, students of color, and their advocates have secured access to public education, but New York City students today do not experience educational justice. Multiple forms of segregation continue to exist, requiring ongoing scrutiny and activism. Parents and students advocate for themselves daily. Groups like IntegrateNYC and Teens Take Charge, led by students, and NYC Alliance for School Integration and Desegregation, led by parents, are still fighting for a more just education system and against racial segregation. Parents work together in local organizations like the New Settlement Parent Action Committee and in city- and state-wide organizations like the Alliance for Quality Education. Youth organizations like the Urban Youth Collaborative fight against policing and discipline practices that target students of color and Disabled students.

Most New York City public schools remain off limits to students with mobility disabilities because of architectural barriers¹ and many students face challenges with transportation to school.² Today, many Disabled students learn in separate classes or in specialized schools attended only by other Disabled students.³ While “mainstreaming” and “inclusion” are often publicly stated as the Department of Education’s goal for students with disabilities, some students never have the chance to learn alongside their peers. Resources and supports they need may be available only in separate schools or classes. Selective admission screens as well as flawed or biased assessments keep students from gaining access to certain classrooms.

Parents of Disabled children advocate on their behalf from an early age. The Arise Coalition fights for physical access to buildings, and Parents to Improve School Transportation (PIST NYC) organizes to improve bus service for Disabled students. Other parent groups like AHRC and IncludeNYC, and legal groups like Advocates For Children, continue the struggle for adequately funded learning supports, inclusion of Disabled students in classrooms, and preparation for inclusion in society as adults.

While there are currently no student-led organizations focused specifically on disability in K-12 education that we are aware of, some individuals have spoken out about divisive screening practices.⁴ Groups like the Student Organization for Every Disability United for Progress (S.O.F.E.D.U.P) at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Coalition for Students with Disabilities fight for greater funding to ensure all forms of access to higher education.

Christina Veiga, “Few Options: Many NYC High Schools Are Off Limits to Students With Disabilities,” Chalkbeat New York, March 1, 2022, https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2022/3/1/22957201/nyc-schools-high-school-admissions-students-with-disabilities ↩︎
Kim Sweet, “End the School Bus Nightmares for New York Families,” The New York Times, November 18, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/opinion/school-buses-busing-new-york-city-department-of-education.html ↩︎
Clifford Michel, “Staten Island Special Education Students Sue to Join Neighborhood School Classrooms,” The City, February 3, 2021, https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/2/3/22265468/staten-island-special-education-students-sue-nyc-schools ↩︎
Christina Veiga, “This Teen With Autism Helped Persuade NYC’s Education Panel to Vote ‘No’ on Controversial Gifted Testing Contract,” Chalkbeat New York, February 2, 2021, https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/2/2/22263151/nyc-student-advocate-disabilities-gifted ↩︎