FAMILY
The IDEAL School
Unified Diversified Learning
By Isaiah Negron
N
estled on a quiet side street on the Upper West Side in New York City sits the IDEAL School, one of the city’s most innovative, inclusive and prestigious private schools. The school’s mission is to create a diverse community that supports and recognizes the various identities of all people and creeds while encouraging academic excellence, self-expression and aspirations to design a more fair and equitable world. “It’s the only private school in the city that is an inclusion school. About 30% of our students have learning differences and 70% are typically developing kids, but everybody is in the same classroom,” says the IDEAL School’s Director of Communication and Institutional Equity David Byrnes. ““I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work in a school with this very unique mission and one that I really believe in. An inclusive education benefits all learners, from the gifted and advanced students to those with special education needs.” It all began when Michele Smith could not find an integrated elementary program
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that wasn’t only for special needs children for her son, who has Down’s syndrome. After meeting Audra Zuckerman and Julia Harquail, who have children with the same genetic disorder, they decided to create this integrated, unbiased, all-encompassing educational offering. The school is based on three pillars: Diversity, Acceptance and Excellence. Through inventive programming, The IDEAL School treats the students as a whole, not singling one out for special attention or help. “One of the founding principles of the program is to not pull out students who need extra support, which is usually what happens in a public school program,” explains Byrnes. “Every student is getting the same curriculum. They’re just getting it at their level.” The school aims to create an atmosphere that reflects the global community, encouraging all races, learning levels, genders, sexual orientations, religions, family structures and economic levels. By offering comprehensive academic classes with widely ranging elec-
tive programs like musical theater, chess, life skills and yoga, The IDEAL School teaches children not only math, science and language, but an array of subjects designed specifically for each student. And with more than one teacher in each classroom, small student-to-teacher ratios allow for more comprehensive and effective learning. With a core promoting diversity and inclusion coupled with stimulating, content-rich curriculum, The IDEAL School has already witnessed groundbreaking success in their students, so much so that their first high school class, containing the school’s original four students, will begin this fall at IDEAL Academy. ”We want to help other schools integrate inclusion practices,” concluded Byrnes. “If we think we can help schools better serve a broader population of students long term, we definitely would love to become a resource for educators across the country and the globe.” For more information: theidealschool.org