Special Education in Washington DC is a racial justice issue. 94% of students in special education are African American. 1 out of 4 Black males and 1 out of 8 Black females are identified as students with disabilities – twice the rate of their white peers. We must take a targeted look at the school-based systems that lead a child to special education. Those begin with our classrooms, systems of support, and discipline and conclude with the identification process. We must also consider how the system of special education itself is serving (or not serving) students once identified. At this moment, words are simply not enough. We must use our resources to combat the systemic racism that exists in every American institution -including special education. The Co-op implores schools to join us and commit to these action items: 1. Literacy by any means necessary Only 2 out of every 20 students with disabilities scored on grade level on the 2019 PARCC ELA ACTION ITEMS ● Focus on instructional practices that support the science of reading ● Train staff on evidence-based practices and implement with fidelity ● Structure your master schedule to accommodate for an intervention block. Students with disabilities can’t afford to miss a minute of core instruction, and pulling them in and out of classes for services does them a disservice 2.
Promote a school culture that acknowledges and actively works to dismantle systems of oppression 31% of students with disabilities have a learning disability as their primary disability. Many educators have little to no training in what that means and how the disability manifests in the classroom. That lack of understanding, coupled with implicit bias and low expectations creates a thick glass ceiling for these students. ACTION ITEMS ● Include disability in all DEI training for all staff and students ● Invite people with disabilities to lead DEI training ● Address the myths and misconceptions of learning disabilities, including implicit