GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO ‘METROFOCUS.’

I’M JACK FORD.

TONIGHT WE WELCOME THE COFOUNDERS OF A UNIQUE SCHOOL AS PROVIDING A MODEL OF INCLUSIVE CITY FOR LEARNING.

THE IDEAL SCHOOL IN MANHATTAN THE CITY’S ONLY K THROUGH 12 INDEPENDENT INCLUSION SCHOOL.

FOUNDED THREE YEARS AGO BY THREE MOTHER OF A SPECIFIC NEED — A TRULY INCLUSIVE DIVERSE SCHOOL WITH SMALL CLASSES WHERE STUDENTS OF ALL ABILITIES CAN LEARN TOGETHER IN THE CLASSROOM.

SCHOOL HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS, NOW MOVING TO A NEW LARGER HOME DOWN IN THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT, AND HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL AS PART OF OUR CHASING THE DREAM INITIATIVE, FOCUSING ON SOLUTIONS TO STRUCTURAL INEQUITIES ARE TWO OF THE COFOUNDERS OF THE IDEAL SCHOOL OF MANHATTAN, AUDRA ZUCKERMAN AND MICHELLE SMITH.

LADIES, WELCOME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THANKS FOR HAVING US.

AUDRA, LET ME COME TO YOU FIRST IF I CAN.

I GAVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION, BUT WE WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW AND WHY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CREATE THIS APPROACH TO LEARNING.

SURE.

SO, BACK IN 2005, MICHELLE AND I BOTH HAD YOUNG CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME, AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR A SCHOOL SETTING WHERE OUR CHILDREN COULD BE INCLUDED WITH THEIR PEERS, COULD GO TO SCHOOL WITH THEIR PEERS OF THE SAME AGE.

THEY HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DID IN YOUR LYES UP UNTIL THEN.

WENT TO INCLUSIVE PRESCHOOL SETTINGS.

A WE THOUGHT, THIS IS NEW YORK CITY.

THERE ARE SO MANY SCHOOL OPTIONS.

THIS SHOULDN’T BE AN ISSUE.

BUT WE ENDED UP COMING UP AGAINST A LOT OF ROADBLOCKS IN THIS PROCESS.

MANY OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SETTINGS COULDN’T PROVIDE THE RESOURCES OR WOULDN’T PROVIDE THE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS IN THE WAY THAT WE KNEW THAT THEY NEEDED IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS WEREN’T INTERESTED IN TAKING STUDENTS WITH DOWN SYNDROME, AND MANY OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS WERE NOT INCLUSIVE OR THEY REALLY FOCUSED ON A PARTICULAR TYPE OF DISABILITY, NOT INCLUDING DOWN SYNDROME.

SO WE THOUGHT, THIS IS CRAZY.

AGAIN, IT’S NEW YORK CITY.

HOW COULD THIS BE POSSIBLE?

WE SHOULDN’T NEED TO LEAVE THE CITY THAT WE LOVE AND WANTED TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN IN JUST TO FIND AN INCLUSIVE, EDUCATIONAL SET.

SO WE GOT TOGETHER WITH ANOTHER FAMILY, AND WE STARTED TO SAY TO EACH OTHER, LET’S TRY THIS.

LET’S TRY TO START A SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS OF ALL ABILITIES CAN LEARN TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE, BE ACCEPTED FOR WHO THEY ARE, HAVE A CURRICULUM THAT MEETS EACH STUDENT WHERE THEY ARE IN THE LEARNING PROCESS, AND CAN REPLICATE THE BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY OF NEW YORK CITY ITSELF AND THE DIVERSITY OF NEW YORK CITY ITSELF.

MICHELLE, LET ME ASK YOU TO EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.

AND I THINK AUDRA, SOME OF HER ANSWER PROVIDED THAT, BUT FOR SOME CLARITY FOR OUR VIEWERS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE NOTION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN?

IT MEANS COEDUCATING, NOT PULLING OUT OF CLASSROOMS, NOT MAKING ANYONE FEEL BAD OR EXTRA GOOD, AND CREATING A MODEL WHERE PEOPLE CAN LEARN TOGETHER AS LONG AS THE PROGRAM AND THE CHILDREN ARE SURROUNDED WITH DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION.

THAT’S AN INTERESTING POINT.

LET ME ASK TO YOU FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

I KNOW AND I’M SURE YOU RUN INTO THIS, WHERE SOME PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE A MISPERCEPTION OR JUST DON’T FULLY UNDERSTAND IT AND SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, IF YOU’RE PUTTING EVERYBODY IN ONE CLASSROOM, DOES THAT MEAN THOSE WITH — WE HEAR THE TERM SPECIAL NEEDS OFTEN USED — DOES THAT MEAN THEY’RE GOING TO GET THE EMPHASIS AND THE OTHERS WILL NOT?

WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THAT IN TERMS OF THE BALANCE IN THE CLASSROOM?

SO, OUR ANSWER TO THAT IN OUR CLASSROOMS IS COTEACHING, AND EVERYBODY IS MET WITH HOW THEY LEARN, AND SO ALL THE KIDS, TYPICALLY DEVELOPING CHILDREN THAT ARE NONTYPICAL, ARE HAVING INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION LEARNING PLANS TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE.

AND SO IF MATH IS BEING TAUGHT, MATH IS DIRECTED THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE DIRECTED FOR THAT STUDENT AND NOBODY’S BEING DRAGGED DOWN.

IT’S A MYTH.

AND NOBODY IS LEFT BEHIND THAT MIGHT BE LEARNING AT A DIFFERENT PACE, AND OUR ANSWER TO IT WAS CREATING A COTEACHING MODEL TO DIFFERENTIATE THE INSTRUCTION FOR THAT PARTICULAR LEARNER.

IT SOUNDS LIKE SUCH COMMON SENSE.

IT SOUNDS SO SIMPLE.

WE’RE IN THE SAME STRUCTURE, IN THE SAME ROOM, EVERYBODY’S TOGETHER, BUT WE HAVE TEACHING THAT IS TAILORED TO THE GROUPS.

SO I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU, AUDRA, AND YOU MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, WHY WASN’T IT BEING DONE IN NEW YORK CITY BEFORE YOU ALL DID IT?

IT’S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I THINK THERE’S A COUPLE OF REASONS.

SO FIRST IS IT DOES REQUIRE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

YOU HAVE TO MAKE — EVERY ORGANIZATION HAS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT PRIORITIES AND COMMITMENT OF RESOURCES, SO ONE WAY THAT RESOURCES ARE IMPORTANT WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT INCLUSION IS THE COTEACHING MODEL THAT MICHELLE MENTIONED, SO THAT’S A GENERAL EDUCATOR AND SPECIAL EDUCATOR WORKING TOGETHER IN THE CLASSROOM.

THAT’S AN ADDITIONAL FULL HEAD TEACHER IN A CLASSROOM.

THERE IS TRAINING THAT IS INVOLVED.

THERE ARE OTHER RESOURCE ISSUES.

AND TOUGH MAKE THEM A PRIORITY.

BUT I THINK THE BIGGER ISSUE THAT YOU COME UP AGAINST WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT INCLUSION IN OTHER EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS IS IT’S A MATTER OF PRIORITIZING AND BELIEVING IN THE VALUE OF HAVING A DIVERSE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.

SO, AT IDEAL, EVERYBODY THERE IS ON BOARD WITH THE MISSION OF INCLUSION.

IT IS INCLUSIVE FROM THE TOP DOWN TO THE BOTTOM UP.

NOBODY WALKS IN THAT DOOR AND HAS TO LEAVE THEIR IDENTITY BEHIND AT THE DOOR.

IT’S A PHILOSOPHY.

IT’S A — IT’S IN OUR DNA, RIGHT?

SO, IF YOU ARE TRYING TO CONVINCE THE EDUCATORS AT THE SCHOOL OR THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SCHOOL OR THE TEACHERS THERE, THAT’S A — YOU’RE IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION.

WHAT WE HAVE AT IDEAL AND WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IN OTHER SCHOOLS — PUBLIC, PRIVATE, ANYTHING, ACROSS THE COUNTRY — IS A BELIEF IN YOUR CHILDREN, THE BELIEF THAT ALL CHILDREN CAN LEARN, ALL CHILDREN ARE VALUABLE TO A COMMUNITY, THAT EVERYBODY BRINGS SOMETHING TO THE TABLE, AND THAT ALL STUDENTS ARE TEACHABLE.

EVERYBODY AT THE IDEAL SCHOOL BELIEVES THAT.

WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, CELEBRATE EACH OTHERS DIFFERENCES.

IT’S OKAY IF ONE STUDENT STRUGGLES IN ONE AREA.

THERE WILL BE ANOTHER AREA THEY ARE SPECTACULAR IN.

MICHELLE, TO HELP US UNDERSTAND, WHAT DOES A CLASSROOM IN THE IDEAL SCHOOL LOOK LIKE AND FEEL LIKE AND SOUND LIKE?

YEAH, AUDRA LOVES THIS ONE.

AUDRA, I’D LOVE TO TOSS THIS TO YOU.

GOOD.

AUDRA, IT’S ALL YOURS.

QUITE HONESTLY IT LOOKS LIKE EVERY OTHER CLASSROOM IN AMERICA.

OUR CLASSROOMS DON’T LOOK DIFFERENT, AND IN FACT, OFTENTIMES YOU’RE NOT EVEN GOING TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHICH STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING EXTRA SUPPORT IN THE SCHOOL.

NOT EVERYBODY HAS A VISIBLE DISABILITY.

WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE THAT IS DIFFERENCE IN AN IDEAL SCHOOL CLASSROOM IS THERE ARE SMALLER CLASS SIZES.

YOU’RE GOING TO SEE MORE INSTRUCTORS IN THE ROOM, BUT YOU’RE NOT GOING TO REALLY KNOW WHICH TEACHERS ARE FOCUSING ON WHICH STUDENTS, BECAUSE EVERYBODY’S WORKING WITH EVERYBODY.

YOU MIGHT SEE FLEXIBLE GROUPING.

YOU MIGHT SEE STUDENTS ALL TOGETHER IN A CLASSROOM LEARNING ABOUT A SUBJECT AT ONE POINT AND BREAKING OFF INTO SMALLER GROUPS, RECEIVING THEIR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION, DOING DIFFERENT PROJECTS RELATED TO THE SAME TOPIC IN SMALL GROUPS.

YOU MIGHT SEE AT THE IDEAL SCHOOL SOMETHING THAT I AM REALLY PROUD OF THAT I THINK WE’RE ALL REALLY PROUD OF THAT WE DO IS WE DO NOT PULL STUDENTS OUT OF THE CLASSROOM TO GET THEIR THERAPIES.

SO YOU MIGHT SEE ALL STUDENTS LEAVING THE CLASSROOM TO GO TO DIFFERENT ELECTIVES.

ONE STUDENT MIGHT BE GOING TO AN ART ELECTIVE, ONE TO A MUSIC ELECTIVE, ONE STUDENT MIGHT BE GETTING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY.

THERE’S NO STIGMA, NO DIFFERENCE IN HOW THEY’RE TREATED AND PERCEIVED BY THE COMMUNITY.

HERE’S WHAT YOU FEEL — WHEN YOU WALK IN THAT SCHOOL AND YOU WATCH THESE HUMAN BEINGS — TEACHERS, ADMIN AND THE STUDENTS WITH EACH OTHER, YOU FEEL RESPECT.

YOU FEEL COMPLETE IMMERSION OF, THIS ISN’T MY FRIEND DYLAN BE DOWN SYNDROME, AND HE CAN’T READ.

THIS IS MY FRIEND DYLAN.

THAT’S WHAT YOU FEEL.

YOU SEE AND VISCERALLY FEEL HOW, IF WE STARTED TEACHING HUMAN BEINGS AT YOUNG AGES THAT DIFFERENCES ARE OKAY, THEY’RE NOT SCARY, WE ALL HAVE TO ADAPT, WE ALL HAVE TO COEXIST.

IT’S AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE SOCIAL STUDY TO WATCH AND FEEL.

HOW DID YOUR OWN CHILDREN — HOW DID YOUR OWN CHILDREN DO?

HOW DID THEY BENEFIT FROM THIS TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT?

I CAN TELL YOU MY SON MAX, WHO IS NOW 20 YEARS OLD, HE STATED THE SCHOOL.

HE WAS IN THE FIRST GRADE WHEN WE OPENED IT.

HE WAS IN THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS IN 2018.

HE IS PROUD OF THE FACT THAT HE HAS DOWN SYNDROME.

HE DOESN’T THINK OF IT AS A NEGATIVE.

IT IS JUST A PART OF HIS IDENTITY.

IT IS PART OF WHO HE IS.

THAT IS SOMETHING WE WORK VERY, VERY HARD TO CULTIVATE AT THE SCHOOL WITH AN INTENTIONAL IDENTITY CURRICULUM, WITH THE SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK THAT WE DO.

FROM KINDERGARTEN ON, EVERY STUDENT — IT’S NOT JUST STUDENTS ARE DISABILITIES.

IT’S AN INCREDIBLY DIVERSE POPULATION — ARE CELEBRATING ONE ANOTHER’S UNIQUE ASPECTS FROM THE BEGINNING.

THERE’S ALSO THE FACT THAT I THINK HE DID REACH HIS POTENTIAL IN ALL OF THE SUBJECT AREAS HE WORKED ON AT SCHOOL BECAUSE HE FELT SAFE, FELT ACCEPTED, AND HE WAS TAUGHT TO ACCESS THE CURRICULUM AT THE LEVEL WHERE HE WAS AT EACH STAGE.

MICHELLE, HOW ABOUT YOU?

YEAH, YOU KNOW, OUR MODEL TACKLES BULLYING WITHOUT HAVE TO SAY TACKLES BULLYING.

MY SON DIDN’T GET BULLIED.

KIDS WITH DOWN SYNDROME CAN BE TARGETS.

KIDS WITH DIFFERENCES CAN BE TARGETS.

KIDS WITHOUT DISABILITIES CAN BE TARGETS.

THIS MODEL — OUR SCHOOL IS A MOVEMENT.

IT WAS A MOVEMENT WAY BACK WHEN.

THE ISSUES WE’RE SEEING NOW WITH THE DIFFERENCES AND JUST THE HARASSMENT IS INCLUSION SOLVES THE PROBLEM.

THIS COEXISTENT CONCEPT FROM A YOUNG AGE, AND IT’S IN THE DNA OF EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING.

WE HAVE WORD OF THE MONTH IDEAL.

IT’S NOT WORD OF THE MONTH FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN.

IT’S WORD OF THE MONTH.

WE ARE ALL ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS, CIVIL JUSTICE, SOCIAL JUSTICE.

THIS IS AN ANSWER TO ONE OF THE MOST SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS.

WE ARE SEEING IN YOUTH.

ONCE AGAIN, THE IDEAL SCHOOL OF MANHATTAN, JUST AS I SAID BEFORE, A MARVELOUS IDEA THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO PLAY AND HAS ACCOMPLISHED EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD HOPE FOR, AND WE JUST NEED MORE OF IT.

SO OUR THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU, AUDRA AND MICHELLE, FOR JOINING US, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MAYBE TALKING TO YOU AGAIN DOWN THE ROAD AND SEEING HOW ALL OF THIS IS EVOLVE.

YOU ALL BE WELL.

TAKE CARE NOW.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.