Sinergia Inc.

Metropolitan Parent Center / Centro Metropolitano de Padres: To ALL stakeholders in NYC special education, the State of New York wants to hear from YOU! That definitely includes our parents and caregivers!! The New York State Education Department will host three virtual stakeholder engagement sessions to gather any information from you on special education due process rights and the initiatives in place to address the backlog of due process impartial hearing complaints in N...ew York City (NYC): Wednesday, May 18 (9:00 - 11:00 a.m.); Wednesday, May 18 (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.); and Monday, May 23 (2:00 - 4:00 p.m.). Each session will include information on: an overview of the due process rights afforded to students with disabilities; information on technical assistance supports available to families of a student with a disability; information on the transition, over time, of the NYC Department of Education’s due process impartial hearing system to the NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH); and an overview of the Accelerated Order of Relief legislation (Chapter 812 of the Laws of 2021) and subsequent regulations. Pre-registration is required. To register for one of the upcoming Due Process Stakeholder Engagement Sessions, please click on the appropriate link below. Zoom meeting When: May 18, 2022 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us//tZAqcOqrpzgvH9JzaiCHaANcne0BbuJjG Zoom meeting When: May 18, 2022 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us//tZ0rdOGvrT4pEtdc9GIQQ6TdczUUu1JYX Zoom meeting When: May 23, 2022 2:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us//tZ0vf-6grDgjGNfY4UiAs-LzAcnLbqz5g Individuals who need reasonable accommodations in order to participate in an upcoming virtual Due Process Stakeholder Engagement Session should notify the Due Process Unit at [email protected] or (518) 473-0170 no later than two weeks prior to the date of the session they plan on attending. Additional registration information is available on the Office of Special Education Website: http://www.nysed.gov//information-related-special-educatio If you have any additional questions, you can email NYSED directly at [email protected] We'll see you there, NY!!!

Metropolitan Parent Center / Centro Metropolitano de Padres: The Citywide Council on Special Education - CCSE will be hosting Deputy Chancellor Desmond Blackburn at their virtual May calendar meeting TOMORROW, Thursday, May 19th, from 6-9pm. Desmond K. Blackburn, Ph.D, is the Deputy Chancellor of School Leadership for the New York City Department of Education, overseeing executive superintendents, all district and high school superintendents, Borough Citywide Offices, and th...e Office of School Culture, Climate, and Well-Being. Moreover, he is currently actively overseeing the hiring of all new superintendents across the city. RSVP via Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us//tZMpf-mpqDsrHdzH6E370TgTqTf9pWRe0 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Simultaneous interpretation will be available in both Spanish and Mandarin! Kindly note that if there are no attendees using the interpretation lines by 7:00 pm, the interpreters will be dismissed. *Interpretation* Spanish Dial 347-966-4114 Conference ID: 148 829 712# Mandarin Dial 347-966-4114 Conference ID: 397 598 291# For any additional information, please reach out directly to the CCSE at [email protected] Be present, be heard, and stay well, NY!

Metropolitan Parent Center / Centro Metropolitano de Padres: It's #TransitionTuesday, y'all!! There's not a week that goes by that we hear from parents and families across the city seeking guidance on guardianship and alternatives to it, such as supported decision making. We are organizing a clinic to address this in greater depth this summer; however, please see this year's NYC Autism Conference from our amazing colleagues at YAI and from across the city. ... If you have additional questions on this topic that you would like for us to address in our upcoming clinic, please place them in the comments section or email them directly to JC Cortez at [email protected] Stay informed & stay well, NY!

Metropolitan Parent Center / Centro Metropolitano de Padres: Calling all parents / caregivers / family members of a loved one with an intellectual / developmental disability (I/DD)! New York State's Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) would like to hear from you in order to understand your family's experiences throughout the pandemic with the hope "that the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and other state agencies can be... better prepared should another public health emergency occur in the future." The survey is about 10 minutes long. It’s completely voluntary and anonymous. You are free to skip any questions that you do not wish to answer. If you are interested in participating in the survey, please click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DDACFam2022 **The survey will be open until May 20th, 2022** Please send all requests for translation to: [email protected] or call us at 1-800-395-3372. If you prefer a paper version of this survey or need assistance with filling it out, please send an email to: [email protected] or call us at 1-800-395-3372. Si quiere que esto se traduzca en su idioma, contáctenos en: [email protected] Be heard, NY!!

Metropolitan Parent Center / Centro Metropolitano de Padres: Happy Friday Fri-YAAAAAY, NY! Want to see an award-winning film? Check out "My Disability Roadmap" in a FREE screening with our great friends at Long Island Advocacy Center theliac.org with creators Samuel and Dan Habib while they screen their amazing film followed by a live Q & A session with both of them! Not only will they share their film, but they'll discuss how they've tried to build a culture of inclusion in... their family, school district, and community while planning for a full adult life as Samuel enters his 20's. When: Tuesday, May 24, 2022, from 1-2:15pm Register Here: https://bit.ly/39YMavy Enjoy the show & see you there, NY!!!

This workshop provides essential tools to successfully navigate the special education system in NYC as to ensure that children with special needs receive the educational services to which they are entitled regardless of the type of schoolpublic, charter, or private. You will leave having a better understanding of 1) Special Education, the Concept, 2) IDEA & its 6 Guiding Principles, 3) the Special Education Process, 4) Charter & Private Schools, 5) 504 Plans, & 6) Advocacy ...Tips. Este taller brinda herramientas esenciales para navegar con éxito el sistema de educación especial en la ciudad de Nueva York para garantizar que los niños con necesidades especiales reciban los servicios educativos a los que tienen derecho, independientemente del tipo de escuela: pública, autónoma o privada. Saldrá con una mejor comprensión de 1) Educación especial, el concepto, 2) IDEA y sus 6 principios rectores, 3) el proceso de educación especial, 4) escuelas charter y privadas, 5) planes 504 y 6) consejos de defensa.

AUTISM INITIATIVE: Article: Low standards corrode quality of popular autism therapy Rapid growth and inadequate standards in the ‘applied behavior analysis’ industry may put vulnerable children in the hands of poorly prepared technicians.... https://www.spectrumnews.org//low-standards-corrode-qual/

METROPOLITAN PARENT CENTER: Yesterday 11/2/20, members of the DOE Special Ed. team and CEC D75 Council had a virtual meeting. Our new MPC Trainer & Developer Juan Carlos Cortez attended the event; here are some important takeaways from the night: 1) There will be an Ask Dr Anything session with one of the DOH’s leading doctors. This will be an open forum where any questions or concerns may be addressed. Primary focus, however, will be testing. It will be through zoom,11.4,... at 5:30pm (right before the CCD75’s regularly scheduled business meeting). Event for Spanish speaking families Nov 4, 2020 6PM https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PfXhuAidSKGeOmh0j2IGfQ 2) In-person related services (in lieu of telehealth/teletherapy) can be requested for students doing remote learning! While not easy, it will *try* to be accommodated. Much emphasis was placed that this is still a learning process for all; 3) Toilet training will continue to be provided in-school; 4) For any transportation-related questions, please reach out to Jodi Sammons Chen, Director of Special Populations, Office of Transportation [email protected]

METROPOLITAN PARENT CENTER: Families of preschool students with disabilities born in 2016 who will be participating in the Turning 5 process this year, this information is for you! RSVP: https://www.gotomeeting.com/webinar/join-webinar

1 day away to register for Part 2 of the Technology for Housing Justice series! Register --> mark your calendars! RSVP link: https://us02web.zoom.us//register/WN_VpQNJHDWRRe7PfVTRtPZbA

RSVP this Wed., 11/4 for the second part of our Technology for Housing Justice Webinar series. Only 2 days away!

INICIATIVA DEL AUTISMO: Les invitamos a que se unan al grupo de apoyo en espanol, nos estamos reuniendo en estos momentos! de pm a 8:45 pm https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86210724843

METROPOLITAN PARENT CENTER: The NYC DOE recently released the the 2020-2021 Family Guide, which is available online and in all 9 DOE languages. The guide provides information on what teaching and learning will look like this school year, and universal expectations for how our schools support all students whether they are attending fully remote or blended learning classes. The guide also provides information about who families can contact when they have questions or concerns..., and resources that families can use to support learning at home. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-year-20-21/family-guide DOE publicó recientemente la Guía familiar 2020-2021, que está disponible en el internet y en los 9 idiomas del DOE. La guía proporciona información sobre cómo será la enseñanza y el aprendizaje este año escolar, y las expectativas universales sobre cómo nuestras escuelas apoyan a todos los estudiantes, ya sea que asistan a clases de aprendizaje totalmente remotas o mixtas. La guía también brinda información sobre con quién pueden comunicarse las familias cuando tienen preguntas o inquietudes, y los recursos que las familias pueden usar para apoyar el aprendizaje en el hogar.

Don't forget Sinergia's Housing Advocacy Webinar is tomorrow, 10/28, discussing Technology for Housing Justice: Part 1. JustFix.nyc is sharing updated tools on protecting tenants!

I am writing to share with you the sad news of the passing of an individual associated with Sinergia for nearly 30 years. Wilson Sanchez passed on October 21, 2020, as a result of long-standing health challenges unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilson was a person who always had a smile and a joke ready. He was once known as the Mayor of E.117th Street, because when he lived there he knew everyone in that part of East Harlem. He referred to the founders of the agency,... Richard Lash and Myrta Cuadra-Lash as Papa and Mama, and would greet Myrta by exuberantly shouting, Hey, Mama, where’s Papa? Wilson was always willing to chat, and regardless of whether you were a Yankees fan or a Mets fan, he would discuss your team with passion and detailed knowledge. Wilson is survived by two daughters and his many friends at Sinergia. Wilson will be privately buried. Sinergia will be hosting a Memorial Service for Wilson in November, with (limited) in-person attendance and remote links. Please stand by for details. RIP Wilson.

CENTRO METROPOLITANO DE PADRES: UPDATE: When will I receive my child's PAD?... Your child's special education teacher will reach out to discuss the PAD in mid September. If you have not heard from the teacher by September 18, 2020 or you have not received your child's PAD by September 25, 2020 please contact the teacher or principal. You can also email [email protected] or call 311 if you need help contacting your child's school. UPDATE: El maestro de educación especial de su hijo se debio comunicar con usted para hablar del documento PAD a mediados de septiembre. Si el maestro no lo hizo o no ha recibido el PAD, comuníquese con el maestro o el director de la escuela. También puede enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected] o llamar al 311 si necesita ayuda para ponerse en contacto con la escuela de su hijo. Padres, ¿recibieron el Documento de Adaptaciones del Programa (PAD)? ¿Sabes lo que es esto? El maestro de educación especial de su hijo y los proveedores asignados a su hijo para cada servicio deberían haberlo contactado para discutir el PAD a mediados de septiembre. Por favor, envíenos un correo electrónico a [email protected] y háganos saber si recibio o no este documento, ¡queremos saber de usted! PAD: el documento de adaptaciones del programa de educación especial (PAD) resume los programas y servicios recomendados en el IEP de su hijo y describe cómo se adaptarán a los entornos de aprendizaje combinado y remoto. https://www.schools.nyc.gov//special-education-in-blended-

METROPOLITAN PARENT CENTER: Parents, did you received the Program Adaptations Document (PAD)? Your child's special education teacher and provider assigned to your child for each service should have contacted you to discuss the PAD in mid-September. Please, send us an email at [email protected] and let us know if you receive or not this document, we want to hear from you!... PAD: the Special Education Program Adaptations Document (PAD) summarizes the programs and services recommended on your child's IEP, and describes how they will be adapted for the blended and remote learning environments. https://www.schools.nyc.gov//special-education-in-blended-

If you live in Queens, then we invite you to attend all of this week the Queens Family Support Virtual Conference organized by Queens Council on Development Disabilities! https://www.qcddny.org/ Spanish, Mandarin and sign language interpretation is available for all of the virtual workshops.... Click the link below for a list of agency websites and services available for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), including those offered by Sinergia: https://docs.google.com//1pnWKMhc4Y9pLqHJIvvFcVH2m2y/view

METROPOLITAN PARENT CENTER: Do you have questions about the special education services? remote learning? or an upcoming IEP? connect now with our Education Specialists, they are available to answer your questions. https://www.sinergiany.org//creating-safe-and-healthy-scho