Visión Futuro

In my first couple of weeks as Project Director for PS 958, I spent a lot of time meeting with all of the different organizations in the Sunset Park community. It was a great way to get to know the people and needs of the neighborhood and I have been overwhelmed by the rich resources here. During each meeting, there was one name that came up without fail, Laura Espinoza. I was told over and over “You really need to meet with Laura. Have you met with Visíon Futuro? You need to speak to Laura and the other moms.“ It became clear, very quickly, that the advocacy work these women do in the community is the foundation that this new school is being built on. I was excited and very nervous for our first meeting.

We met at Center for Family Life and spoke for almost three hours about the experiences they’ve had navigating special eduction in NYC and about what has and has not worked for their children.

During the meeting, 11th grade Sunset Park High School student and member of Visíon Futuro Youth, Britney Espinoza, spoke profoundly about her experience as both a student, sibling and advocate for children with special needs. She shared the struggle to get information in her family’s home language, how teachers contribute to the stigma of special education by threatening to send students there when they misbehave and a frustration with the lack of training and resources available to her sibling’s teachers.

The needs outlined in our meeting were clear and coherent and well-informed by experience. Hearing them identify the same problems that myself and other educator’s have been frustrated by really underscores the importance of engaging families and students in the decision-making process. Here are some of the needs we discussed:

• Inclusive opportunities for all children

• More diversity in community school/neighborhood based placements

• Experienced special education teachers

• BCBA and ABA support across settings

• Experiential, community-based learning opportunities

• Sensory Gym, Playground and Indoor Community Pool

• Improved communication, transparency and training for families

• Accessible technology

• Differentiated and individualized learning

• Social/Emotional learning program

• High academic expectations for every child

Visíon Futuro is an incredible asset to the community and I look forward to continuing to learn from and grow with them as we design this school from the ground up. If you have a child with special needs and you live in the area, complete their survey so you can connect with this amazing group.

Click here for Spanish and here for English. We look forward to meeting you!