Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
NYC special education leaders outline programs, family tools and supports at District 28 forum
Summary
City special education officials told District 28 families they are expanding evaluation capacity, promoting family tools (a Nexa portal and multilingual guides), and offering transition and parent-member supports while outlining how referrals and IEP decisions work.
Quentin Weddston, president of CEC 28 and a District 75 representative, opened a virtual District 28 special education forum on April 23, 2026, and introduced New York City Public Schools’ special education leadership to explain programs, evaluations and family resources.
Suzanne Sanchez, chief of special education for New York City Public Schools, said the presentation was intended to give families clarity and practical next steps. “We are the special education Avengers,” she said, introducing a team that included Joanna Charles, Michelle Nessler, Arwina Vallejo and others from the special education office.
The presentation described three city-run specialized program models. Michelle Nessler, senior executive director of specialized programs and instruction, said the NEST program serves K–12 students classified with autism in integrated co-teaching classrooms; staff receive preservice and in-class coaching and, she said, students in some programs are graduating at a 97% rate. She also described HORIZON…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
