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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 (small-class support with paraprofessionals) and the ACES (Academic, Career and Essential Skills) pathway, which emphasizes career readiness, work-based learning and life-skills instruction for students with intellectual disabilities.
Arwina Vallejo, executive director of school-based evaluations, explained how school psychologists and school-based support teams lead referrals, plan assessments, and review results to determine eligibility and services. “Parent feedback and that communication between a parent and a school psychologist and a teacher is critical to the process,” Vallejo said, describing available assessments (achievement, intelligence, neuropsychological testing and rating scales) and noting recent investment in citywide training so those evaluations can be done inside the district.
Presenters walked families through the referral-to-IEP pathway. Tammy and Temi (Committee on Preschool Special Education chairperson) outlined that families submit referrals to the local CPSC office, receive an evaluation packet with site options, and that placements are arranged by CPSC when a child is found eligible. The team emphasized New York City Public Schools’ obligation to provide services in the least restrictive environment (LRE) while noting that some students require more specialized placements and that transportation is available for those placements.
Family-facing tools were a central focus. Johanna Rodriguez, director of family support, urged families to use the Nexa account (the family portal referenced in the presentation) to view IEP details, service dates and provider names, and to request an IEP parent member (a trained parent advocate) within 72 hours of a meeting. Rodriguez also listed multilingual guides, a special education glossary, and the special education inbox (specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov) as resources for follow-up and individualized help.
Sanchez acknowledged workforce shortages in related services and described city initiatives to expand service delivery: funding to pay occupational, physical and speech therapists for optional additional sessions in school, loan-forgiveness and scholarship programs to build a pipeline, and field placements that encourage hires. She noted that the city has hired additional OT/PT/speech providers over recent years and offers weekend and summer “makeup” services.
The forum included time for questions. Vanessa Sparks, speaking for Councilmember Ty Hankerson’s office, raised capital needs at the Queens Transition Center and asked to connect that standalone D75 building with the School Construction Authority for an assessment; presenters agreed to follow up. Organizers said they would post the recording and slide deck to the CEC 28 website and invited families to continue questions via the special education inbox.
The presentation was framed repeatedly as a first step with follow-up promised; speakers urged families to reach out to the inbox or set one-on-one consultations through the TCAC transition centers for individualized transition planning. The session closed at 7:43 p.m.
