Inclusion Conference at Pace
by Stephen Levy, Ph.D.
Over 500 educators from across the Metropolitan area gathered at Pace University, recently, to hear and interact with experts in the area of inclusion. The NYC Task Force for Quality Inclusive Schooling in collaboration with the NY Higher Education Support Center for Systems Change at Syracuse University, Pace University, Touro College, Parent to Parent, Phi Delta Kappa Chapters of Columbia & Pace, NYS IDEA State Improvement Grant and the UFT Teacher Center presented the conference titled “Creating an Inclusive Environment for All Students.”
NYC Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and Carmen Farina, former Deputy Chancellor, NYCDOE, addressed the importance of inclusion in the lives of children with disabilities. Multiple workshops and seminars were presented by college professors and other practitioners. Fifteen schools were presented with certificates acknowledging their excellent inclusion programs.
Dr. Stephen Levy hosted a reaction panel at the conference end with some of the most knowledgeable people in the field. Panelists included Dr. Dorothy Lipsky, Director of NCERI at CUNY Grad School, Dr. Celia Oyler, Director, Pre-service, Childhood Education, Teachers College, Columbia University; Linda Wernikoff, Senior Instructional Manager, Office of Special Education Initiatives; Dr. Cathy Rikhye, Director of Inclusion Programs, D.75; Madeline Seide, Parent Coordinator, PS 10K and Liz Truly, UFT Legal Consultant on Special Education Law and Policy. The panelists agreed that while inclusion is happening across the city and around the area, there is much that still has to be done.#
