I am the mother of twin boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder who are in New York City’s public schools. I am also a parent leader who spends countless hours advocating not just for my children, but for all children. Here is the truth: Our special education system is not failing because teachers don’t care. It is failing because teachers are overwhelmed and undertrained. If we are serious about educational equity, then special education training must be funded explicitly in the state budget.
At every Community Education Council (CEC) meeting, the same thing happens.
Parents stand up. We speak. We explain what our children need. We tell our superintendents. We go to the Department of Education (DOE). We talk to the DOE’s Office of Family and Community Empowerment. We reach out to the mayor’s office. And somehow, the ball gets tossed again.
“It’s a city issue.” “It’s a state issue …” “It’s a budget issue …” “Talk to Albany …”
Meanwhile, our children wait.
According to the New York State Education Department, nearly 20% of students in New York public schools receive special education services. Statewide, approximately 19% of students — nearly 460,000 children — are classified as students with disabilities. Yet teachers routinely report feeling unprepared to support students with autism, ADHD, emotional disorders, and speech and language needs in inclusive classrooms.
According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, more than 70% of general education teachers say they need additional training to serve students with disabilities effectively. At the same time, national surveys reported by Education Week show that fewer than one in five teachers feel “very well prepared” to teach students with learning disabilities such as ADHD or dyslexia.
The challenge is growing because most students with disabilities now spend the majority of their school day in general education classrooms as part of inclusive education policies. Researchers from Forward Together note that inclusion can only succeed when teachers have the training, support staff, and instructional tools necessary to meet diverse learning needs. Research published by the Education and Healthcare Public Service Journal also emphasizes that without adequate training and classroom support, teachers are often left trying to serve students with complex learning needs without the preparation they were promised during their training programs.
That gap shows up every day.
Professional development in special education is inconsistent, underfunded, and too often treated as optional instead of essential. Teachers already working full-time cannot simply “go back to school” for more training without structured, paid, and mandated support. Expecting them to figure it out alone is unfair — to educators and students alike.
Wo is responsible?
The DOE oversees implementation. The mayor controls the city budget. When the city announces budget shortfalls, though, the responsibility shifts upward. The governor and state legislature determine school aid allocations, including Foundation Aid — the primary source of state funding for public schools.
This is not abstract policy talk for me. I have watched my sons sit in classrooms where teachers were trying their best but were clearly overwhelmed. I have seen educators juggle 25 students with diverse learning needs and no co-teacher. I have also seen how sensory tools, trauma-informed practices, and evidence-based de-escalation strategies can transform a classroom — when teachers are trained to use them.
Research published by the Council for Exceptional Children shows that evidence-based instructional strategies and teacher training can increase student engagement and improve classroom participation for students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms.
But training costs money.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is currently touring public schools across New York State. If this administration truly believes in supporting children, then that commitment must extend to the one student in five receiving special education services. Professional development in special education should not depend on leftover discretionary funds in a school’s budget. It should be mandated and funded at the state level.
If the city cannot absorb the cost due to fiscal constraints, then the state must step up. That means increasing targeted allocations in Foundation Aid, creating a dedicated state-funded special education professional development grant, and raising revenue by taxing the richest New Yorkers and the state’s most highly profitable corporations.
Our children do not have time for bureaucratic hot potato. We cannot continue passing responsibility from the DOE to City Hall to Albany and back again.
Students with disabilities are not an afterthought. They are not expendable when budgets tighten. They are part of the foundation of our public education system.
If we want inclusive schools, we must invest in inclusive training. If we want teachers to be prepared and supported in their classrooms, we must equip them. If we want our children to thrive, New York must stop passing the buck — and finally fund the solution.
Natassja Rappa is a New York City parent healing ambassador, FACE ambassador, EdWarrior, and education advocate working to advance equity for students with disabilities while raising twin boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder.