 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
After-school,
uniforms and transportation
On this page: After-school | Uniforms | Transportation | Appeals Some schools have after-school programs to accommodate
children of parents who work. Some of these programs are free, but most charge
a fee. Some after-school programs are held in the school building, and some are
at community organizations. Call your child's school to find out about after-school
programs, or see the city's online directory of 500 free after-school and vacation programs. (Just type in your zip code and find the program nearest you.) You can also look at our list of links to organizations that run after-school programs. Some New York City public school children wear school uniforms.
Others do not. It is up to your school's "School Leadership Team "
(SLT) -- a group of parents, teachers, and other school staff that develops
the school's budget and education plan - to decide whether students will be
required to wear uniforms. It must vote on this issue at least once every three
years. Before it votes, the SLT is required to consult with the school's Parent
Association (PA) or the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and to co-host with
the PA/PTA at least one open forum for parents, teachers, students, and administrators
to air their views. This forum has to be held at a convenient time. If you can't
afford a uniform, or you don't want your child to wear one, click here
for more information. Whether they get seats on a yellow school bus or MetroCards to ride the city
bus or subway, many New York City public school students are entitled to free
or low-cost transportation to and from school. The type of transportation and
the cost depend on the student's grade and the distance between his home and
school. For details, check the website of the Office
of Pupil Transportation.
Special education students get specialized
transport based on their needs. The need for this must be specified
in the student's IEP. Some students eligible for door-to-door service
may require additional modifications - special equipment on the bus
or a shorter ride, for example. Parents need to present documentation
of these needs. Kids who have difficulty walking and live in buildings
without elevators must be carried up and down stairs by a "specialized
transportation assistant." Parents of children in special education
can refer to the State Education Department's publication, A
Parent's Guide for more information about special education. If
you would like to know in detail what the law says about school transportation,
you can refer to Chancellor's
Regulation A-801. If you moved over the summer, notify the Committee on Special Education employees as soon as possible and remind them to call OPT with the changes. If you think your child needs his own bus aide --
a para-professional or “para” -- consider carefully before you make
your request. Once a bus para is recommended on the IEP, your child must always
have a para to ride the bus. The downside is that if the para is absent, your
child will not be picked up. It may be illegal, but it does happen. Appealing transportation
decisions Students in general education: A parent may appeal
a school decision on student transportation to the Office of Pupil Transportation,
under the provisions of Chancellor’s
Regulation A-801 3 3.3. Until a decision is reached, the pupil must abide
by the original school transportation plan. The OPT's decisions are supposed
to be written and forwarded to the pupil's parent or guardian and to the school
principal. The correspondence should include a copy of the walking route and
appeal procedure. The shelter where the student lives should have transportation request forms provided by the Office of Pupil Transportation. While OPT is processing that request, "students should be provided with MetroCards by Department of Education shelter/hotel staff until the pass is received," according to CR A-780 VI.
|
