GOVERNOR SPITZER ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS TO PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION TASK FORCE

Committee to Recommend Improvements to Preschool Services for Children with Special Needs

On July 18, 2007, Governor Eliot Spitzer named nine appointments to serve on the Task Force on Preschool Special Education. The Task Force was established by the Governor in the 2007-2008 Enacted Budget to study ways of improving early education for children with special needs and to examine all aspects of preschool special education including the transition between early childhood programs and elementary school.

“We want to ensure that all students have the foundation they need for a lifetime of learning” said Governor Spitzer. “By ensuring that children with special needs get the best early help possible, we will enable them to start on the road to educational success.”

The Task Force will compare New York’s preschool special education programs with those in other states to help develop a set of best practices for cost-effective delivery of services that help children with disabilities prepare for school.

The Governor is responsible for appointing nine of the fifteen members of the Task Force: three county representatives, three service providers, and three school district representatives. The school district representatives are chosen in consultation with the Board of Regents. The remaining six members are chosen by the state agencies listed below.

The Task Force is co-chaired by Division of the Budget Deputy Director Kim Fine and State Education Department Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Cort. The men and women appointed to serve on the Task Force possess a wide breadth of experience in the field of preschool special education. Also serving on the Task Force are representatives from state agencies that play a role in coordinating services for preschool students. These agencies include the Department of Education, Department of Health, Division of Budget, Council on Children and Families, the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, and the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

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