Turning 5

Important Reminder for Parents of Children Born in 2014: The NYC Kindergarten Registration Deadline is Monday, January 14th

Last fall, the NYC Department of Education’s Special Education Office mailed a kindergarten ‘Welcome Packet’ to parents of children currently receiving preschool special education (CPSE) services who will be “turning five” during the 2019 calendar year.

The information in the packet makes clear that the DOE expects parents to engage with two processes: applying to kindergarten through the regular NYC application process and engaging in the Turning Five IEP process. In short, the DOE asks parents to apply to a local public school for a general education seat regardless of whether or not you feel that your child’s needs could ever be met in that program.

There are 3 ways to apply for a kindergarten seat at your community school before the January 14th deadline:

  1. Online at MySchools

  2. Over the phone by calling 718-935-2009

  3. In person at a Family Welcome Center

According to the DOE, you should receive your “blue Notice of Referral” to begin the special education (Turning Five) process anytime between January and July of this year.

Skyer Law's first Turning 5 Workshop of 2018 is May 24th

HOW TO SURVIVE TURNING FIVE
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Concert Hall
58 Seventh Avenue (Brooklyn)
Thursday, May 24th
7:00pm-9:00pm

For NYC parents of preschool-aged children who have special education needs, transitioning to kindergarten can be overwhelming. The experienced team of attorneys at Skyer Law have guided thousands of clients through the so-called “Turning 5” process. Our founding partner, Regina Skyer, literally wrote the book on How to Survive Turning 5.

This workshop will explain your legal rights, placement options, and share strategies on how to successfully position yourselves for an appropriate kindergarten placement.

This event is sponsored by the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. It is a free event open to the public. Please register via the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music website.

Note: We have updated last week's blog post, "What is Pendency?" for clarity following feedback from readers.

An Important Reminder for Parents of Children Born in 2012: The NYC Kindergarten Registration Deadline is Friday, January 13th

Last fall, the NYC Department of Education’s Special Education Office sent out an important letter to parents of children who will be “turning five” during the 2017 calendar year, and who are expected to enter kindergarten in September, 2017. 

That letter clarified that the parents of all children turning five, including those with IEPs, must apply to kindergarten through the NYC application process.  This obligation applies regardless of whether you feel that your child’s needs could ever be met in your local public school.
Applications for kindergarten are now open and close on January 13th, 2017.  Parents can apply in one of 3 ways:

  1. Apply online at schools.nyc.gov/ApplyOnline

  2. Apply over the phone by calling 718-935-2400 (M-F, 8 am – 6 pm)

  3. Apply in person at a Family Welcome Center (see schools.nyc.gov/WelcomeCenters for locations and hours)

Despite the fact that the kindergarten placement process is different for children with IEPs, this DOE letter makes it very clear that parents of children who receive special education services through the CPSE are required to participate in the regular NYC kindergarten application process.

If you did not receive a letter on this topic from the Department of Education, it is still important to be an active participant in the kindergarten application process.  For important updates and more information regarding the transition to kindergarten for special education students, please visit schools.nyc.gov/Academics/SpecialEducation/AcrossGrades/Kindergarten.